John Murtha: An American Disgrace

[travelinman67]

When is it going to stop?

When will the Dems step up to the plate and remove these crooks from Congress?

Again, Murtha has been caught cooking government contracts to fill his family's coffers...

Murtha's Nephew Got Defense Contracts
Millions in Work Came Without Competition

By Carol D. Leonnig and Alice Crites
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, May 5, 2009

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... id=topnews

The headquarters of Murtech, in a low-slung, bland building in a Glen Burnie business park, has its blinds drawn tight and few signs of life. On several days of visits, a handful of cars sit in the parking lot, and no trucks arrive at the 10 loading bays at the back of the building.

Yet last year, Murtech received $4 million in Pentagon work, all of it without competition, for a variety of warehousing and engineering services. With its long corridor of sparsely occupied offices and an unmanned reception area, Murtech's most striking feature is its owner -- Robert C. Murtha Jr., 49. He is the nephew of Rep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has significant sway over the Defense Department's spending as chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee...

...Murtha said he does not advertise being the nephew of John Murtha and considers it "unfortunate" that some will unfairly assume Murtech received its federal contracts because of his uncle's influence at the Pentagon.

This comes on the heals of NUMEROUS SCANDALS recently uncovered which found John Murtha's frequent use of office to pressure Pentagon and other government agencies to direct and influence contracts to benefit campaign donors, as well as his and other congressional member's family members...

FBI raid on Murtha "favored" PMA Group consulting firm...
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6840438&page=1

...and the Group's breakup immediately after the raid...
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/top ... 02-10.html

Murtha's "Airport for Nobody"...a $150 Million pork to benefit his biggest campaign donors...
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Politics ... 160&page=1

Murtha's BLATANT SHAKEDOWN OF DEFENSE CONTRACTORS...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/ ... 8071.shtml

Murtha's "mysterious" connection with the $1 Billion DARPA contract to benefit his campaign donors...
http://harpers.org/archive/2009/04/hbc-90004703

...on the heals or some more famous recent Murtha scams...

The SF Hunter's Pointe Shipyard Redevelopment scandal...(AND WHY PELOSI IS BLOCKING A HOUSE ETHICS INVESTIGATION...)
http://www.bootmurtha.com/images/Murtha ... rsPt-1.pdf

L.A. Times investigation which found Defense Dept. consultant hiring of Murtha's brother, and the resulting $417 Billion in contract awards to KSA clients the following year...
http://www.bootmurtha.com/images/MurthaPDF/KSA-1.pdf
http://www.bootmurtha.com/images/MurthaPDF/KSA-2.pdf

...and the all-too-famous Abscam label of "unindicted co-conspirator"...

In the fall and winter of 1979-80, FBI agents posing as Arab sheiks tried to lure corrupt members of Congress into accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for helping the faux sheiks get around U.S. immigration laws. The “Arab Scam” — Abscam — led to the convictions of five members of the House and one senator.

For his role, Murtha was given the same ignominious label attached to Richard M. Nixon in the Watergate scandal: “unindicted co-conspirator.”

Murtha refused to personally reach into a desk drawer and remove $50,000 cash, and insisted instead that a middleman take possession of the booty. When the FBI agent refused to agree to that arrangement, they agreed to meet again (at which point, the FBI agent hoped, Murtha would feel comfortable enough to take the cash himself). But before that second meeting could take place, the news media exposed the FBI sting operation, and Murtha agreed to testify against his congressional colleagues. After his testimony helped secure convictions, the Justice Department announced that Murtha would face no charges himself.

Congress...listen up!

When you protect a colleague, whose lengthy well documented disdain for the rule of law belies a farcical visage of the statesman as lawmaker, YOU (Congress) undermine the American Constitution.

Loss of one Dem seat will have no impact on any Dem agenda, and Murtha has seemingly WORKED to be removed. Do not let this disgraceful behavior and conduct become the legacy of the 111th Congress.

[AZGrizFan]

Let me summarize the democratic response:

But....but.....but.......Cheney......Haliburton......Bush......corruption.......

[travelinman67]

Let me summarize the democratic response:

But....but.....but.......Cheney......Haliburton......Bush......corruption.......

I'm waiting for TTBF's pious, dismissive lecture on ethic relativism.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

heh... i'm half tempted to just say... "meh... he ain't ever been convicted of anything and the voters in his GOP leaning district have reelected him over and over again going all the way back ABSCAM in the early 80's"

and there would be some validity to it. when charges are filed or indictments are handed down... and a conviction is obtained... that would be when he should be kicked out... until then it's up to the voters in his district. Tom Delay was in the same boat...

I'll say this about Murtha... there's always been a lot of smoke... my hunch is there is probably fire somewhere. There should be an ethics investigation in the House... there hasn't been a decent or real one of those in almost 20 years, and that is a pox on both parties for quietly just accepting that.

I will say, based on my experience with them... PMA group and defense lobbyists in general are some of the hardest working... and ethically challenged in all of DC (and that's going some)... they are very careful about spreading around contract jobs to almost every district in the country... with a special emphasis on the home districts of chairmen and ranking members of relevant committees. Thing is, in most cases, they aren't solicited to do so, but know that it's a way of ensuring that the contract will never be canceled. No member, from either party is willing to cost their district jobs.

I certainly wouldn't want 435 Jack Murtha's in the House... but, much like Tom Delay... it's up to the voters in his district (which... like it or not, was actually gerrymandered against him in 2002... and he STILL won, whereas Delay broke with a very serious tradition and forced through a mid-decade redistricting to help himself and the TXGOP)

[travelinman67]

hey whats the problem? He keeps getting elected.

Mon dieu! He's innocent until proven guilty. How dare anyone suggest he be removed until he's been convicted of ANYTHING.

I'll admit though...he's probably quilty of something, but since the House never investigates it's own members...

WHO DARES BESMIRCH THE HONOR OF THE LOBBYING FIRMS? The noble people who conscientiously work to help all Americans? Step forward and state your second!!!

Hey...one of our opponents got muddied during a mud-slinging campaign, so, we'll just ignore this and obfuscate the truth with "vengeance" innuendos.

Very, very, nice, TTBF!

Form/Artistic Presentation

[Appaholic]

hey whats the problem? He keeps getting elected.

Mon dieu! He's innocent until proven guilty. How dare anyone suggest he be removed until he's been convicted of ANYTHING.

I'll admit though...he's probably quilty of something, but since the House never investigates it's own members...

WHO DARES BESMIRCH THE HONOR OF THE LOBBYING FIRMS? The noble people who conscientiously work to help all Americans? Step forward and state your second!!!

Hey...one of our opponents got muddied during a mud-slinging campaign, so, we'll just ignore this and obfuscate the truth with "vengeance" innuendos.

Very, very, nice, TTBF!

Form/Artistic Presentation

I agree with your sentiment TMan, but isn't TTBF's response to the Murtha accusations similar to your response to the Steven's conviction? Tell me how I am wrong......and for the record, Murtha is a crook as well as Stevens, Byrd, DeLay...basically the vast majority of career politicians...

[TwinTownBisonFan]

i never defended murtha in any way... all i said was the guy hasn't been convicted of anything, and his voters didn't vote him out.

moreover, i pointed out... yes... there is a lot of smoke... yes... there should be an ethics investigation... yes... defense lobbyists are the most ethically challenged in a business where such a distinction is a matter of pride.

t, i dunno where in your addled head any of that was translated in to what you "quoted" me saying...

[Appaholic]

i never defended murtha in any way... all i said was the guy hasn't been convicted of anything, and his voters didn't vote him out.

moreover, i pointed out... yes... there is a lot of smoke... yes... there should be an ethics investigation... yes... defense lobbyists are the most ethically challenged in a business where such a distinction is a matter of pride.

t, i dunno where in your addled head any of that was translated in to what you "quoted" me saying...

He can't help it....if you agree with him, then, in his addled mind, you are as "smart" as him and he can't have that competition.....

[houndawg]

i never defended murtha in any way... all i said was the guy hasn't been convicted of anything, and his voters didn't vote him out.

moreover, i pointed out... yes... there is a lot of smoke... yes... there should be an ethics investigation... yes... defense lobbyists are the most ethically challenged in a business where such a distinction is a matter of pride.

t, i dunno where in your addled head any of that was translated in to what you "quoted" me saying...

Somehow he escaped from his home in a Tom Tomorrow cartoon and finds the real world a little overwhelming....

[Cleets Part 2]

And this is where I come in... (Mr. Know-it-all)

T-man,
please let me put your troubled mind to rest

1) They are called career politicians - they are crooks - be not confused
2) They come from both parties - they are crooks - this will not change
3) They will always be protected by their own - they are crooks - this is the way of politics

we as "political supporters"
have been lied to, scammed, defrauded, deflowered, defrocked, demoralized and demeaned...

Being a liberal minded person I an naturally less annoyed by Liberal minded crooks
Being a conservative minded person you are naturally less annoyed by conservative crooks

This is the way of the world... rest easy my old codger
Soon you will be dust - and so more toil is a heavy weight for your down trodden soul to burden

[Ivytalk]

I'll see your Bridge to Nowhere and raise you one Airport to Nowhere!

[dbackjon]

I'll see your Bridge to Nowhere and raise you one Airport to Nowhere!

But it is so pretty, and all this for only $150 million

[dbackjon]

John Murtha's $150 million 'runway to nowhere' Will the Congressman please pick up the white courtesy phone?
Airports are usually charmless bastions of Starbucks, paperback book emporiums, and the giant scam that is the Duty Free Shop (Seriously, what did you save on that tax free Toblerone bar? A dollar?). One airport in Johnstown, Pa., stands out from the crowd however, and no, it isn't because it features a better class of Cinnabon.
Rather, it's the $150 million in federal money that has been poured into the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport that is causing a ripple effect of controversy from the halls of Congress to the hills of Western PA.
According to the Washington Post, the little-used airport has collected federal cash to fund projects as various as runway-widening ($800,000), a new air traffic control tower ($6.8 million), and a state of the art radar tower ($8.6 million) that costs $150,000 a month to maintain but has not been used since its completion in 2004. Even the passengers are expensive: federal subsidies for United Express' six daily flights from the airport cost about $1.4 million in 2008.
To anyone with even a cursory knowledge of politics, John Murtha is both famous and infamous for his ability to steer reams of federal cash into his blue collar Pennsylvania district. The 76-year-old Democrat, who has represented the 12th District since 1974, is the Chairman of the all-powerful Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations. This means that if you are looking for funding for any sort of defense initiative, then you better learn to give the gentleman from Johnstown whatever he wants in terms of appropriations for his home district. When it comes to the John Murtha Airport, this is no cheap proposition.
Taxpayer and good government watchdog groups, who have been among Murtha's harshest critics for decades, are making their feelings on the airport known. "Nobody wants to say no to Congressman Murtha or make him mad because he controls defense appropriations," Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington told the Washington Post. "Murtha wanted an airport, and he knew he could get one. It's like he's a billionaire, except it's not his money," Sloan told The Post. "It's an exercise in spending more money than sense," added Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Of course both Murtha and the airport have ardent supporters, and most of them seem to be centered where it matters most: in Murtha's home district. "Mr. Murtha's been a godsend to this airport, no question about it," airport manager Scott Voelker told the Washington Post. "The economy's been really bad here since the steel mills pulled out. He has a vision for developing this airport and using it to bring businesses into this community."
Therein lies the rub. It really doesn't matter how spectacularly wasteful or unpopular the airport (or any of Murtha's pet projects) are on a national level. As long as he keeps the district happy, that's all the matters. All politics are indeed local, but that doesn't mean all the money has to be.
The airport has received $7.3 million in federal funding since 2004 as part of a program to offer federal support to small regional airports. In 2008 the total number of passengers that passed through the airport fell below the minimum threshold for full funding. The airport's annual cash injection was about to drop from $1 million to $150,000. Then Congressman Murtha spoke up.
"I strongly believe that the Johnstown Airport should receive the full $1 million in funding," Murtha wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration. "Without this money, the development of this airport could be significantly inhibited, and the community as a whole could suffer." A few months later federal stimulus money found its way into the airport's coffers and the budget gap was closed.
Let the Spinning Radar Spin

All of the controversy surrounding the airport hasn't just stemmed from federal funding however. The Washington Post reports that in 2007 MTT Aviation, a subsidy of a defense contractor that has received at least $23 million in federal earmarks from Murtha since 2001, was tapped to handle fuel sales and other essential services at the airport. MTT then hired a lobbying firm that employed one of Murtha's former staffers, and had once employed the Congressman's brother, to be the airport's representation on Capitol Hill. As if having a Congressman as its namesake wasn't enough of a representation for this regional airport on the national stage.


http://ohmygov.com/blogs/general_news/a ... phone.aspx

[Cap'n Cat]

Let me summarize the democratic response:

But....but.....but.......Cheney......Haliburton......Bush......corruption.......

And, your issue is ________________________?

[travelinman67]

I agree with your sentiment TMan, but isn't TTBF's response to the Murtha accusations similar to your response to the Steven's conviction? Tell me how I am wrong......and for the record, Murtha is a crook as well as Stevens, Byrd, DeLay...basically the vast majority of career politicians...

Won't defend Byrd or DeLay...they've more skeletons than Arlington...

...Stevens, on the other hand, was targeted for political assasination, and the prosecutorial misconduct was rightfully singled out by the Judge who has requested an investigation into DOJ's handling of the case...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20992.html

“In nearly 25 years on the bench, I have never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I have seen in this case,” Sullivan said. “Again and again, both before and during the trial in this case, the government was caught making false representations and not meeting its discovery obligations.”

http://news.lawreader.com/?p=2374



Now...answer why is Pelosi BLOCKING an ethics investigation into Murtha's misconduct?

[houndawg]

I agree with your sentiment TMan, but isn't TTBF's response to the Murtha accusations similar to your response to the Steven's conviction? Tell me how I am wrong......and for the record, Murtha is a crook as well as Stevens, Byrd, DeLay...basically the vast majority of career politicians...

Won't defend Byrd or DeLay...they've more skeletons than Arlington...

...Stevens, on the other hand, was targeted for political assasination, and the prosecutorial misconduct was rightfully singled out by the Judge who has requested an investigation into DOJ's handling of the case...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20992.html

“In nearly 25 years on the bench, I have never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I have seen in this case,” Sullivan said. “Again and again, both before and during the trial in this case, the government was caught making false representations and not meeting its discovery obligations.”

http://news.lawreader.com/?p=2374



Now...answer why is Pelosi BLOCKING an ethics investigation into Murtha's misconduct?

Murtha has the pics of Pelosi and Gingrich revving up the strap-on......

[travelinman67]

"(whoosh)....Bush...Cheney...mmphh...blmphh."

Gotta be the explanation...

[Appaholic]

I agree with your sentiment TMan, but isn't TTBF's response to the Murtha accusations similar to your response to the Steven's conviction? Tell me how I am wrong......and for the record, Murtha is a crook as well as Stevens, Byrd, DeLay...basically the vast majority of career politicians...

Won't defend Byrd or DeLay...they've more skeletons than Arlington...

...Stevens, on the other hand, was targeted for political assasination, and the prosecutorial misconduct was rightfully singled out by the Judge who has requested an investigation into DOJ's handling of the case...

So what? You know and I know he's a corrupt politician. If this had happened to Murtha, would you be upset? Sure, it's the law, but sometimes, nay, alot of times, our laws are created by lawyers to protect politicians, the vast majority of whom are lawyers...sure, it's Machiavellian, but if it eliminates corrupt politicians like Stevens (or William Jefferson, etc), then so what.....

Now...answer why is Pelosi BLOCKING an ethics investigation into Murtha's misconduct?

...because she is a corrupt career politician who is protecting another corrupt career politician....shocker...it's not a dem vs rep thing TMan, it's corrupt power structure vs the rest of us...fok 'em...

[Cleets Part 2]

Now...answer why is Pelosi BLOCKING an ethics investigation into Murtha's misconduct?

...because she is a corrupt career politician who is protecting another corrupt career politician....shocker...it's not a dem vs rep thing TMan, it's corrupt power structure vs the rest of us...fok 'em...

You might be wasting your time Appaholic - I'm not sure T-man can get beyond his hatred of all things Liberal to see the very simple and obvious point you are making...

It truly is "citizens vs. politicians" in my view... they are the scourge - a poisonous infection - destroying the beautiful foundation (the structure) they were elected to protect

PURE evil

[TwinTownBisonFan]

...because she is a corrupt career politician who is protecting another corrupt career politician....shocker...it's not a dem vs rep thing TMan, it's corrupt power structure vs the rest of us...fok 'em...

You might be wasting your time Appaholic - I'm not sure T-man can get beyond his hatred of all things Liberal to see the very simple and obvious point you are making...

It truly is "citizens vs. politicians" in my view... they are the scourge - a poisonous infection - destroying the beautiful foundation (the structure) they were elected to protect

PURE evil

i wear your scorn as a badge of honor

[Cleets Part 2]

You might be wasting your time Appaholic - I'm not sure T-man can get beyond his hatred of all things Liberal to see the very simple and obvious point you are making...

It truly is "citizens vs. politicians" in my view... they are the scourge - a poisonous infection - destroying the beautiful foundation (the structure) they were elected to protect

PURE evil

i wear your scorn as a badge of honor

You can wear it - dance in it and rub it all over your naked body...
but regarding politicians, 1 in 10 being a decent person ain't high enough odds to raise that sunken barge...

[houndawg]

...because she is a corrupt career politician who is protecting another corrupt career politician....shocker...it's not a dem vs rep thing TMan, it's corrupt power structure vs the rest of us...fok 'em...

You might be wasting your time Appaholic - I'm not sure T-man can get beyond his hatred of all things Liberal to see the very simple and obvious point you are making...

It truly is "citizens vs. politicians" in my view... they are the scourge - a poisonous infection - destroying the beautiful foundation (the structure) they were elected to protect

PURE evil

..verily, and an abomination upon the land - a cancerous chancre - an unlanced boil on the arshole of the State....


(help me out folks....)

[AZGrizFan]

You might be wasting your time Appaholic - I'm not sure T-man can get beyond his hatred of all things Liberal to see the very simple and obvious point you are making...

It truly is "citizens vs. politicians" in my view... they are the scourge - a poisonous infection - destroying the beautiful foundation (the structure) they were elected to protect

PURE evil

..verily, and an abomination upon the land - a cancerous chancre - an unlanced boil on the arshole of the State....


(help me out folks....)

Yer nippin' the jug a mite early there in Illinois, aintcha?

[travelinman67]

More liberal true colors.

Despite all the crap emanating from Murtha's filthy deals...

...Senate Dem's give Murtha the airport built as his namesake...

Dems retain funding for Murtha airport

By MARTIN KADY 9/17/09 4:48 PM EDT

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27286.html

The Senate has rejected an amendment that would have killed funding for the John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., turning back an effort by fiscal conservatives to yank earmarks from a largely deserted airport named after a controversial lawmaker.


The vote was 43-53, as Democrats decided to retain funding for an airport that has only three flights a day and is named after Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a powerful appropriator who has come under increasing scrutiny for earmarks and his relationships with defense contractors in his district.


The Murtha airport has received a total of $150 million in funding and currently receives about $1.5 million a year. The three daily flights — all to Washington — leave the Johnstown airport, and quite often the airplanes are half-empty.

Anywhere else in America, Murtha would be sitting in a jail cell for theft and misappropriation of public funds.

Yet in a Reid/Pelosi Congress...the leadership applauds his disgusting criminal misconduct.

[CID1990]

Here's a little trivia.... Prior to John Murtha, that particular Congressional seat was held by my wife's grandfather. He was a Republican, and so well known for his championing of national parks and green space that he was known as "the Green Republican." His name was John Saylor, and he died in office. probably exactly how Murtha will go.

Here's the Amazon on the book about him: http://www.amazon.com/Green-Republican- ... 0822942836

A little more trivia.... as a young naval officer he provided the U.S. flag for the Marines to raise over Mt. Suribachi.