The BTPC would like to pay our respects to the late Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) who passed away this afternoon. Murtha was the very first Vietnam Veteran elected to Congress. Murtha had his detractors, most notably for his tenacity in going after earmarks for his district. This led to him being investigated in the ABSCAM scandal when tapes showed Murtha wanting to know what money would come into his district. To these detractors, Murtha responded:“If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district,” he told the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in March 2009. “My job as a member of Congress is to
make sure that we take care of what we see is necessary.”
Murtha played a pivotal role in swaying public opinion against the war in Iraq when he publicly acknowledged that his support for the war had been a mistake and he called for an end to the conflict. For that act, Murtha, a decorated war-veteran and former Marine Drill Instructor, was accused by Republicans like Tom Delay and Michael Burgess of basically giving comfort to the enemy.
The nation lost a brave man and a dedicated servant. Semper Fi, Congressman.
1 comment:
Ah, yes. John Murtha, aka the King of Pork. I’ll always cherish the memories of all those wonderful earmarks he delivered in exchange for favors and contributions. Consistently placing near the top of every list of corrupt and unethical politicians, it’ a shame that he checked out before he could finally get fingered in one of the many investigations of his cronies. I did admire the way he referred to his constituents as racists and rednecks in the 2008 elections. Being that they were dumb enough to vote for him again afterwards, I assume Murtha was right about them! My fondest memory of Murtha however, is the way he publicly slandered his fellow marines after the Haditha incident while investigations were on-going. Yes, he was a great man indeed. May he Rest In Pork.
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