Free To Hate

Representative John Murtha declared Marines in Haditha were guilty of "cold-blooded murder and war crimes." This is the kind of stuff that made him a hero on the left. The Marines weren't so thrilled, and one of them sued Murtha for defamatiion.

A federal appeals court dismissed the lawsuit and declared Murtha is immune under law since he was a federal employee and the comments were part of his official duties.

I agree with the court. As outrageous as Murtha's statements might seem, he should be able to talk openly, even harshly, on matters of the day. If the people don't like it, they can deal with it by public shame and, ultimately, by voting.