Murtha voted to go to war in Iraq the fall of 2002. But two years later, the Pennsylvania Democrat called for the United States to withdraw. Later on the House floor, Rep. Jean Schmidt, the newest member of the House at the time, spoke in favor of the war and chided Murtha that "cowards cut and run, Marines never do." Schmidt's remarks ignited a firestorm on the House floor as lawmakers rose to Murtha's defense. Schmidt later said she didn't know that Murtha was a Marine. She withdrew her comments and apologized.
A hint of scandal lingered over much of Murtha's career. The FBI named Murtha an "unindicted co-conspirator" in its ABSCAM sting operation in the late 1970s and early '80s. ABSCAM resulted in the conviction of five House members and one senator. The FBI recorded Murtha on videotape declining a $50,000 bribe from federal agents posing as Arab sheiks. But the congressman did say he could be interested in future dealings.
Nicknamed "The King of Pork," Murtha also faced scrutiny for earmarking federal dollars for projects in his district. Numerous news reports lambasted the congressman for steering money to the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. The facility received $150 million from Washington for upgrades despite limited commercial use. But the airport is also used for military purposes.
The congressman also faced scrutiny for campaign contributions he and other appropriators received from the now defunct PMA lobbying firm. Murtha scored nearly $2.5 million in donations from PMA and its clients over a nearly 20-year period. The feds continue to scrutinize PMA. The Office of Congressional Ethics asked the House ethics committee to drop any inquiries into the dealings Murtha had with PMA.
Murtha also stirred controversy in the fall of 2008 with President Obama poised to become the first African-American president. When asked about Mr. Obama's chances in his congressional district, Murtha responded, "There's no question western Pennsylvania is a racist area."
Murtha voted in 2002 to authorize President George W. Bush to use military force in Iraq, but his growing frustration over the administration's handling of the war prompted him in November 2005 to call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion," he said.
Murtha's opposition to the Iraq war rattled Washington, where the tall, gruff-mannered congressman enjoyed bipartisan respect for his work on military issues. On Capitol Hill, Murtha was seen as speaking for those in uniform when it came to military matters.
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'On Capitol Hill , Murtha was seen as speaking for those in uniform when it came to military matters " .
I guess you mean like when he called Marines " cold blooded killers " ? ... Outside the Beltway , May , 2006 .
Murtha also said " It`s much worse than was reported in Time Magazine " . " There was no firefight . There was no [ bomb] that killed those Iraqi " .
Per a Marine Corps spokesman " I don`t know where Rep. Murtha is obtaining his information " .
Murtha was a senior member of the Armed Forces Committee and had access to all the information he needed , but he still came out with this statement .
He also made the statement " the war was lost " . Sure sounds like a supported of the Marines to me .... and yes , the charges were untrue .
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I am guessing Murtha will not be well recieved here. BYT, no war goes as "advertized" or planned. Murtha's calling soldiers "cold blooded killers" was shamefull at best. And AbScam? How he got away with that will never be known.
Lets hope a conservative replaces him. I think, if left to the voters, that will happen.
Mike
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The Veterans of Foreign Wars office in Washington referred Military.com to a May 2009 statement in which it defended Murtha, and said the sentiment still holds.
The congressman is certainly known to make foot-in-mouth statements, but he is also a strong advocate for veterans, servicemembers and their families, which helps explain why his constituents have elected him to Congress 19 times," said Glen M. Gardner Jr., then commander in chief of the VFW.
John Rowan, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said he never paid much attention to the controversy stemming from Murtha’s comments about Haditha.
“He was a supporter of veterans. That’s all I can tell you. The bottom line is that he was an honorable veteran. He served his country well,” Rowan said.
I was never in any branch of the military so I'm not gonna start a fight against the veterans here. This is merely pointing out that the man did have his supporters amongst the ranks and I'm merely overing a counter point to what has been posted as well as condolences.
When we go under the microscope who here is really a saint?
Rep. Murtha Dead at 77
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