Washington Post Buries Story of ‘Haditha’ Marine Suing Rep. Jack Murtha for Defamation

If an active member of the Marine Corps sued a sitting United States Congressman for defamation, do you think this would be front-page news?

Well, if the Congressman in question happens to be an anti-war media darling, the answer would clearly be “No.” 

Such was the case Wednesday when the Washington Post decided to put the story about Marine Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich’s lawsuit against Rep. John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania) concerning events in Haditha, Iraq, on page A5:

"Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine's reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops 'killed innocent civilians in cold blood.' Murtha also said repeatedly that the incident was covered up."

The article continued:

"In the court filing, obtained by The Washington Post, the lawyers say that Murtha made the comments after being briefed by Defense Department officials who 'deliberately provided him with inaccurate and false information.' Neal A. Puckett and Mark S. Zaid, suing for libel and invasion of privacy, also wrote that Murtha made the comments outside of his official scope as a congressman."

WaPo editors felt that two articles about the current heat wave, an article about Fidel Castro, another dealing with rebuilding efforts in Iraq, and one about what the Democrats are doing to increase voter turnout in November were all more deserving of the front-page than this lawsuit

Of course, it remains to be seen what other news agencies decide to run this story.