Posted on 12/02/2005 11:01:39 AM PST by george76
National Security: Contrary to popular opinion, Rep. John Murtha, the decorated ex-Marine who called for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, is no hawk.
He may also soon be probed for misusing defense appropriations.
"If you want anything done on the committee, you go to Murtha."
He's delivered so much pork to his congressional district, an airport and a major highway are named after Murtha.
Ashdown and his nonpartisan watchdog group criticized Murtha for using the $417 billion fiscal 2005 Pentagon spending bill to give business to his lobbyist brother.
The Los Angeles Times in June reported that Murtha funneled nearly $21 million to 10 or more corporate clients of KSA Consulting, where Robert "Kit" Murtha is a senior partner.
Carmen Scialabba, a Murtha congressional aide for 27 years, is also a high-ranking official at KSA.
The newspaper Roll Call reported that there might be a House ethics committee investigation of Murtha's apparent improprieties.
But is that possible now that Murtha has become the media's "hawk with a conscience?"
Come to think of it, could Murtha have been thinking about a possible ethics investigation when he decided to throw himself into the public limelight last week?
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
senile.
Freepers have been ahead of this author by WEEKS...
We have been saying this since before the House vote...
Murtha threw the US military under the bus to distract attention for his questionable dealings.
Duke Murtha?
For the past three years, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, has been the No. 1 beneficiary of defense campaign donations in the House and has not fallen below No. 3 for Congress as a whole.
In fact, for just the 2006 cycle, Murtha ranks No. 1 overall, with $188,350 in donations from the defense industry. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) follows with $118,350.
In 2004, Murtha ranked behind only President Bush and his Democratic opponent, Sen. John Kerry, in overall defense-industry contributions, with $284,750.
During the 2002 election cycle, when Murtha was forced to campaign for his seat because of state redistricting that pitted him against a fellow congressman in the primary, he again scored No. 1 in all Congress, pulling in $309,299 in political donations from defense companies.
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/101805/spending.html
And he knows that the MSM now has his back.
"In one case, a small Arkansas manufacturer of military vehicles who was a KSA client was awarded $1.7 million — triple its total sales for 2004."
"One defense contractor based in Murtha's home state of Pennsylvania even told the Times he hired KSA on the recommendation of a top Murtha aide."
"And he knows that the MSM now has his back."
This story about Murtha does not surprise me. He was one of a numer of House Demorcrats and one Republican who were involved with the 1979 ABSCAM investigation. He, as I recall, was the one that was able to slip away.
Lobbyist's Brother Guided House Bill
A family member's ties to special interests raise questions in the case of Democrat John Murtha.
By Ken Silverstein and Richard Simon
Times Staff Writers
June 13, 2005
WASHINGTON — When Congress passed the $417-billion Pentagon spending bill last year, Rep. John P. Murtha, the top Democrat on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, boasted about the money he secured to create jobs in his Pennsylvania district.
But the bill Murtha helped write also benefited at least 10 companies represented by a lobbying firm where his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, is a senior partner, according to disclosure records, interviews and an analysis of the bill by The Times.
Clients of the lobbying firm KSA Consulting — whose top officials also include former congressional aide Carmen V. Scialabba, who worked for Rep. Murtha for 27 years — received a total of $20.8 million from the bill.
One of the clients, a small Arkansas maker of military vehicles, received $1.7 million, triple its total sales for 2004. Several other clients received money that represented more than half of their annual sales from last year.
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:U-IrKdIGzTMJ:www.livejournal.com/~mparent7777/103785.html+Kit+Murtha&hl=en
Politicians are incapable of creating jobs.
I agree (see my tag line).
Just another example of why we should demand term limits on all elected representatives. Once these dolts get into office, they lose sight of what they're there for.
But... but... HALLIBURTON!!!! CH-CH-CH-CHENEYYYYYYYY! OIL!!!!!!! Yeargh.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05165/521223.stm
"Murtha threw the US military under the bus to distract attention for his questionable dealings."
And for that I hope they hang him high!
This link to a page of Murtha ethics posts may show why he came out of nowhere with his bring the troops home now garbage.
This couldn't be an effort to stave off an investigation into his life could it? I mean now he can say the probe is politically motivated - payback for his back stabbing of the WOT effort. Or house dim leadership may have promised him protection from the investigation if he became their new pawn a la sindee sheehan.
Nah, they wouldn't do that /s
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?s=murtha+ethics&ok=Search&q=quick&m=any&o=score&SX=4390a17c23369325ec3d9bfc53c252add8f8cf7a
Let me first say that I have nothing but the greatest respect for Rep. Murtha...
Thanks for the link....
"It's not the first time Congressman Murtha has had a problem with ethics"
"Though not indicted .. he was involved with ABSCAM"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abscam
7 posted on 11/21/2005 9:18:30 AM PST by Mo1
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1526109/posts
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