I received the following from a contact working for a Congressman. The story is all over the place now, but I still got a good chuckle from it. All I could think of was someone holding their hands over their ears while screaming, “La la la la la! I can’t hear you!”

Freshman Democrat Walks Out of Armed Services Committee Hearing; Frustrated by Positive News about Iraq:

At Friday’s House Armed Services Committee hearing on Iraq policy, Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS) had to “leave the room” because she couldn’t stand to listen to retired Army General Jack Keane discuss the positive aspects associated with new Iraq strategy being implemented by General Petraeus.

She also complained that General Keane’s views and similar positive news about Iraq would “show up in the media” and “further divide this country.”

Does Rep. Boyda believe that only the “bad” news about Iraq should be reported?

Yeah, good stuff is happening over here. Dig into the accounts of attacks in Al Anbar that resulted in deaths or injuries for the last few weeks and compare them to this time last year. Make sure there is something under your jaw so you don’t get hurt when it drops.

The transcript of Rep Boyda’s comments is below the fold with emphasis added.

House Armed Services Committee Hearing
July 27, 2007
Federal News Service Transcript

REP. NANCY BOYDA (D-KS): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I was certainly hoping that General Keane would be able to be here as well. Let me just say, thank you for your testimony, so much, Mr. Korb.

And I just will make some statements more for the record based on what I heard from — mainly from General Keane. As many of us — there was only so much that you could take until we in fact had to leave the room for a while. So I think I am back and maybe can articulate some things — after so much of the frustration of having to listen to what we listened to.

But let me first just say that the description of Iraq as in some way or another that it’s a place that I might take the family for a vacation — things are going so well — those kinds of comments will in fact show up in the media and further divide this country instead of saying, here’s the reality of the problem. And people, we have to come together and deal with the reality of this issue.

Second of all, I hear over and over again — we have probably as much or more military in my district than anyone. And I hear over and over again that the Marines are at war, the Army’s at war and this country is at the mall. And the implication that it will take too much time for the president to come together and say that we are going to have — we’re going to — what’s the word I’m looking for? That he’s signing a waiver — I’m sorry — that he’s going to — it will take too much time for him to sign this waiver is almost more than I can sit here and bear.

This country has to come together. And to ask him to sign a waiver I think is very much not only the right of this Congress, but it is our moral responsibility to do so.

And finally, I would just like to share a story. When I was speaking back at home with one of a very rightwing, conservative talk show hosts and after, thank God, after we were off the air I said something that I assumed he’d agree with. And I just said, you know, I’m really worried about these guys and gals — mainly guys — that have gone. They’ve been redeployed now three and four times. He came back to me and said, you know what? They should have thought about that before they enlisted, before they signed up. He said, it’s their fault. And I was so upset, I looked at him and I said, With all due restraint — I said, no respect — not with all due respect, because quite honestly, I have no respect for that kind of an opinion — with all due restraint, and I got myself calmed down and left the room.

But I am very disappointed. I would hope that General Keane would not say that. But I am very disappointed that where is he to get up and defend and take care of the men and women who have so honorably served our country? Where is he and where is the rest of this military to say this is the right thing to do?

Now, with all due respect, this country has to come together and first and foremost deal in the reality of the situation and find a way to come together and put these crazy partisan politics behind us and come with a way forward.

And maybe that’s where I should stop and I will yield back my time.