John Murtha, 2005 News

Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, stunned member of Congress and sparked the ire of the Bush administration in November, when he called for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. “Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency,” he said. He added that Islamic insurgents “are united against U.S. forces, and we have become a catalyst for violence.” His comments ignited passionate debate over the administration's handling of the war and were particularly significant because Murtha, typically hawkish, is a decorated Vietnam veteran. Ohio Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt took a drubbing by colleagues and the media after she responded to Murtha, saying, “Cowards cut and run, Marines never do.”