In Backing Murtha, Pelosi Draws Fire

[GaryC 7]

In Backing Murtha, Pelosi Draws Fire

Her Ethics Vow Is Questioned

By Jonathan Weisman

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, November 14, 2006; Page A01

House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi's endorsement of Rep. John P. Murtha's bid for House majority leader set off a furor yesterday on Capitol Hill, with critics charging that she is undercutting her pledge to clean up corruption by backing a veteran lawmaker who they say has repeatedly skirted ethical boundaries.

Pelosi (D-Calif.) directly intervened in the heated contest between Murtha (D-Pa.) and House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) on Sunday by circulating a letter to Democratic lawmakers. The letter voiced her support for Murtha and put her prestige on the line in a closely fought leadership battle. Some Democratic lawmakers and watchdog groups say they are baffled that Pelosi would go out of her way to back Murtha's candidacy after pledging to make the new 110th Congress the most ethical and corruption-free in history.

Murtha, a longtime senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, has battled accusations over the years that he has traded federal spending for campaign contributions, that he has abused his post as ranking party member on the Appropriations defense subcommittee, and that he has stood in the way of ethics investigations. Those charges come on top of Murtha's involvement 26 years ago in the FBI's Abscam bribery sting.

"Pelosi's endorsement suggests to me she was interested in the culture of corruption only as a campaign issue and has no real interest in true reform," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a Democratic-leaning group. "It is shocking to me that someone with [Murtha's] ethics problems could be number two in the House leadership."

"People have known about these things for months," said one Democratic House member who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to anger the presumed incoming speaker. "I am sure they are going to become much more important in the next few days."

Andrew Koneschusky, a spokesman for Murtha, declined to discuss ethics issues, saying: "We are focused on the future. We are focused on electing the best candidate to lead our party and deliver the change the American people want, and that is Jack Murtha. We are looking forward, not backward."

Pelosi said in her letter that she was swayed to endorse Murtha, a longtime ally, by his early call for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Pelosi aides and Murtha supporters said the charges against him are trivial or untrue. A senior Pelosi aide conceded that her endorsement is risky but said that she had to show her loyalty to Murtha, who has been steadfastly loyal to her.

As for the ethics issue, "there's no substance to it," said Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Calif.), a strong supporter of Murtha.

At issue is Murtha's relationships with two defense lobbyists. Paul Magliocchetti of the PMA Group is a former aide to the lawmaker, and Robert "Kit" Murtha is his brother and was a senior partner at KSA Consulting from 2002 to 2005.

The PMA Group has become the go-to firm to approach Murtha as ranking Democrat on the Appropriations defense subcommittee, CREW charges. In the 2006 defense appropriations bill, PMA clients reaped at least 60 special provisions, or "earmarks," worth more than $95 million.

The PMA Group and its clients have been top campaign contributors for Murtha: $274,649 in the 2006 campaign cycle, $236,799 in the 2004 cycle and $279,074 in the 2002 cycle, according to CREW's tallies.

After Kit Murtha joined KSA Consulting in 2002, one of his first clients was a wireless networking company called Aeptec Microsystems Inc., which was seeking to build a business complex in Murtha's district with a Pennsylvania state grant. Aeptec executive Michael Hoban contributed $2,000 to Murtha's campaign that year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6111300722.html

For clarity, this picture is my addition and was not part of the article.

[Carol&Marc 0]

A NEW DIRECTION?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Her standing behind an unindicted Abscam'er (videotaped saying "I'm not interested at this point") shows her true colours!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You guys are pulling for straws now...oye!

Had Murtha, a decorated war veteran with a conservative voting record, never come out and spoken critically against the war, you guys wouldn't be pouting about him. So now your digging into finding something to smear him with...first you tried to discredit his war record (sound familiar) and now this? 1980?

Check out his voting record, Gary, and see how often he's aligned with your politics before dismissing him...

http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=H3460103#13

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I didn't have to dig at all--you may have noticed that my source was Wiki, not WND.

[GaryC 7]

I didn't have to dig either. It's the Washington post for cripes sake. Get used to it. Now that the dems got their way the media is gonna be pointing out all your warts.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

New flash: Harry Reid was elected Majority leader not Murtha

Rick Durbin is Majority Whip

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I didn't have to dig at all--you may have noticed that my source was Wiki, not WND.

ABSCAM happened when? And what was Murtha charged with? Yes, lets smear Murtha for having the audacity to come out against Bush's war in Iraq. He was a credible critic of the war and that boils people's blood who support the war.

...but do check out his voting record - you'll see he has supported the military industrial complex. You guys are all about loyalty...no dissenters will be left alive.

[Ban Hammer 13,636]

I didn't have to dig at all--you may have noticed that my source was Wiki, not WND.

ah this is lots of fun. the bashbots are busy having to defend their pets

[GaryC 7]

New flash: Harry Reid was elected Majority leader not Murtha

Rick Durbin is Majority Whip

Ummm, wrong house. Murtha is in the house of Reps. Reid is in the Senate. Go back to school.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

New flash: Harry Reid was elected Majority leader not Murtha

Rick Durbin is Majority Whip

doh

According to Hotline, Trent Lott is set to become the Senate Minority Whip.

In 2002 Trent Lott was one of the earliest casualties of blogger vigilance, when his praise of the racist, segregationist presidential candidacy of Strom Thurmond was picked up and amplified by the blogs. The corporate media simply couldn't ignore it.

It's not as if it were an isolated gaffe. As Wikipedia points out:

As a Congressman, he voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act and opposed the Martin Luther King Holiday. Lott also maintained an affiliation with the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is described as a hate group by the ADL, NAACP and SPLC.

After enough people noticed Lott's remark and it became a political liability, then -- and only then -- did the president and republican leaders speak out against the Mississippi senator, forcing him to resign his position as Senate Majority Leader.

Edited November 15, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[GaryC 7]

New flash: Harry Reid was elected Majority leader not Murtha

Rick Durbin is Majority Whip

doh

According to Hotline, Trent Lott is set to become the Senate Minority Whip.

In 2002 Trent Lott was one of the earliest casualties of blogger vigilance, when his praise of the racist, segregationist presidential candidacy of Strom Thurmond was picked up and amplified by the blogs. The corporate media simply couldn't ignore it.

It's not as if it were an isolated gaffe. As Wikipedia points out:

As a Congressman, he voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act and opposed the Martin Luther King Holiday. Lott also maintained an affiliation with the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is described as a hate group by the ADL, NAACP and SPLC.

After enough people noticed Lott's remark and it became a political liability, then -- and only then -- did the president and republican leaders speak out against the Mississippi senator, forcing him to resign his position as Senate Majority Leader.

May I point out that the Republicans supported the Voting Rights Act of 1965 more than the Dems did. A lot of the "good old boys" from the south didn't want to vote for it. Somehow memories are short when it comes to the Dems.

Legislative history

The Act was sent to Congress by President Lyndon Johnson on March 17, 1965. The Senate passed the bill on May 26 (after a successful cloture vote on May 25); the House passed it on July 10. After differences between the two bills were resolved in conference, the House passed the Conference Report on August 3, the Senate on August 4. President Johnson signed the Act on August 6, 1965.

Vote count

The two numbers in each line of this list refer to the number of representatives voting in favor and against the act, respectively.

Senate: 77–19

Democrats: 47–17 (73% voted for it)

Republicans: 30–2 (94% voted for it)

House: 333–85

Democrats: 221–61 (78% voted for it)

Republicans: 112–24 (82% voted for it)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act

[Dean iWait 0]

I didn't have to dig at all--you may have noticed that my source was Wiki, not WND.

ABSCAM happened when? And what was Murtha charged with? Yes, lets smear Murtha for having the audacity to come out against Bush's war in Iraq. He was a credible critic of the war and that boils people's blood who support the war.

...but do check out his voting record - you'll see he has supported the military industrial complex. You guys are all about loyalty...no dissenters will be left alive.

Hey don't blame us for what the Washigton Post, CREW and his fellow democrats are saying about this guy. LOL! I could care less about who the democrats choose. Just fun to watch.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/

Edited November 15, 2006 by Dean iWait

[one...two...tree 2,762]

New flash: Harry Reid was elected Majority leader not Murtha

Rick Durbin is Majority Whip

doh

According to Hotline, Trent Lott is set to become the Senate Minority Whip.

In 2002 Trent Lott was one of the earliest casualties of blogger vigilance, when his praise of the racist, segregationist presidential candidacy of Strom Thurmond was picked up and amplified by the blogs. The corporate media simply couldn't ignore it.

It's not as if it were an isolated gaffe. As Wikipedia points out:

As a Congressman, he voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act and opposed the Martin Luther King Holiday. Lott also maintained an affiliation with the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is described as a hate group by the ADL, NAACP and SPLC.

After enough people noticed Lott's remark and it became a political liability, then -- and only then -- did the president and republican leaders speak out against the Mississippi senator, forcing him to resign his position as Senate Majority Leader.

May I point out that the Republicans supported the Voting Rights Act of 1965 more than the Dems did. A lot of the "good old boys" from the south didn't want to vote for it. Somehow memories are short when it comes to the Dems.

Legislative history

The Act was sent to Congress by President Lyndon Johnson on March 17, 1965. The Senate passed the bill on May 26 (after a successful cloture vote on May 25); the House passed it on July 10. After differences between the two bills were resolved in conference, the House passed the Conference Report on August 3, the Senate on August 4. President Johnson signed the Act on August 6, 1965.

Vote count

The two numbers in each line of this list refer to the number of representatives voting in favor and against the act, respectively.

Senate: 77–19

Democrats: 47–17 (73% voted for it)

Republicans: 30–2 (94% voted for it)

House: 333–85

Democrats: 221–61 (78% voted for it)

Republicans: 112–24 (82% voted for it)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act

Do you think Lott should be House Minority Whip in light of what he said?

[GaryC 7]

New flash: Harry Reid was elected Majority leader not Murtha

Rick Durbin is Majority Whip

doh

According to Hotline, Trent Lott is set to become the Senate Minority Whip.

In 2002 Trent Lott was one of the earliest casualties of blogger vigilance, when his praise of the racist, segregationist presidential candidacy of Strom Thurmond was picked up and amplified by the blogs. The corporate media simply couldn't ignore it.

It's not as if it were an isolated gaffe. As Wikipedia points out:

As a Congressman, he voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act and opposed the Martin Luther King Holiday. Lott also maintained an affiliation with the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is described as a hate group by the ADL, NAACP and SPLC.

After enough people noticed Lott's remark and it became a political liability, then -- and only then -- did the president and republican leaders speak out against the Mississippi senator, forcing him to resign his position as Senate Majority Leader.

May I point out that the Republicans supported the Voting Rights Act of 1965 more than the Dems did. A lot of the "good old boys" from the south didn't want to vote for it. Somehow memories are short when it comes to the Dems.

Legislative history

The Act was sent to Congress by President Lyndon Johnson on March 17, 1965. The Senate passed the bill on May 26 (after a successful cloture vote on May 25); the House passed it on July 10. After differences between the two bills were resolved in conference, the House passed the Conference Report on August 3, the Senate on August 4. President Johnson signed the Act on August 6, 1965.

Vote count

The two numbers in each line of this list refer to the number of representatives voting in favor and against the act, respectively.

Senate: 77–19

Democrats: 47–17 (73% voted for it)

Republicans: 30–2 (94% voted for it)

House: 333–85

Democrats: 221–61 (78% voted for it)

Republicans: 112–24 (82% voted for it)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act

Do you think Lott should be House Minority Whip in light of what he said?

Sure! I have no problem with it at all! Why would you?