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 | Read More »
I mean, it’s bad enough that he’s doing it: but apparently it’s not even working. In 2005, Rep. John P. Murtha announced here that a technology firm was moving into an abandoned plate glass factory. Best of all, he promised, the new firm would generate 140 jobs. The Pennsylvania Democrat steered $150 million in defense money to Caracal Inc., along with a $3 million grant | Read More »
Mayyyyybe: Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) campaign has asked the Democrats’ reelection arm to write a memo detailing how he can use funds in his campaign account if he retires. [snip] The office acknowledged asking the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for the advice, but explained that it did so only in response to a constituent who assumed that members could put their remaining campaign funds | Read More »
While I agree with Tim Blair that karma is… kind of entertaining, sometimes… I think that the most important thing that should be taken away from this video is the frustration and worry in our soldiers’ voices as they try to line up a shot that doesn’t endanger either a kid, or some guy just walking along. By the way: using kids like this is | Read More »
…of ‘courageous stand‘ than I, and probably you, do: Pelosi’s silence on [PMA-linked Rep. Pete] Visclosky [D*, IN] has been deafening considering how quickly she moved to strip committee memberships from the last member of her brood to become the target of a federal investigation, former congressman Jefferson. Rep. Anna Eschoo, a California Democrat and one of Pelosi’s closest friends on the Hill, argues that | Read More »
It’s a lovely morning today. The sun is shining down from a brilliantly-azure sky. The birds are singing counterpoint to the steady rumble of people getting up, going to work and living their lives. Somewhere, a child laughs with innocent delight as a sudden breeze stirs the grass, and sends dandelion seeds dancing through the air. And Air Force investigators are charging that various-and-sundry companies | Read More »
(Via The American Thinker, via Instapundit) The bolded part is the part that you want your eyes to linger over. Ex-contractor with Murtha ties charged over kickbacks Federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh have charged a former executive for a defense contractor with ties to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) with taking nearly $200,000 in kickbacks from a subcontractor. Richard Ianieri, former president and CEO of Coherent Systems | Read More »
[UPDATE] See also Hot Air. And may I say that there’s a part of me that hopes that Pelosi tries to quash this? It’s a lovely time of year for a gutter war. I was tempted to go with the headline “FEDS RAID VISCLOSKY!” solely to give some of our lurkers acute acid reflux, but really: this is quite good on its own: Feds subpoena | Read More »
I was first tipped off to this by the NRCC’s blog: Jack Murtha is going to have a primary opponent. For those who were wondering: Murtha did not have a primary opponent in 2008. Or 2006. Or 2004*. You have to go back to 2002 to see the last time that anybody tried to challenge him, in fact. From the Post-Gazette’s blog: Today, former naval | Read More »
Politico reports: John Hugya, Chief of staff for Representative John Murtha (D, PA), threatened his Congressman’s last (and future) electoral opponent on at least two occasions. John Murtha opponent says aide threatened him The Republican who challenged Rep. John Murtha in 2008 says a top aide to the embattled Pennsylvania Democrat threatened to have him recalled to active duty in the U.S. Army so he | Read More »
When a newspaper is associating pictures like this: …to stories about said politician’s nephew: well, articles like this are almost redundant. Nephew Mentioned Rep. Murtha in Dealings as Contractor Robert C. Murtha Jr. has made a sizable living for years working with companies that rely on Pentagon contracts over which his uncle, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), holds considerable sway. He has maintained that his | Read More »
This will do. For a start. Via Geraghty: Watchdog Groups Join Calls for PMA Probe House Democratic leaders face new pressure from four watchdog groups usually allied with them to open an investigation into the ties between three powerful Democrats and the now-defunct lobbying firm The PMA Group. Democracy 21, Common Cause, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG on Thursday called on the House Committee on | Read More »
I have to admit that when it comes to avenging slights made against it this administration has both total recall and infinite patience. What’s below (via Instapundit) is probably the most important part of this New York Times article about Jack Murtha’s travails: While past presidents often courted Mr. Murtha with phone calls and private meetings, President Obama has extended to him no such courtesies. | Read More »
Okinawa Jack seems very, very defensive in this article (H/T: Instapundit): Murtha defends statement The region’s outspoken congressman is in the national lens again – this time CBS News television cameras – in a report Wednesday that calls him “the king of earmarks who wastes a lot of taxpayer money” and implies that the FBI is investigating. U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, responded by waving | Read More »
“Troubled.” How droll. It’s Pete Visclosky (D, IN-01), by the way. I repeat it because the AP can’t seem to. Visclosky’s ties to troubled PMA Group run deep. WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky has promised to return money from donors with ties to a troubled lobbying group, but critics say his ties to PMA Group run deep. The northwest Indiana congressman’s former chief | Read More »
So, I crunched the numbers of the PMA defense budget earmarks (raw info found here), and came up with something interesting. Below are the top twenty current House members who have taken money from PMA and placed earmarks in that bill, sorted by cumulative donations. A “#” represents being on the Defense Appropriations Committee at the time, and Republicans are bolded: Requesting Member Total Credited | Read More »
While we’re all busy watching the Democrats Keystone Kops their way through their debt bill passage, the next news cycle’s story is busily chugging along: Firm tied to Murtha closes PAC PMA Group, the lobbying firm tied to Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) that was raided by federal agents back in November, has closed its political action committee, the latest sign of the company’s implosion. | Read More »
[UPDATE] Oh, this just got better. Via Hot Air: Lobbyist Inquiry Appears to Be Widening WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are looking into the possibility that a prominent lobbyist may have funneled bogus campaign contributions to his mentor, Representative John P. Murtha, as well as other lawmakers, two people familiar with the investigator’s questions said Tuesday. (H/T: Instapundit) But by the time we’re done, the word | Read More »
We see you. More here.
That was what made me decide to front this SNL skit involving Murtha/Biden (via AoSHQ). It’s by no means a game-changer – more of a admission of the damage that these two have already done for their candidate – but it’s funny, which is enough for a lazy Sunday morning. Now let’s just see if it loads… UPDATE from Soren: Go help Bill Russell retire | Read More »
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