Posted on 08/04/2007 12:50:01 PM PDT by jazusamo
WASHINGTON -- Pennsylvania's Rep. John Murtha is still the king of the earmark.
The Johnstown Democrat has snagged more than $150 million in pet projects in the massive 2008 defense appropriations bill, putting him ahead of all 434 other House members, according to an analysis this week from Taxpayers for Common Sense, or TCS, a watchdog group.
Mr. Murtha's ascent is not surprising. When his party won control of Congress last year, Mr. Murtha, one of the most senior members, again became chairman of the House's powerful panel on defense spending.
But Democratic leaders have called for a 50 percent reduction in earmarks this year, in keeping with their campaign promise to clean up a process that has become tainted by rapidly growing spending and several high-profile scandals, including the imprisonment of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a California lawmaker who was convicted of bribery.
For the first time, House members are required to certify that they have no financial interest in the earmarks they sponsor through public letters to the appropriations committee. Also, the committee has released a report pairing sponsors with their earmarks.
The House is considering a $459.6 billion defense spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year, containing 1,337 earmarks with a price tag of about $3 billion.
Mr. Murtha is the recipient of 48 earmarks worth $150.5 million. Last year, his earmarks were valued at about $80 million to $100 million, said Steve Ellis, a vice president for TCS.
The increase may follow the change in Mr. Murtha's power status, but it also comes as other members are seeing a cut in their share of the earmark pie.
"He certainly wasn't sharing the pain," Mr. Ellis said. "There were the little people, and then there was Chairman Murtha."
TCS and other watchdog groups don't object to all...
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
No doubt in my mind. He did it for over thirty years, I’m sure he won’t stop now.
Great pic of Diana, Smooth.
Justa streaked through here so fast she forgaot to say hi. I was hoping for a reunion. :-)
1. It comes in dollar coins, and...
2. He eats them all.
Me too! I’d help him by using a plumbers friend to get ‘em down his throat.
Ping
Justa was streaking? And I missed it???
He's a nowhere!
Amen to that, my friend!
Hope y'all are doing well. I miss ya! I'm hoping things slow down in November!
Ahhhhh, remember that day well! *sigh*
LOL! Lucky you!!! ;*)
Yeah, dang it, I missed it too. FRiend Justa is too quick for all of us.
All’s well out here on the left coast. We’ve missed you too!
We’ll make things slow down to get you back here posting.
What a pal! Shall I send you my list! ;*)
Murtha has given the GOP more than enough ammunition to use against him yet the leadership has no gonads to conduct a campaign to expose his corruption. Why?
Murtha Says it’s Time to Bring Our “Murdering Scum” Home
Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.), a leading Iraq War critic said he’s pushing legislation that would order U.S. troop withdrawals to begin in the Fall and predicted Republicans will support it. “As I’ve been saying for some time, the troops deployed in Iraq have shown themselves to be ‘murdering scum,’” Murtha asserted. “Keeping them there only serves to perpetuate the slaughter and atrocities.”
Under Murtha’s plan, troop withdrawals would start in November 2007 and take about a year to complete. A vote on Rep. John Murtha’s proposal likely will come in September, after Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus is expected to deliver a promised assessment on the war.
The House passed a similar proposal a few months ago, but President Bush vetoed it. But Murtha said he predicts this vote will be different because of polls indicating mounting voter frustration with the war. “It doesn’t really matter what Patraeus has to say,” Murtha added. “We all know this war is lost. The polls confirm it. It’s time to cut our losses.”
Bush has insisted that US troops need to remain engaged in Iraq to fight al-Qaeda and has repeatedly appealed to lawmakers for more patience. However, Murtha says his bill will be the president’s final chance to escape judgment. “If the president won’t agree to the withdrawal we will have to move House Resolution 333,” Murtha said. HR 333 is the impeachment resolution sponsored by presidential candidate Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio).
read more...
http://www.azconservative.org/Column_Archives.htm
August, 1 on another thread freema asked you if that was an actual quote by Murtha and you didn't reply. I would like to know also and if so can you give a link?
Have you seen this ?
There are several interesting comments if you scroll down :
http://ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=603320
Thanks for the link, George.
Like one of the posters said there and I agree, I hate murtha but I find it hard to believe he said that.
I also don’t like anyone posting this kind of thing on a thread I posted unless they can back it up. Hopefully Semmens can.
I thought the guy was more of a satirist. Are we supposed to take this seriously? Murtha’s said some pretty disgusting things, but he always gets tons and tons of fawning press coverage when bashes the troops, so I think someone else would’ve heard this by now.
Cindie
Yeah, I just sent the poster a FReepmail asking if it is satire. If it is, I don’t appreciate it being posted on a serious thread.
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