To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
Posted on 05/24/2007 10:56:04 AM PDT by jazusamo
Thu, May/24/2007
Like nearly every House Democrat this week, Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, rejected a Republican move to reprimand senior Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, D-12, for allegedly threatening a Republican who wanted to eliminate a Murtha earmark.
Wednesday, some Republicans said Murphy's steadfast support of Murtha has betrayed his promise for ethics reform on Capitol Hill.
“Patrick Murphy has aligned himself with an ethically challenged congressman,” said Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “After claiming on the campaign trail to be a reformer of the system, he's cast an unconscionable vote to give John Murtha a pass for what many believe to be a serious ethical breach.”
In a phone interview Wednesday, Murphy called the Republican criticism against him “desperate.”
“No one in good faith could say that we are not committed to ethics reform,” Murphy said.
Murtha is accused of threatening Congressman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., with legislative retaliation after Rogers tried to remove a $23 million earmark Murtha included for a drug intelligence center in Murtha's southwest Pennsylvania district. Rogers claimed Murtha told him that “you will not get any earmarks now and forever,” a threat Murtha has not refuted, and Republicans have charged violates House rules. An earmark is federal funding for a specific legislative district usually added on to large pieces of legislation.
A Republican bid to reprimand Murtha for the threat failed Tuesday night in a 219-189 vote that went largely down party lines.
By essentially voting down the reprimand, House freshmen, like Murphy, have strayed from their campaign pledges to bring ethics reform to Washington, according to Mike Brady, president of the Majority Accountability Project, a Republican organization.
“It was put-up-or-shut-up time and they shut up,” said Brady. “At the very least [Murphy's vote] gives the appearance of a possible conflict.
“You claim to be a leader in the ethics fight, but the very first time you have a chance to do something you choose to protect one of your own and ignore House rules,” Brady said.
Murphy admitted that Murtha was “overzealous” when he threatened Rogers, but said Murtha has since apologized to Rogers and the Democratic caucus.
According to Adam Abrams, Murphy's communications director, Murphy has voted for several ethics reform bills, including the “most aggressive ethics package ever,” a proposal to reform lobbying. Murphy has also voted for earmark reform and was an original co-sponsor of a bill to establish an independent ethics commission.
Murphy has called Murtha a political “role model,” voted for Murtha in his unsuccessful bid to become House majority leader and has received more money from Murtha's political action committee than any other House freshman. Murphy received $2,000 from Murtha in September 2006 and $5,000 in March 2007, according to campaign finance records. A decorated Vietnam veteran and Iraq war critic, Murtha campaigned for Murphy in last year's contentious 8th District race and appeared alongside Murphy at a campaign event two days before November's election.
Murphy represents the residents of Bucks County, some districts of Abington, Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland in Montgomery County and two wards in Philadelphia.
LOL! Sounds like murtha has found a corrupt protege in Murphy.
Yawn... why didn’t the Republicans hand Murtha’s ass to him when they had the majority? He is about as honest as Gary Condit.
Any politician who claims Murtha is his “role model” belongs in prison, not Congress.
To be added to the Murtha Watch ping list please notify myself or RedRover.
More re: Murphy
Congressman Tim Murphy from my district, neighbors to Murtha's distict, is a pediatrician by trade. He is mature and generally responsible. I'm still waiting for his reply on why he was the only Republican to vote against the motion to discuss censure.
Patrick Murphy from the 'burbs northeast of Philadelphia is a career politician with a pretty boy face. His adolescent behavior can easily be manipulated by his handlers, including Murtha.
Murphy is a slithering slimy little worm. A military lawyer.
I think if you check, you will find out he is NOT an MD, but somebody with a degree in psychology that the state of PA licenses the same as they do social workers.
When I saw him being interviewed on Fox some time ago, they said he was a psychologist, not a pediatrician.
Whoops. Thanks for the clarification!
Still, a child psychologist is a rather handy person to have in a congress run by a party of adolescents.
This is like complaining that an actor is narcissistic. Murphy is a weenie brownnoser, nothing more.
Murphy and Murtha: Reaching across the aisle in a show of support for corrupt bipartisanship.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.