To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
Posted on 10/12/2008 10:18:13 AM PDT by jazusamo
No matter who wins, the next president promises to take back Washington from powerful interests and lobbyists.
It is the same stirring promise Congress made last year when — rocked by scandal and under new leadership — lawmakers passed what they trumpeted as some of the most significant ethics reforms in years.
Key among those reforms: rules requiring lawmakers, for the first time, to disclose their earmarks — federal dollars they were quietly doling out as favors.
But time after time, Congress exploited loopholes or violated those rules, a Seattle Times investigation has found. An in-depth examination of the 2008 defense bill found $8.5 billion in earmarks. Of those, 40 percent — $3.5 billion — were hidden.
~snip~
When a reporter for the Congressional Quarterly pointed out how difficult it remains to pull all the information together, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the committee that drafts the defense bill, had a quick answer: "Tough shit."
~snip~
No one in Congress has admitted sponsoring the Latrobe earmark.
One congressman's fingerprints, however, weren't so easy to conceal. Latrobe sits in the congressional district of Rep. John Murtha, a Democrat who chairs the subcommittee that drafts the defense bill and wields the most power over defense earmarks.
Latrobe's officials have given $5,000 to Murtha's re-election fund in the past two years.
Also, Murtha had talked about giving taxpayer dollars to Latrobe. "We're trying to get together to see how we can work out an increased capacity for that particular company," Murtha said at a subcommittee hearing in April 2007. "I've talked to that producer. And what I'd like to see is them put some money in, us put some money in, and reduce the time it takes to get those spare parts out."
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Typical of the arrogance of Fat Jack Murtha.
To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
This $hit has got to stop! It is a slap in the face to every American when this crap has helped drain every retirement package in the country. It is time to take the bull by the horns and go after these scoundrels.
Absolutely, it’s basically a criminal enterprise in Congress.
Bump
I’m pinging, but no one should be surprised.
Hiya, Ma. The surprising thing about this article is that it’s The Seattle Times. :)
Hey hey, ho ho,
fat boy Murtha’s gotta go.
It sounds like Murtha just signed his retirement check.
Patty Murray is not happy! LOL!
LOL!
You’re right, Smooth but with the few brain cells Osama Mama has she probably doesn’t realize its even been written.
I would Imagin Maria Cantwell isn’t real happy with it either.
THE MURTHA-RUSSELL DEBATE (transcript)
Saturday, October 11, 2008 2:08:16 PM · by smoothsailing · 43 replies · 724+ views
Very good, Smooth, a productive thread.
Where’s the actual link? I’d love to read the transcript!
Business as usual for the fat one.
Thanks for the links.
The Right Wing Nation is fine but Race 4 2008 shows no info.
Also, FR is showing the last thread posted at 1:43 AM, must be having problems.
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