In the course of noting that former Murtha crony Mark Critz received 52% of his first-quarter contributions from “[d]efense contractors, local business officers and lobbyists that relied on earmarked federal contracts from Murtha” the Washington Post notes this interesting little detail:

Four former lobbyists of the PMA Group, a once-powerful lobbying shop, also chipped in to elect Critz. Murtha arranged for his spending panel to steer hundreds of millions of earmarked contracts to PMA clients. The firm shut its doors amid a criminal investigation scrutinizing more than $1 million dollars in campaign contributions it gave to Murtha and other subcommittee members. Critz’s money came as well from top officers of companies that were longtime beneficiaries of Murtha’s largess in doling out military contracts: Argon ST, Progeny Systems, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Advanced Acoustic Concepts and Mountaintop Technologies.

Ah, PMA.  Did you know that they got $117 million in earmarks from the Democrats in the last ten years?  Impressive, in its way.

Anyway, will Critz take lobbyist money? Of course he will: in fact, why should he stop?  After all, they were ultimately funding his salary when Critz was Murtha’s head flunky.  Will the DCCC say a word about it?  Of course they won’t: all that nonsense they spout about hating lobbyists is strictly for the rubes – in which group they include the citizens of Pennsylvania’s Twelfth District, of course.  Will PA-12 voters let them get away with it?

Well.  That’s a question that Tim Burns is asking, too.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.