The American Spectator

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Murtha Washington

2.3.06 @ 12:01AM

HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER
Re: David Holman's Murky Jack Murtha:

What else happened in November? Duke Cunningham got shot down for taking bribes from military contractors. It would be ungenerous to think that this event might have triggered Murtha's by all accounts sudden conviction that the Iraq war was unwinnable, he having previously been a supporter.

If you have read David Crile's Charlie Wilson's War and assuming the book is correct, Tip O'Neill had Charlie Wilson put on the Ethics Committee in the House to bury Murtha's problem at that time.

One wonders if by taking point for the Dems against the Iraq War, Murtha has perhaps built up for himself if not treasure in Heaven, then at least treasure in Ethics if it should come to that.
-- Greg Richards

Do you think it would be fair to compare Murtha to Marshall Petain of Vichy fame:

Both served in war. Both reportedly were scared by their military experiences. Both went into politics.

That Frenchman made common cause with the then dominant fascist power. The American is seems sympathetic to a new ascendant fascist ideology.

This comparison could serve to remind all of the shameful behavior of the French and the shameful behavior of the Democrat Party ... past and present... and can either be trusted for the future... (it's almost like conjugating a Latin verb).
-- Ira Press

Thank you, thank you, thank you... for bringing up this information about "Kit" Murtha. There is an article in the L.A. Times from last June... and I have been telling everybody about it and the "earmarks." This should get MORE widespread news.
-- Anne E. Conway

House Republicans need to investigate John and Kit Murtha's corruption. Let Murtha and his media allies howl persecution, because of his "cut and run" politics. Truth will ultimately prevail if Republicans have some courage. It is time for Republicans to turn the tables on the corrupt Copperheads of the Democrat party. Nancy Pelosi should be the next. Buck up Republicans and beat the Copperheads with good ethics and the truth.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Crownsville, Maryland

There have been pieces on the Internet that Murtha and his brother have steered defense contracts to Minority Leader Pelosi and her relatives and cronies and that Reps. Murtha and Pelosi cooked up the "Withdraw Our Troops" in order to turn attention away from the graft and allow them to say they were being attacked because of their position on the war. This is a huge story! Many know of it. You have a green light to run with it.
-- Howard Lohmuller
Seabrook, Texas

Let me see if I understand this article. Congressman Murtha has ethics problems involving his lobbyist brother and defense industry contracts. Congressman Murtha is a Democrat. The MSM is pointedly ignoring this information while screaming from the housetop about Abramoff and Tom DeLay and other Republicans. Do I have that right?

Perhaps you could tell me how this is suddenly newsworthy, as opposed to being the standard practice of the MSM over the last 25 years or longer.
-- Ken Shreve

Every morning I sit down with my bagel and coffee to peruse the Internet to see what is going on in the world. TAS used to be my very first stop. Honest, insightful articles that seem to give a good inside look at politics in Washington. It is a pity that TAS has turned into a shill for the GOP and has little to offer but article after article denigrating the Democrats (like they need any help) or rants from rich, out of touch, former actors that need a "day off." The impression that is left after ready TAS regularly is that the GOP has nothing left in the way of substantive public policy proposals to offer the American people so you guys are left with blasting the powerless Democrats along with all the other conservative media shills. So what if Murtha's brother is a crooked lobbyist (redundant). That doesn't make Abramoff or DeLay any less guilty. I feel like we are living in the United States of the 7th grade... yeah, we're feckless, but the Democrats started it!

It has taken a mere 12 years of being in power for the GOP to reach the levels of corruption and insouciance that it took the Democrats 40 years to achieve. Nobody expected more from the Democrats, but we sure did expect more from the "party of values." The conservative movement needs to stop whining like a minority party and start leading like a majority party.
-- Ben Berry
Silver Spring, Maryland

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