I had the chance to meet with Rep. John Murtha at a gathering of about 100 people Sunday afternoon over at Arianna Huffington's house. I first became aware of Murtha when he came out with a powerful message recently to try and end the conflict in Iraq. He had a clear-cut plan and a vision of what America should do in Iraq and he called for the immediate implementation of this plan.

Of course, he quickly became a target as the GOP sent out their newly elected hatchet man Jean Schmidt of Ohio to do their dirty work. She labeled him a coward and a cut-and-run artist, paving the way for second rate hacks to pile on a barrage of lies and distortions about the case he made to get us out of this tragic war. A fledgling swiftboat attack began but was quelled immediately by the Internet as the perpetrators turned out to be liars from the get-go.

John is a towering man; over six feet tall, he hovered over the crowd with a quiet calm that resonated deeply within the group. He spoke for a few minutes with a passion and clarity that was mesmerizing. What is clear and very dear to him is not that he held the spotlight for the moment, but rather his message...read on