Murphy: ‘It’s time for a President who leads’

Congressman delivers prime-time convention speech.
By Peter Ciferri
Bucks Local News .com

Joined on stage by around 25 fellow veterans, Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8) helped kick-off the prime-time speeches at the Democratic National Convention during Aug. 27’s focus on national security.

The only Iraq War veteran serving in Congress led a crew introduced as “young American heroes” onto the stage for the 8:25 p.m. speech.

Entering to the tune of “Eye of the Tiger” — a rock song made popular by the film Rocky III — the congressman used the forum to call for a shift in focus in the War on Terror, as well as introduce himself to America as the “blue collar kid from a row-house in Northeast Philadelphia.”

Murphy called on his experiences as a Captain the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division as the jumping off point for his commitment to Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) policies in Iraq, as well as Murphy’s personal crusade to improve veterans care at home.
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“When I returned from Iraq, I realized — we didn’t just need change over there, we also needed to change how we treat our veterans here at home,” Murphy said.

He went on to criticize President Bush, saying he “rushed to stand with soldiers at political rallies, but abandoned them at Walter Reed” and “spent billion on private contractors, but not on body armor for our troops.”

Murphy added that the President was available “for the photo ops, but AWOL when it came to doing right by our veterans.”

He then went on, “In the Army, we have a saying: ‘Lead, follow or get out of the way.’ It’s time for a President who leads.”

Murphy said he believes Obama would serve as “a commander-in-chief who knows that leadership means serving our troops as well as they serve our country.”

He explained that Obama led the fights “to end injustice at Walter Reed” and “to make sure that returning veterans get the mental health care they deserve.”

The congressman said he is proud to stand with Obama on these foreign policy issues, “So that we can finally end the War in Iraq, go after the terrorists who attacked us on 9-11 and defeat them where they are strongest: in Afghanistan.”

Murphy’s speech was scheduled just before that of former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and 30 minutes before President Bill Clinton. Other speakers of note on Wednesday included former presidential candidate John Kerry and Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden (D-Del.).

“I think it is easy for Murphy to sit in Washington and pass legislation for veterans’ rights and services,” Republican congressional candidate Tom Manion stated Thursday. “It takes a real leader to stand up in the face of opposition from your party and support the troops every time they need it, and not just when it is convenient.”

The 8th Congressional District covers all of Bucks County and portions of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Murphy will face Manion and Independent political activist Tom Lingenfelter in the Nov. 4 election.