By Sean Coit
PoliticsPA
sean@politicspa.com
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-8th) was in Cambridge, Mass., on Monday to receive the New Frontier award from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Library and the Institute of Politics.
The award, which honors Americans under 40 years of age who have demonstrated noteworthy civic service, was also presented to Harvard graduate Rebecca Onie, co-founder of Project HEALTH.
Murphy, who served in the Army as a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division, was the first veteran of the war in Iraq to be elected to Congress in 2006, and has become increasingly well-known for his efforts to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which bans homosexuals from serving openly in the military.
The awards were presented to Onie and Rep. Murphy by Caroline Kennedy, president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
“It was a very humbling experience, and it just reinforces the need to stand by your conscience and do what you think is right for your country,” Murphy told PoliticsPA.
During his acceptance speech and his interview with PoliticsPA, Murphy emphasized the need to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” an effort he leads in Congress.
“I saw firsthand how it hurts our national security to take out 13,000 able-bodied men and women from our military just because of their sexual orientation, not for any type of misconduct,” Murphy said. ”It goes against the very fabric of what our country stands for. It’s something that needs to be changed.”
Murphy has taken a one-vote-at-a-time approach to building a coalition to overturn DADT, and appears close to reaching the necessary support, especially from fellow Pennsylvanians.
“I’m proud have both Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter supporting the repeal of DADT, and Joe is one of the 183 co-sponsors that we’ve had sign on, and we need 218 votes, so as I continue to quarterback through the House of Representatives, we need more legislators with the courage of Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter to do what’s right for our military.”
Some believed that Murphy, a fiscally conservative “Blue Dog” Democrat, was making a risky decision when he agreed to quarterback the effort against DADT, but the sophomore congressman has gained solid footing in his Bucks County district. Still, Murphy said he doesn’t view his district as a “safe seat.”
“I actually think we’ll have another tough re-election campaign. When you only win by .6 percent (Murphy’s margin of victory in ’06), you know how close these races are going to be,” Murphy said. ”I’m proud that I represent a moderate to conservative district, and I hope my constituents are proud of my efforts.”
“At the end of the day, I’m going to stand for the values that I believe in and my constituents believe in, and do whatever I can to create jobs and move our country in a new direction.”
MURPHY STILL BACKING PIKE
Despite rumors that public backers of 6th District candidate Doug Pike (D)are re-considering their support with primary challenger Manan Trivedi in the field, Murphy firmly reinforced his endorsement of the former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist.
“When I give someone my word, that’s my bond, and I give Doug Pike a lot of credit for running for Congress when it was looking like it would be against an incumbent, Jim Gerlach,” Murphy said. ”Now that it’s an open seat, I think Doug Pike has show the ability to generate the grassroots support needed to win that seat in both the primary and general election.”
THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
“I think it’s much different than in Iraq. We couldn’t be talking about more troops in Afghanistan if it weren’t for the fact that we’ve brought tens of thousands of troops back from Iraq in the past few months. As a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee, I want to make sure that another 9/11 doesn’t happen, where the Taliban provided a safe harbor and support to Al Qaeda. But I’m also cognizant of my former students at West Point, who are now company commanders in that region, and great patriots like Bill Cahir from Centre County, Pa who gave his life just a few months ago in August of 2009. Unlike past congresses, we need to make sure we’re asking tough questions, and we’re not the legislative arm of the White House, but I absolutely will do what is necessary to support our troops and keep our country safe.”
THANKSGIVING PLANS
Before spending turkey day with his wife, daughter, and newborn son, Murphy will perform the coin toss for the Bristol vs. Morrisville HS football game.
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