The Pink Flamingo :: The Magical Murtha Misdemeanors & Moments We All Treasure

Stephen R. Maloney is blogging at Campaign 2008 Victory A. He is a dedicated Sarah Palin supporter, and is the one who drew my attention to her. If rational minds rule and she ends up on the ticket, I don’t know what we are going to do with him. He’ll go up faster than a hot-air balloon at the ABQ Balloon Fiesta. Steve also lives in John Murtha’s district and, aside from getting Sarah Palin on the Ticket, is dedicated to the principle that all Congressmen are not created equal, as some are just plain slime. He is a staunch supporter of announced GOP candidate William Russell, who, if all the rules are followed, could have a half-way decent chance against Murtha. But, we’re talking entrenched – so I hope Steve isn’t holding his breath.

The other day Steve sent an email. I don’t think he will mind if I share a bit of it.

“…As for PAID, it obviously has nothing to do with disabled individuals. It's one purpose for being is to link Murtha with people and organizations who will support his political aspirations with huge "donations." If you go to Open Secrets, you can find the organizations that pour money into Murtha's coffers.

In 2006, one supposedly non-profit contributor, UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) gave Murtha $150,000. The contributions came from UPMC's PAC, as well as from wealthy administrators and doctors that Murtha helped enrich with federal dollars.

The non-profit UPMC recently reported a surplus (i.e., profit) of nearly half-a-billion dollars. UPMC has received criticism in the Pittsburgh area for wildly overcharging patients, including those on Medicaid, the federally funded health program for the poor.

In the case of my indigent brother, William, he went a UPMC facility with a feeling of faintness -- a condition called syncope -- and the original bill for this minor affliction was $22,600. Medicaid paid about half that fee, one that was totally out-of-line.

What kind of standard of care does UPMC provide? In that regard, we might ask the organization's chairman, Jeffrey Romoff, whose view of UPMC's care is so deficient that he himself went to Johns Hopkins for treatment of his own medical condition. (If you "google" Romoff's name, you can find the whole story about his trip to Baltimore for treatment.)

In 2006, Murtha transferred some of his own campaign funds to 4th District Democrat Jason Altmire, who narrowly defeated Republican Melissa Hart in PA's 4th Congressional District.

What did Altmire do before he became one of Nancy Pelosi's and John Murtha's favorites in Congress? He was a six-figure lobbyist for UPMC. During the congressional race, Altmire referred to Murtha as his "campaign manager."

Pennsylvania Politics: you gotta love it….”

Steve has a post, Murtha Must Go soliciting contributions for William Russell. Let’s face it, Russell has an uphill battle.

“…John Murtha believes he's a "sure bet" in this election. However, Murtha's made a career of being wrong. He will receive millions of dollars in support from groups that he's essentially "bought" with your tax dollars. William will not receive one thin dime from such tainted sources….”

Steve links to a site Murtha Must Go, which has a hilarious commentary.

“…have to say that John Goodman does a masterful job of portraying Congressman Jack Murtha. In other words, he plays a big, fat, corrupt, long-serving Congressman who manipulates newer members of the House into doing his bidding for his personal gain. If Hollywood ever needs to cast an actor for the role of John Murtha in a film, all it has to do is have John Goodman reprise his role in Evan Almighty….”

Steve also links to PennRepublican.Com Johnstown Publisher Hits Murtha

“…ormer publisher of the Johnstown, PA, Tribune-Democrat, criticized Representative John Murtha (D-Johnstown) for his widely known pork delivery. Citing a Wall Street Journal article also published today, Voccio hit Murtha’s well publicized zeal for getting questionable federal funding for favored companies in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district, while indirectly criticizing the recipients of those funds and the beneficiaries of the legislation. Voccio refers to the businessmen who receive favorable treatment from Murtha, and those who celebrate such practices, as “brainwashed children.”…”

National Republican Congressional Committee

“…In the massive 2008 military-spending bill now before Congress -- which could go to a House-Senate conference as soon as Thursday -- Mr. Murtha has steered more taxpayer funds to his congressional district than any other member. The Democratic lawmaker is chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, which will oversee more than $459 billion in military spending this year.

Johnstown's good fortune has come at the expense of taxpayers everywhere else. Defense contractors have found that if they open an office here and hire the right lobbyist, they can get lucrative, no-bid contracts. Over the past decade, Concurrent Technologies Corp., a defense-research firm that employs 800 here, got hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to Rep. Murtha despite poor reviews by Pentagon auditors. The National Drug Intelligence Center, with 300 workers, got $509 million, though the White House has tried for years to shut it down as wasteful and unnecessary. Another beneficiary: MTS Technologies, run by a man who got his start some 40 years ago shining shoes at Mr. Murtha's Johnstown Minute Car Wash.

A review by The Wall Street Journal of dozens of such contracts funded by Mr. Murtha's committee shows that many weren't sought by the military or federal agencies they were intended to benefit. Some were inefficient or mismanaged, according to interviews, public records and previously unpublished Pentagon audits. One Murtha-backed firm, ProLogic Inc., is under federal investigation for allegedly diverting public funds to develop commercial software, people close to the case say. The company denies wrongdoing and is in line to get millions of dollars more in the pending defense bill.

Mr. Murtha, a gruff, combat-decorated former Marine, was thrust into the national spotlight last year by his opposition to the Iraq war. Yet he has long been known in Washington, where he wields power like an old-fashioned political boss and has become a lightning rod for Republican attacks. With years of strong support for the military, he's also been an important voice for Democrats in battles over war funding and troop withdrawal.

But for his 33 years in Congress, his overriding focus has been the revival of his hard-luck hometown. In addition to using taxpayer money to build a local defense industry, Mr. Murtha has funded by legislative fiat miles of new roads, water projects, medical facilities and federal offices for his district. He even brought a Marine attack-helicopter squadron here; it's next to the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. Mr. Murtha has steered at least $600 million in earmarks to his district in the past four years, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan Washington group. The nonprofit group estimates he's sent $2 billion or more to the district since joining the appropriations committee in 1992…”

Steve has also noted William Russell’s press release on Haditha;

“…November 2, 2007: Congressional candidate William Russell said, “The time has come to for Congressman Murtha to publicly apologize to Justin Sharratt, the other Haditha Marines, their families, and every single serving Soldier, Sailor, Marine and Airman (and their families) who has served in or is currently serving in the Middle East”.   “At the very least, he must acknowledge that he has slandered the bravest of our young citizens and increased their risks of death and injury as they confront the evil that is Islamic Radicalism”. “He has provided aid and comfort to an enemy that is seeking to impose its version of totalitarian Sharia law on all of the Middle East, as well as Europe and the United States”. “He has undermined the efforts of the United States to stabilize Iraq”….”

Also referenced is the Majority Accountability Project ‘s

“…Despite its apparent failure as an advocate for the disabled, the Washington Post reported last December that “PAID has become a gathering point for defense contractors and lobbyists with business before Murtha's defense appropriations subcommittee, and for Pennsylvania businesses and universities that have thrived on federal money obtained by Murtha.”

In addition to the more well known board members, PAID’s directors included a host of lobbyists and defense contractors who have benefited from Murtha’s taxpayer-funded largesse.

Those with business before Murtha’s committees are well-represented at PAID’s annual golf tournament, priced at upwards of $10,000. The main named sponsor of last year’s tournament was Applied Ordnance Technology, which has seen its share of federal funding skyrocket after the company opened an office in Johnstown, PA, at the behest of Murtha….”

Steve Moloney is like a dog with a bone when it comes to Murtha. Today he slammed him.

“…Quote JFK in your speeches, William. Then ask them if Jack Murtha has anything in common with the fallen President. Ask them if he hasn't plunged FDR's "dagger" into the back of our soldiers.

Ask audiences if the Murtha of the Haditha slander has anything in common with JFK -- or with FDR -- or with Harry Truman? Those great Democrats would have nothing to do with "The Prince of Pork" swilling away at his trough and defaming his betters.

Murtha's condemnation of the "Haditha Marines" (one of whom, Justin Sharratt, is from the 12th District) is absolutely disgraceful. In calling them "cold-blooded" killers, Murtha was lying about their actions and about the men themselves. He was pandering to America-haters, foreign and domestic.

Yes, John Murtha "brings home the bacon" in his efforts to buy votes. But by emboldening the enemy, he ensures that other Americans -- fathers and mothers, husbands and wives -- bring home caskets containing American soldiers. (Scroll down to acquaint yourself with one of those soldiers from the Wieger family.)

Murtha claimed he made his Haditha statements after he was "briefed" by a Marine officer (Gen. Hagee). However, as NewsMax and other outlets have poined out, Murtha made the statement well before he met with the General. In short, the Congressman made it up. Why?

He vilified the Marines for one reason: so that he could curry favor with Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leftists (the 19-percent crowd). He wanted to become Democratic Majority Leader (fat chance!), so he sold out his Marine brethren for the votes of Left-wing Democrats.

In so doing, he become the most EX of ex-Marines, one who defaulted on his obligations to be courageous and truthful….”