SEATTLE – A man who says his son was murdered on Sept. 11, 2001, wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Post describing Sen. Patty Murray’s “affectionate representation” of Osama bin Laden last week as “sickening.”
“It is a vulgar demeaning of not only my son, but of everyone who perished that day,” wrote Patrick L. Cartier of Jackson Heights, N.Y.
Cartier said “there is no way the senator can properly represent Americans when her sympathies embrace evil.”
“She should resign and allow someone to hold her position who will tender reverence, respect and honor to Americans and not to those evil people who slaughter for kicks,” he said.
Cartier was referring to a session with high-school students Dec. 18 in Vancouver, Wash., in which Murray asked them to ponder why bin Laden is “so popular around the world.”
Murray said bin Laden has been “out in these countries for decades, building schools, building roads, building infrastructure, building day-care facilities, building health-care facilities, and the people are extremely grateful. We haven’t done that.”
The senator then asked the students: “How would they look at us today if we had been there helping them with some of that rather than just being the people who are going to bomb in Iraq and go to Afghanistan?”
Another writer to the Post, who also referred to the Sept. 11 attacks, said Murray should step down.
“Murray’s comments about bin Laden absolutely epitomize the Democratic Party’s blame-America philosophy,” said Don DeVan of Manhattan. “The stupidity of her remarks make Sen. Trent Lott sound like a Ph.D. ”
DeVan said Murray “should resign for the good of the nation and the Democratic Party. But not before she apologizes to all of those who lost loved ones on 9-11, starting with the New York City Fire Department.”
In another reference to Sept. 11, the Tri-City Herald in Eastern Washington state said in an editorial this week that “even more disturbing than the inaccuracies in Murray’s comments is the insensitivity.”
“Thousands of Americans are facing this week with dread,” the paper said, “knowing it brings the second Christmas without a father, mother, son or daughter murdered by bin Laden.”
For that, the Herald asserted, “Murray owes an apology. It can’t come too soon.”
Also in Murray’s home state, a community newspaper south of Seattle, the Federal Way Mirror, published a political cartoon with a takeoff on the movie “Love Story,” featuring bin Laden and Murray in the title roles. The Mirror’s publisher, Sound Publishing, owns 15 community newspapers in the Puget Sound area.
The Wheeling News-Register in West Virginia yesterday called Murray’s inference that U.S. leaders should be more like bin Laden “disgusting.”
“Yet we doubt members of the Senate will make any comment on Murray – and that, too, is disgusting,” the paper said.
Meanwhile, a newspaper in India has picked up on the story. The Tribune of Chandigarh, India, said in the lead to its news report earlier this week:
“In America, praising Osama bin Laden is an unpardonable sin tantamount to blasphemy, and a woman senator is being hauled over the coals for committing that offense.”
Previous stories:
Petition calls for Patty Murray to resign
Murray pushed for aid to Taliban before 9-11
National press ignores praise for bin Laden
‘Bizarre’ praise of Osama riles senator’s challenger
Democrat senator praises bin Laden
The devils are here
Ben Shapiro