Isn't America great? Companies make money the old-fashioned
way--open an office in the district of Rep. John Murtha and hire
one of his former aides as a lobbyist. Not that Murtha is
alone. Rep. Jim Moran is in on the game too.
Between 2003 and 2009, Mr. Murtha and Mr. Moran helped deliver
$12 million to MobilVox in earmarks - money that is set aside
by lawmakers for pet projects in the government's annual
spending bills. The latest House defense spending bill
introduced and pushed through by Mr. Murtha includes an
additional $2 million earmark for MobilVox requested by Mr.
Moran. The bill is currently pending in conference committee.
MobilVox, the two lawmakers and the lobbyists hired by the
company insist they followed all congressional rules and
campaign fundraising laws, and that all earmark decisions were
made on their merit. None has been accused of any wrongdoing.
But MobilVox's success fits a pattern of doing business in
Washington that ethics watchdogs deride as a "pay-to-play"
system - one that became infamous during Republican years and
continues to operate under a Democratic leadership that had
promised to change a "culture of corruption" in Washington.
Mr. Moran's and Mr. Murtha's relationship with MobilVox "raises
red flags. It is not subtle. It looks bad," said Joel Hefley, a
retired Republican congressman from Colorado who chaired the
House ethics committee when that panel admonished then-Majority
leader Tom DeLay for ethical lapses earlier this decade.
Mr. Hefley, who retired in 2006, said he was particularly
troubled by MobilVox's opening of an office in Mr. Murtha's
district, saying that while there may have been a good reason,
"It looks like it was done to curry favor with a person who has
power to benefit them."
In a time of budget crisis every million dollars should matter
even in Washington. Especially military outlays, given the
fact that the U.S. spends almost as much as the rest of the world
combined. The last thing Congress should be doing is
wasting money on defense pork.
And then there was the Democratic campaign against ethical
lapses by the GOP. Not that anyone should be surprised by
the obvious hypocrisy, but the Democrats should have the good
grace to retire the word "reform" from their vocabulary if they
won't clean up the sort of blatant abuses evidence by Messers.
Murtha and Moran, as well as other paladins of virtue, such as
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel.
"Don Fanucci: Young man, I hear you and your friends are stealing
goods. But you don't even send a dress to my house. No respect!
You know I've got three daughters. This is my neighborhood. You
and your friends should show me some respect. You should let me
wet my beak a little. I hear you and your friends cleared $600
each. Give me $200 each, for your own protection. And I'll forget
the insult. You young punks have to learn to respect a man like
me! Otherwise the cops will come to your house. And your family
will be ruined. Of course, if I'm wrong about how much you stole,
I'll take a little less. And by less, I only mean - a hundred
bucks less. Now don't refuse me. Understand, paisan? Understand,
paisan?... Tell your friends I don't want a lot. Just enough to
wet my beak. Don't be afraid to tell them! "
But of course, Leftwing Libertarians like Bandow helped to keep
the John Murthas of the world in office in 2008.
By bashing Bush, and the GOP in the 2008 election cycle over the
War in Iraq, Bandow and his cronies weakened the McCain/Palin
ticket and with it, helped to keep scumbag Dem incumbents like
Murtha in office.
Note, Murtha had a fine Iraq War Vet running against him on the
GOP line.
Thanks for bashing the War in Iraq, and helping this Republican
lose to Murtha, Doug.
Tim| 10.23.09 @ 10:20AM
"Don Fanucci: Young man, I hear you and your friends are stealing goods. But you don't even send a dress to my house. No respect! You know I've got three daughters. This is my neighborhood. You and your friends should show me some respect. You should let me wet my beak a little. I hear you and your friends cleared $600 each. Give me $200 each, for your own protection. And I'll forget the insult. You young punks have to learn to respect a man like me! Otherwise the cops will come to your house. And your family will be ruined. Of course, if I'm wrong about how much you stole, I'll take a little less. And by less, I only mean - a hundred bucks less. Now don't refuse me. Understand, paisan? Understand, paisan?... Tell your friends I don't want a lot. Just enough to wet my beak. Don't be afraid to tell them! "
Eric Dondero| 10.23.09 @ 6:59PM
But of course, Leftwing Libertarians like Bandow helped to keep the John Murthas of the world in office in 2008.
By bashing Bush, and the GOP in the 2008 election cycle over the War in Iraq, Bandow and his cronies weakened the McCain/Palin ticket and with it, helped to keep scumbag Dem incumbents like Murtha in office.
Note, Murtha had a fine Iraq War Vet running against him on the GOP line.
Thanks for bashing the War in Iraq, and helping this Republican lose to Murtha, Doug.
gtrjuy| 3.9.10 @ 10:09PM
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54jty65| 3.9.10 @ 10:10PM
Whenever I hear friends talking about MBT shoes, my feeling would always be a painful mixture of envy and helplessness.