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Former Marine lance corporal, Justin Sharratt, files suit against Congressman John MurthaSecond defamation suit to be filed by a Marine who Murtha said "murdered innocent civilians in cold-blood". Sharratt is a constituent of Murtha in Pennsylvania's 12th District. Press conferences tomorrow. Developing. Story to follow.

Republican Rep. Terry Everett of Alabama unleashed an unusually harsh attack on a House colleague, calling decorated Vietnam War veteran John Murtha, D-Pa., a cut-and-run idiot. "Don't talk to me about defense," Everett, who is retiring at the end of this term, said during a radio interview this week. "Cut-and-run John Murtha is in charge of the appropriations committee for defense and he is certainly no friend of the military.

The Murtha Rules: A simple system to win federal money By Ken Silverstein and Sebastian Jones Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania has long been one of the biggest porkbarrelers in Congress, and as the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee he is also one of the biggest recipients of lobbyists’ campaign donations. Which is no coincidence. When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged that porkbarreling would be severely curtailed. But that hasn’t come to pass–no surprise given that old-time hacks like Murtha hold such powerful positions on the Appropriations committees. Murtha basically...

Russell team takes aim at Murtha’s House seat BY MIKE FAHERThe Tribune-Democrat August 09, 2008 11:39 pm — While Republican congressional candidate William Russell gave a television interview in an Upper Yoder Township backyard, campaign manager Peg Luksik worked a crowd of about 15 on a nearby porch.Her high-energy pitch included showing off several varieties of Russell T-shirts and urging supporters to each take two bumper stickers to better advertise the candidate while driving.“This really is a little-guy campaign,” she said. “Anything you can do, we certainly appreciate it. It does make a difference.”The campaign event last week, complete...

Two years after Congressman John Murtha ambushed brother Marines for reportedly slaughtering cowering Iraqi civilians at Haditha, Iraq he is embroiled in another battle--this one for his political life. His unlikely opponent in Pennsylvania's 12th District is an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel named William T. Russell, 47, a Desert Storm and Iraq war veteran who is barred by the Hatch Act from stumping until August 1 when his active duty stint ends. A Cinderella candidate running against the tide of Democratic hopefuls elsewhere, Russell is garnering national attention for his improbable early success. Speaking for Russell until he is free...

Return to the Article June 23, 2008The Real Command InfluenceRuss Vaughn In dismissing the very dubious war crimes charges against Marine LTC Jeffrey Chessani, his trial judge, COL Steven Folsom, said this: "Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," COL Folsom was referring to influence within the Marine Corps command structure, specifically involving two officers of general rank. We should all applaud the colonel's decision as it would make no sense whatsoever for the Marines to try an officer for failing to investigate crimes that to this point several military courts have failed to establish ever...

Who’s too old now, Jack? The Tribune-Democrat Fri, May 02 2008 — Visitors to The Tribune-Democrat’s Web site were asked in a poll last week: “Is John McCain, 71, too old to serve as president of the United States, as Congressman John Murtha says?” With 556 votes cast during two days, the results were: No, 64.6 percent; Yes, 34.7 percent; and I don’t know: 0.7 percent.Murtha wasn’t the first person to weigh in on the John McCain age issue. He won’t be the last. But we wonder whether one day he’ll wish he hadn’t.“This one guy running is about...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday that Republican Sen. John McCain is too old to be president. Murtha is 75, four years older than McCain. He says they are nearly the same age, and the rigors and stress of running the country is too much for guys their age. "I've served with seven presidents," Murtha told a union audience. "When they come in, they all make mistakes. They all get older." "This one guy running is about as old as me," he said, drawing laughter and applause. "Let me tell you something, it's no old man's job."...

Tuesday, April 8th brought an onslaught of tan shirts to Capitol Hill. The Vets for Freedom Heroes tour stopped in DC to allow hundreds of Vets of Iraq and Afghanistan to visit with representatives. These Vets no strangers to missions, came with a new mission; Spread the great news of the progress made by our military in the Middle East. My personal hero, my husband was among the throng of those who had served overseas. After inspiring speeches by the likes of McCain, and a host of congressional representatives and Vets, [barely covered by the press] the tan shirts spread...

U.S. Rep. John Murtha today announced his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “I’ve known Senator Clinton for 15 years,” the Johnstown Democrat said in a statement released by his campaign committee. “I know that she continually reaches out for opinions and ideas, not just from our nation’s leaders, but from all Americans.” Murtha is one of the most powerful Democrats in the House. But his backing carries added importance this year because he also is a “superdelegate” – an official who is free to support any candidate at the party’s national convention in August. Because the race between...

The Murtha Bash - Pork Crash February 26, 2008 Ed Frank You may have heard recently that one of the most notorious pork-barrellers in Congress, U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania,is hosting a swanky fundraising dinner with a bunch of earmark-seeking defense lobbyists at the Ritz Carlton in Arlington, Virginia, tomorrow night. A couple of weeks ago our friends at RedState called for folks in the area to crash the party and now Americans for Prosperity is joining together with Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union to hold a taxpayer rally outside the event. If you're in...

For Immediate Release Contact: Leslie K.Paige 202-467-5334 Alexa Moutevelis 202-467-5318 February 20, 2008 CAGW Names Rep. John Murtha Porker of the Year Taxpayers Are Not in His “Corner” Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today announced the final results of its online poll for the 2007 Porker of the Year. Rep. John “Jack” Murtha (D-Pa.) won in a landslide victory, receiving 63.4 percent of the vote. A distant second, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) received 10.6 percent, while Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) came in with 9.9 percent, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) had 6.7 percent, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)...

Murtha prepares war spending bill, with conditions Associated Press WASHINGTON - A top Democrat said Thursday he is preparing legislation that would give President Bush the war funding he wants this year, but on the condition that troops leave Iraq by the end of the year. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, said he'll propose that the House vote this March on the spending measure. In addition to the troop withdrawal, he said he'll ask for other conditions such as that all deploying troops must be fully trained and equipped. Similar bills scraped by on...

Evidence exonerated Sharratt January 17,2008 This is in reply to the letter from Joe Farrell about Rep. John Murtha and my son, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt. Justin was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps. Justin was and always will be a Marine, not an ex-Marine. Justin was exonerated of all charges involving the Haditha incident in a military Article 32 hearing (the civilian equivalent of a grand jury.) The evidence exonerated my son, and the general officially dismissed the charges because the evidence showed him innocent. Full disclosure of this evidence and the Article 32 testimony appears on the...

Do survivors of Haditha get apology?The O-R has joined critics of Congressman Murtha in demanding that he apologize to ex-Marine Michael Sharrat for saying that Marines killed innocent civilians at Haditha, Iraq, though Murtha did not name Sharrat or anyone else. Fine. And who will apologize to the families, friends and neighbors of the 15 or more civilians, including women and children, who were killed there? Or is that a concern here? Sharrat feels that his good name will remain in question, in spite of his commanding general's decision to drop the murder charges against him. Actually, he could request...

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have helped push US military spending to record levels.But as the nation's defence budget soars, there has been a series of procurement and political scandals surrounding multi-billion dollar contracts. There is mounting concern about the relationship between the Pentagon, the politicians setting the budgets and defence contractors - sometimes known as the iron triangle. Congressman Henry Waxman, a Democrat, who chairs the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, argues for urgent reform. "We need to restore transparency, efficiency and accountability to government contracting and nowhere is that more important than in defence." His committee...

Murtha should have apologizedA few months ago, we expressed the opinion that it was time for Rep. John Murtha to apologize to Justin Sharratt. As our story Sunday mentioned, though, neither Sharratt nor his parents, who live in Canonsburg, has heard anything from the congressman. Sharratt was one of a group of Marines whom Murtha accused of having "killed innocent civilians in cold blood" in the Iraqi city of Haditha. The congressman's office later put out a news release that said the Marines had been charged with murder when in fact no charges had yet been brought at the time....

The defense for a Marine accused in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians said Wednesday it wants to depose a Pennsylvania congressman to determine whether a general told him that the accused and his squad killed in cold blood. Jack Zimmermann, an attorney for Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum, told judge Lt. Col. Eugene Robinson that he also wants a deposition from Gen. Michael Hagee, former commandant of the Marine Corps now retired, to find out what he may have said to Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., and to Marines serving in Iraq. Zimmermann said outside a Camp Pendleton courtroom that...

If they did say this, does anyone have a source?

As a young U.S. Marine deployed in Iraq, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt fought for his country. Now he's fighting for his name. The 23-year-old Sharratt is visiting his parents in Washington County during the holidays and preparing to move forward with his life. He served two eight-month tours in Iraq and was engaged in battles to clear insurgents from Iraqi cities. But an incident two years ago in Haditha that left 24 Iraqis dead and the ensuing military investigation have overshadowed his service, even though he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Murder charges were brought against Sharratt last December, and...

It's (Past) Time for Murtha to Resign By FrontPage Magazine FrontPageMagazine.com | 12/3/2007 With one comment late last week, John Murtha argued eloquently for his own resignation. In a video teleconference last Thursday, Murtha told his constituents, “I think the ‘surge’ is working.” Jack Murtha is remembered as the main opponent of American involvement in Iraq, who argued not merely against the surge but for an immediate withdrawal while al-Zarqawi still treated Anbar province as the beachhead of a new, pan-Islamic Caliphate. The Abscam unindicted co-conspirator has demoralized the troops for years by claiming the war is “lost” and can...

Lawyers for Rep. John P. Murtha will appeal a recent ruling advancing a defamation lawsuit brought against the Pennsylvania Democrat by a U.S. Marine under investigation for killing Iraqi civilians. Justice Department lawyers representing Murtha on Nov. 16 filed notice that they planned to appeal a federal district court judge’s Sept. 28 ruling allowing the lawsuit to proceed and ordering Murtha to give sworn testimony in the case. Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich sued Murtha in August 2006, accusing the 17-term congressman of defaming him during a news conference last year on the Nov. 19, 2005 killings of Iraqi civilians...

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A career Army member left the service two years short of retirement to move here and try his hand at politics by challenging longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha. First-time candidate William T. Russell, 45, a Republican, acknowledged that taking on a popular, 18-term congressman in the 2008 election will be "an uphill battle." "But it's one that must be fought," Russell told the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown.

From here: CNSNews.com) - If pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq results in "a bloodbath," the guilt will rest with the Iraqi people and not with the U.S. Congress, according to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a leading proponent of withdrawing troops. "Many have threatened that there will be chaos, a bloodbath, when the United States redeploys from Iraq, and this in fact may be the case," Murtha said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Monday. "If they continue to choose to spill blood, it will not be on the conscience of the United States." And...

Former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., has withdrawn from the board of directors of a beleaguered Johnstown-based charity founded by a former top aide of Rep. John Murtha. Cleland, a triple amputee and Vietnam veteran, said he has stepped down from the board of the Pennsylvania Association for Individuals with Disabilities. “I’m not associated with PAID,” Cleland said Tuesday. “I am not interested in pursuing that relationship at all.” Murtha spokesman Matthew Mazonkey said Murtha would not comment on the situation. The news comes barely a month after Cleland and Carmen V. Scialabba, PAID founder and a former Murtha aide,...

September 13, 2007 Michael Brady Murtha-backed charity involved in questionable activities Charity for the disabled spending donations on voter registration When Carmen Scialabba, the longtime aide to controversial U.S. Representative Jack Murtha, D-PA, was quizzed about his role with the Pennsylvania Association for Individuals with Disabilities (PAID), he snapped at the Washington Post’s Jonathan Weisman that "everyone's trying to make this a political thing, and it makes me very mad.” But a review by the Majority Accountability Project (majorityap.com) of records PAID is required to file with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) suggests much of the group’s activities are in...

Murtha-linked charity coming to DC for shakedown September 12, 2007 Event led by Murtha’s longtime staffer, brother “Kit” Murtha’s lobby firm A controversial charity linked to U.S. Representative Jack Murtha, D-PA, will be in the Washington, DC, area later this month, where they will hold a pricey golf tournament favored by defense lobbyists and contractors, the Majority Accountability Project (www.majorityap.com) has learned. An invitation obtained by majorityap.com reports that the Pennsylvania Association for Individuals with Disabilities (PAID) will sponsor a charity golf tournament priced at upwards of $10,000 on September 24, 2007, at the Argyle Country Club in Silver Springs,...

Politico also has the tale. The name “Hsu” does not come up. The name “Murtha,” however, does. The U.S. Navy wants a business owned by the family of Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski to hand over a piece of high-tech equipment bought with some of the $9.25 million in taxpayer funds Kanjorski steered to the company.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — The largess of Rep. John P. Murtha — hundreds of millions of dollars in pork projects over the years — is on display in and around his district in southwestern Pennsylvania. From the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport to the stretch of U.S. 219 named Jack P. Murtha Highway, the Pennsylvania Democrat leaves his mark with federal taxpayer dollars. The money helped build the stunted economy in and around Mr. Murtha's hometown of Johnstown, a Rust Belt community about 65 miles east of Pittsburgh, by cultivating a defense-contracting industry, transplanting federal jobs there and subsidizing public-works projects....

Well, the Marine Corps investigator has now dropped all charges against 3 of the 8 accused Marines in the case, and only one Marine still stands accused of crimes at the scene. The others are charged with various after-the-fact issues that arose from investigations of Haditha, not the events themselves. Murtha’s aim, of course, in accusing the Marines of murder “in cold blood” was to pin the blame on Bush. But in the process of blaming Bush, he slandered those Marines.

In May 2006 Americans were stunned to hear a sitting member of Congress proclaim that members of Kilo Company 3/1 Marines were guilty of “cold blooded murder”. Many Americans withheld judgment remembering the so-called slam dunk case against 2nd Lt. Ilario Pantano, who had all charges dropped against him. The media, on the other hand, sensed the proverbial blood in the water. Not content to let the investigations and hearings run their natural course, the media tried and convicted the Marines in the court of public opinion. Even some conservative bloggers tossed the Marines under the bus – only to...

[b]Another Marine Deserves a Murtha Apology[/b] The Washington Post is reporting that Lt. Col. Paul Ware is recommending that LCpl. Stephen Tatum shouldn't be court-martialed. LCpl. Tatum is yet another Haditha Marine that Rep. John Murtha accused of cold-blooded murder. As such, Rep. Murtha owes yet another Haditha Marine an apology.

Demand apology from Murtha I am a registered Democrat and a Iraq war combat veteran who served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. I was deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq with "Task Force Panther" from June 2005 to June 2006. I have experienced first hand with the same kind of attack those young Marines faced that day in Haditha. I know how fast judgments have to be made and what the rules of engagement stated. People from the left wing of our party have never been interested in that information. Now that the charges have been dropped...

RICH LOWRY, GUEST CO-HOST: Early Sunday morning, while Congress was finishing up the amendments on the Defense Appropriations Bill, Congressman John Campbell began to question Congressman John Murtha about $2 million he earmarked for the Sherwin Williams paint supply company. Murtha got a little defensive. Take a look. Murtha got a little defensive. Take a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) REP. JOHN MURTHA (D), PENNSYLVANIA: Our staff went over every one of these earmarks very carefully. And it's not in our highest priority list, but I'm sure that the military is interested in this kind of research, because it's so important to...

Pollack and O'Hanlon returned from eight days of meetings with US generals, diplomats and Iraqis saying they were more hopeful than they had expected, seeing signs of market improvement. "I dismiss it at as rhetoric," said US Representative John Murtha. "I don't know where they were staying. I don't know what they saw. But I know this: that it's not getting better," Murtha said on CNN television. PHOTOS TOO GRAPHIC FOR ABC, CBS, CNN AND NBC Pictures From Iraq That Are Too Shocking & Graphic for The Mainstream Media. "It's over-optimist. It's an illusion," the Pennsylvania lawmaker continued.

Leading lawmaker dismisses US scholars' upbeat report on Iraq Jul 31 01:18 PM US/Eastern A top Democratic lawmaker Tuesday dismissed the findings of two longtime Iraq war critics, who cited a dramatic improvement in the situation there following the infusion of thousands of additional US troops. "I dismiss it at as rhetoric," said US Representative John Murtha, a former marine, congressional heavyweight on military matters, and outspoken Iraq War critic. "I don't know where they were staying. I don't know what they saw. But I know this: that it's not getting better," Murtha said on CNN television. "It's over-optimist. It's...

I visited John Murtha's Congressional district office in Johnstown yesterday and delivered these emails, as promised, with Darryl Sharrett's on top of the stack. For the benefit of anyone new to this thread: On May 17, 2006, Congressman Murtha said Marines had, "killed innocent civilians in cold blood," in Haditha, Iraq. Darryl Sharratt lives in the district that Congressman Murtha represents. Mr. Sharratt's son, Marine Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt, is under investigation for the November 19, 2005, deaths of civilians in Haditha. The investigating officer has strong recommended that the charges against LCpl Sharratt be dismissed. On July 10, 2007,...

Murtha pushes new troop withdrawal plan By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 3 minutes ago A leading Democratic House Iraq war critic said Wednesday he'll soon push legislation that would order U.S. troop withdrawals to begin in two months and predicted Republicans will swing behind it this time. A vote on Rep. John Murtha's proposal likely will come in September, when Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus delivers a long-anticipated assessment on the war and members of Congress weigh some $600 billion in defense spending requested by President Bush. Under his plan, Murtha, a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,...

Once again ordinary Americans rise to the challenge while our overpaid political elite ponce about on the stage making outrageous remarks and proposals in an effort to get approving coverage from a media (which itself for the most part seems determined to bury the significance of the mission and its remarkable achievements). But nothing - not even the 300 pointless investigations of an Administration marked by remarkable probity nor the base predictions of failure even before the additional troops hit the ground - proves the lack of serious purpose as much as the Congressional failure to censure Congressman John Murtha.

Peacenik ShootsWhere's Murtha's Haditha Apology? July 11, 2007 Listen To It! WMP | RealPlayer Audio clips available for Rush 24/7 members only -- Join Now! BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Now, to follow up, last November, a group of US Marines apparently went on, quote, "the worst rampage by US service members in the Iraq war, killing as many as 24 civilians in cold blood." Remember what Jack Murtha, the architect of defeat in the House of Representatives, said after US officials learned of the alleged massacre a few days after it had happened? He said it was an organized a cover-up....

Today's Best of the Web contains a nice item noting that the government has dropped its case against one of the Marines accused of murdering Iraqi civilians. They note that John Murtha had adopted the prosecution's view of the world and repeated the accusation, and they now ask whether Murtha will apologize. Says the Journal: "This was the incident in which Rep. John Murtha accused the Marines of killing Iraqis "in cold blood"--a charge, as we noted in May 2006, that was self-contradictory. In November ScrippsNews reported that Cpl. Sharratt's parents were "enraged" with Murtha, who is their congressman. Perhaps...

June 29, 2007 Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is targeting Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) as part of his crusade against earmarks. Flake offered 12 amendments to House appropriations bills to cut 12 earmarks, a quarter of which were Murtha’s requests. No other lawmaker or state was hit as hard — the Arizona Republican included two other earmarks destined for Pennsylvania. “It is tough to avoid them. It really is,” Flake said of the proposed cuts to what he called Murtha’s “earmark incubators.” Murtha’s office declined to comment. His three earmark requests noted in Flake’s amendments totaled about $1.5 million and were...

June 28, 2007 Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) will recuse himself should the House ethics committee review Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) earmark activities. Doyle, who sits on the panel, said through a spokesman that members of the same delegation rarely participate in an ethics inquiry of each other. There is no indication that such an investigation has been launched, and Doyle would not discuss matters before the committee. “It’s common practice for members of the committee who have someone from their home state before them to recuse themselves from taking part in the investigation,” Doyle spokesman Matt Dinkel wrote in an...

Funny how attempts at congressional ethics reform keep running into roadblocks like Rep. Jack Murtha. The Pennsylvania Democrat and chair of the House defense appropriations subcommittee is best known in this context as the man who once called the ethics package "total crap." He represents an economically depressed corner of southwest Pennsylvania whose largest city, Johnstown, has lost 5 percent of its population since 1990. Not even considering the man's unique personal qualities, one senses where this earmark story is headed. "Murtha has almost — but not quite — single-handedly created a new economy in his district," concludes Roll Call...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYgBLYhWjXs&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fredstate%2Ecom%2F

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) threatened to deny any further spending projects to a Republican who challenged him over an earmark, his antagonist has charged -- a potential violation of House rules. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) had challenged money that Murtha inserted into an intelligence bill last week. Rogers turned the tables later that night by saying he would propose a reprimand of Murtha for violating House rules. The Republican is planning to insert a transcript of their exchange in the Congressional Record to document the potential violation. The privileged resolution will also require a House vote to reprimand Murtha...

WASHINGTON -- Pennsylvania's Rep. John Murtha yesterday said he would start pushing the Bush administration to move military trials for high-level terrorism suspects from the controversial detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to the U.S. mainland. Such a step, he argued, would help improve the nation's image abroad after years of negative publicity surrounding the prison camp, which first opened in January 2002 and now holds about 380 detainees. "We don't want anybody released who is a threat," Mr. Murtha, D-Johnstown, said after a hearing of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "But, on the other hand, we have to...

On “Hardball” last night, John “Okinawa” Murtha bashed Gen. Petraeus, claiming he only came to Washington to “make political statements” and “only talks to the news media.” Video at link

On “Hardball” last night, John “Okinawa” Murtha bashed Gen. Petraeus, claiming he only came to Washington to “make political statements” and “only talks to the news media.”

NPR.org, April 30, 2007 · President Bush on Tuesday will receive a bill funding the war in Iraq from Congress. It contains a timetable for a troop withdrawal — and as the president has said for weeks, he will veto it. So what happens next? Rep. John Murtha (PA), chair of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and a leading anti-war Democrat, talks to Melissa Block about what compromises the Democrats are willing to make on the bill. This week, you are sending the president a bill that he has vowed to veto. Where do you think this goes from here,...