[Common Tator]

If you were Murtha and wanted support from other politicians would you first ask people like FORMER SENATOR Cleland and Former Speaker Wright? Wouldn't you ask current leaders...like Pelosi and Reid?

I think Murtha did just that plus some 201 currently sittling congressman and 44 currently sitting Senators in addition. I think it likely that everyone he asked said NO WAY.

Only when everyone who has something to lose had said NO did Murtha ask a FORMER Senator and a FORMER Speaker of the House to support him. They are two people with names that can not be hurt by supporting Murtha.

That says to me that everyone currently in office turned Murtha down. I don't know if any of those serving in the legislature felt that they could help Murtha, but we can certainly deduce that they feel campaigning for Murtha can certainly hurt them.

[Coop]

Very good points

[Grampa Dave]

I'm in total agreement with you re refusals by Murtha's fellow rats to defend and back him.

He went suddenly planning to campaign for many of his peers to basically none. Then as you pointed out in this reply, he has no current member or senator running out to help him.

We both know that the members of congress use private focus groups of selected voters to get their feelings on certain critical subjects. Apparently, Murtha didn't do well in these focus groups.

[dirtboy]

Also realize a lot of Dem House members were put off by Murtha saying he would seek the Majority Leader position after the election. That rankled on two levels:

Public presumption of a win (very dangerous before it actually happens), and

Public presumption that they saw him as some kind of leader, instead of a useful idiot.

[Mo1]

BTTT

[Just A Nobody]

I always enjoy your thoughts on these matters.

I remember reading awhile back that he had also made many enemies in his party over past actions, ABSCAM and the like.