Following the Pennsylvania state Legislature's recent repeal of midterm pay increases and the ouster of Dover's school board, which advocated intelligent design in its schools, voters have spurred U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, to call for a meaningful debate over U.S. presence in Iraq.

Murtha, who comes from a long line of military men and served as a Marine in Vietnam himself, said that a spate of e-mail messages from constituents, including World War II vets and parents of American soldiers in Iraq, persuaded him to alter his previous position on the war.

The issue here is not whether his particular position on the war is correct, rather it is that his objection fuels debate on an integral issue facing the public.

Murtha's decision to speak out against the administration's war tactics and planning brings a fresh angle to the public discourse and helps to wash away the public's complacency about the war so far.

Tacking toward new political winds always proves a risky venture, but this time, the rationale behind the change in course ennobles it.

It's not every day that politicians so nimbly change political course without the prospect of paying political dividends. Politicians, as a rule, should try to respond more to their voters, not just when there is an opportunity to win political capital and a self-congratulatory 15-minute sound bite.

Murtha was quick to note that the extreme left wing of the Democratic Party did not orchestrate his comments last week, a further sign of the public's sole influence in reaching the decision to speak out.

Politicians sometimes lack the courage of their convictions and seek out safe political havens, but in this case, it was immediately clear that the comments would draw a political firestorm from conservatives, and Murtha proceeded anyway.

True, the public benefits from politicians who possess the courage of their convictions, as in this case.

What we're witnessing here, however, is a public that had the courage of its convictions, a public that refused to lie down to the powerful influences of the powers that be.

Momentum is with the public. With regard to the war in Iraq, midterm legislative pay increases and intelligent design lessons in public schools, voters have sent politicians the message that their collective voice cannot be ignored and they will not be bullied into accepting detrimental decisions.

The trend is positive. Let's hope that it continues into the new political season and the next set of elections.