Is Murtha An Ethics Blight For Democrats?
Questions Surround Speaker Pelosi's Choice For House Majority Leader
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Murtha Feels Vindicated
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., tells Katie Couric he felt vindicated after the election because voters validated his anti-war position, which was heavily criticized when he first spoke out.
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Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa. (CBS/AP)
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The Democrats, after all, ran against what they called Republicans' "culture of corruption" this election cycle, CBS News' Capitol Hill reporter Evelyn Thomas observes.
Democrats also said they wanted to stop the avalanche of earmarks, which are inserted into bills just before they are voted on and which members often don't know about. Murtha is a very big believer in earmarks for his district and brings home lots of pork, Thomas says.
Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran who favors an immediate drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq, has also fought charges for years of using his senior status on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee to award favors to campaign contributors. He voted against a Democratic package of ethics reforms earlier this year and was touched by — but never charged in — the Abscam bribery scandal a quarter-century ago.
CBS News Capitol Hill reporter Allison Davis explains that the Ethics Committee cannot investigate an allegation of anything that occurred more than three Congresses ago. Since Murtha's supposed involvement in the Abscam sting doesn't fall within those time limits, it might not be as much of a sticking point in his candidacy for House Majority Leader as one might think. Yet Abscam continues to follow Murtha, as it has since the first allegation surfaced.
Another thing to look for on the Murtha front in the 110th Congress is possible allegations that Murtha colluded with another member of Congress to prevent the Ethics Committee from pursuing allegations into his wrongdoing relating to Abscam, Davis reports.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a Democratic-leaning watchdog group, accused Pelosi of compromising her ethical standards by endorsing Murtha.
Shot back Jennifer Crider, Pelosi's spokeswoman: "House Democrats will lead the most honest and open Congress in history. Leader Pelosi has pledged to change the way business in Washington is done, and that's what she'll do."
The Baltimore Sun reports that Pelosi and her lieutenants are pushing Democrats to back Murtha. Some Democrats — freshmen and senior members eager to secure plum committee assignments — are said to be feeling intense pressure to commit themselves to Murtha or risk being blacklisted.
Rep.-elect Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who was summoned to Pelosi's office to explain why she wasn't backing Murtha, Hearst Newspapers reported.
"I thought we were above this type of swift-boating attack," Murtha said in a statement issued by his office, referring to unsubstantiated allegations about John Kerry's Vietnam War heroism from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential race. "This is not how we restore integrity and civility to the United States Congress."
Murtha appears to be the underdog to Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the House Democrats' whip. Both Murtha and Hoyer claim to have commitments from a majority of Democrats, but the balloting Thursday will be secret and commitments often change.
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Sources close to the investigation say Abramoff has provided information on his dealings with and campaign contributions and gifts to "dozens of members of Congress and staff," including what Abramoff has reportedly described as "six to eight seriously corrupt Democratic senators."
ONCE AGAIN, Americans are having issues with our corrupt liberal MSM wolfpack providing us with ALL the news......
What should Americans do about our corrupt MSM??
Pelosi probably felt obliged to give a nod to Murtha for the heat he took standing up on the Iraq issue, and here it is. In the end, Murtha's the long-shot, and I doubt any believe he'll get the vote. Hoyer's going to win this easily.
Oh, and read the news sometime so these stories don't catch you by surprise.
So much for Pelosi cleaning house!
So much for Pelosi cleaning house!
According to all records, Murtha has never been charged with anything and I would like to find ANY congressman who has not brought the pork home at some point. She knows what she is doing. Does anyone really think after the scandels of the last congress, she is going to go down the same road?? I don't think so.
Murtha is fine for the job. So he gets money for his district. So what, that is his job amongst other things. Notice how nobody is saying what he got the money for his district for. It could have been well spent as far as I'm concerned.
About the other thing "the Abscam bribery scandal" he was never charged in, that as 25 years ago, enough said.
What better person could there be to show the face of "the most ethical congress in history" than the "above reproach" flawless character of Jack Murtha? This is a guy you would as your pastor.
Sure he tried to smuggle some mooslem A-Rabs into the country in return for some hefty funds being dumped into his district and has a mouth that would make howard stern blush...big deal. Im a republican and I WANT JACK MURTHA to be the face of the DEMS!
JACK, JACK, JACK, WE WANT JACK!!!
This is Pelosi's best idea ever!!!! JAck Murtha he's our man if he cant be bribed than no one CAN!!1 GIVE US MURTHA, Come on NAnci, screw the best interest of the country (or even your party) gives us Murtha!!!
This shows the courage of Pelosi, she doesnt care what anyone, or even her party thinks. She has balls to put support Jack.
I know he must have helped her get some of her terrorist friends smuggled into the country...
So much for Pelosi and the Democrats cleaning house!
Ha ha ha ha!
"As convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff reported to federal prison today, a source close to the investigation surrounding his activities told ABC News that Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was one of the members of Congress Abramoff had allegedly implicated in his cooperation with federal prosecutors."
Looks like the "culture of corruption" can't even get in office before they start to smell bad...
We want Jack!
Give us Jack!
Jack attack!
And for the record, he didn't take the money offered, which is why he wasn't charged.
You can argue your case based on facts and people might listen, or you can argue it on lies, and embarass others on your side while making yourself look ignorant. Your choice.
You embarrass yourself! The fact is that Murtha was willing to be paid, but he declined to take it in the meeting.
That doesn't make him a saint, but indeed only a crafty crook.
Not that it matters anyway, watch the vote. Murtha won't win this in any case, Hoyer will.
"Oh for God's sake! Much ado about nothing. No matter who she wanted, there would complaints, allegations, whispers, etc."
All this sounds very Republican. Which party won again?
Like I said, you can argue against Murtha's appointment really well without coming up with stuff that's just ignorant, and untrue, and it makes y'all look bad when you defend them.
MURTHA! MURTHA! MURTHA!
LEt's start the most ethical congress off right....with none other than JAck MURTHA!
Who gives a ****, It dont matter anyway! JACK JACK JACK JACK!!!
Murtha is fine for the job. So he gets money for his district. So what, that is his job amongst other things. Notice how nobody is saying what he got the money for his district for. It could have been well spent as far as I'm concerned.
About the other thing "the Abscam bribery scandal" he was never charged in, that as 25 years ago, enough said.
watch JAck's new movie, "How I Used My Power to try and Smuggle Arabs into the country in exchange for Money for my district in order to make me look better" or if you dont like that you can watch "Look, I can do whatever the **** I want and not get screwed for it" and see how he worked deals to break the law, They are both great films!
JACK can let the American people know the values, views of the democratic party as good as anyone else in the party!
He's the man for the JOB!
He gets blamed for everything he does wrong.
The Kerry attack backfired and so will this. The American people are sick and tired of the media doing the bidding of Karl Rove.
The Dems have to be wary of falling back into the Battered Wife Syndrome role of the appeasing, solicitous victim. They have fallen for the bipartisanship line (Bush promising not to be abusive if given another chance - "I promise") only to be slapped down by Bush with the Bolton push and now the judicial nominees.
That whole idea that the people want bipartisanship is a fiction created by Rove. The people want Bush stopped, which necessarily means gridlock for two years until a Dem President can be elected. The people want gridlock if that is what it will take to stop the bleeding and the looting.
A quotation that seems very apropo:
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004)
Well said Ron. (Although I did not care for him and still think ill of him, he was as lousy an actor as he was a President).
And yes, I am a Democrat who has never voted for any Bush or any Republican. In politics sleaze does not fall to any one party.
How does the actual quote on the FBI tape "I'm not interested at this point" translate to a solicitation?
Don't get me wrong, I have no interest in defending the guy but I have less interest in seeing lies perpetrated against anyone, Republican or Democrat.
Also interesting to note that it was another Democrat targeted in the sting, Senator Larry Pressler, who actually went to the FBI to report the 'attempted bribe'. When interviewed by Cronkite, who called him a hero, Pressler said "I do not consider myself a hero ... what have we come to if turning down a bribe is 'heroic'?"
Now THAT'S an honest man.
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by bejzip
November 15, 2006 11:13 PM PST
- What do you expect. Crooks are the best that the Demo's have.
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