http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/murtha/ en-us Sat, 4 Jul 2009 22:55:59 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285655/posts About 300 - 400 patriots turned out for the Indiana, Pa. Tea Party in front of the Indiana County Courthouse. Not a bad turnout for a little-advertised event in a small town! There were Republicans, Democrats and Independents present. We had one disruptor carrying an "obama" sign who said his parents were going to lose their house and Obama took care of it for them. Just wait until "obamacare" throws them under the bus! He was yelling "obama! Obama!". We yelled "USA! USA!" The speaker pointed out that he had the right to free speech as well and everybody cheered!... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285655/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 22:55:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2283811/posts Murtha Snubs District With Cap & Trade Vote by Bill Smith-Wednesday, July 1, 2009 District Residents Could See $2K Jump In Utility Rates (JOHNSTOWN, PA) – Ignoring the importance of the coal industry in the 12th Congressional district, incumbent Rep. John Murtha (D) voted with his Democrat party leadership in supporting the Obama Energy Bill in the late night hours Friday. The bill, also called “Cap and Trade,” would heavily tax energy derived from fossil fuels such as coal and oil. “Our local residents could see as much as a fifty percent increase in their home utility costs,” said William... Veterans for Bill Russell for Congress http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2283811/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 03:01:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2278741/posts <p>ANN ARBOR, MI – Nearly four years after the so-called “Haditha Massacre,” an investigation conducted by over 65 NCIS agents (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) ─ the largest investigation in that agency’s history ─ with the expenditure of millions of taxpayer dollars, and prosecution losses at every stage of the criminal process, the government is still pursuing legal action against  Marine LtCol Jeffrey Chessani.</p> Thomas More Law Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2278741/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:15:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2279597/posts House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., said Wednesday he would likely attach language to his panel's version of the fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill to encourage the Air Force to buy two types of aerial refueling tankers. Murtha has long advocated awarding the lucrative contract to the two aerospace rivals now vying for it, but he indicated he would stop short of requiring the Pentagon to pursue the split-buy strategy for the tankers. Under language he is drafting, Murtha said the decision ultimately would be up to the Pentagon, which has steadfastly opposed buying more than one type... GovernmentExecutive.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2279597/posts#comment Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:40:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278587/posts Three of the most senior House appropriators are planning to discuss exporting Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor fighter jet to the Japanese government, which wants badly to buy the stealth plane. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, said Wednesday that he intends to meet in the coming days with Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and Rep. Bill Young (Fla.), Murtha’s GOP counterpart on the Defense subcommittee, to discuss lifting the export ban on the F-22. The key player in that briefing will be Obey, who in 1998 wrote the legislation that bans the exports... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2278587/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:27:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2278036/posts Congressman John Murtha, the King of Congressional Pork acts may be losing his Teflon coating and his friends are getting a bit nervous. A few months ago, the FBI raided the offices of the PMA group. What they found suggested that Murtha and his buddies at the PMA Group operated their own little Earmark Factory. A later report suggested that the FBI may be zeroing in on the relationship between Murtha and PMA. No worries for Mr. Murtha, despite the FBI putting the heat on his PMA relationship, the Porkmeister is is still accepting money from PMA clients and still... CREW/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2278036/posts#comment Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:30:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277192/posts The FBI’s raid of the once-highflying PMA Group has sent a cold chill through the insular world of defense appropriations lobbying. While fallout from the raid has hit lobbyists and clients of the PMA Group the most, even defense lobbyists with strong ties to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) but no affiliation to PMA are worried their once-vaunted connections to the senior defense appropriator could become tarnished. The lobbyists are fearful the federal investigation into defense lobbying, coming on the heels of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham’s (R-Calif.) and Jack Abramoff’s high-profile scandals, could make it even more difficult to request... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277192/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:07:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272678/posts The commandant of the Marine Corps has appointed one of his deputies to decide the next step in the case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, who was charged with dereliction of duty after 24 Iraqi civilians were slain in the city of Haditha in 2005. Lt. Gen. George Flynn, deputy commandant for combat development and integration, was named the new convening authority over the Chessani matter last week, a Marine Corps spokesman said Monday. Flynn was given the task by Gen. James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps. Conway was handed the Chessani case last month after a military judge... North County Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272678/posts#comment Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:15:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2272409/posts Some of the Most annoying pork barrel earmarks are the ones were Congressmen and Senators use public dollars to create tributes to themselves. For example there is the $200 Million for the John Murtha Airport which gets a total of THREE commercial flights a day. This tribute to the Living Pork King John Murtha is literally the airport to nowhere. Or Charlie Rangel, who directed almost TWO MILLION Dollars for a City College project named the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service. These "monument to me" pork barrel projects are quite common. There are claims that half the state... Swine Line/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2272409/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:35:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271246/posts Welcome to your money at work in PA ABC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271246/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:25:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270234/posts WASHINGTON – The revelation that Democratic appropriations kingpins may face a House ethics investigation of their campaign receipts from lobbyists for recipients of government grants and contracts moves Republicans closer to gaining a corruption issue in 2010. ... The Democratic chairman and senior Republican on the House ethics committee dropped their political bomb Thursday night, announcing that the panel is reviewing the practice of lawmakers steering money and contracts to favored companies, and then receiving campaign contributions in return for the "earmarks." The announcement came months after the Justice Department began a criminal investigation of the matter and a repetition... AP via Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270234/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:19:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270028/posts WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers who steer money and contracts to favored companies and receive campaign contributions in return could face a House ethics committee investigation. The ethics committee's Democratic chairman and its ranking Republican said Thursday that the committee has been reviewing the practice — which came under scrutiny because of a Justice Department criminal investigation of a now-defunct lobbying firm, PMA. Lobbyists for the firm and their clients — the recipients of lawmakers' pet hometown projects known as "earmarks" — contributed substantial amounts to several lawmakers including three key Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. John Murtha of... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2270028/posts#comment Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:34:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269178/posts WASHINGTON (AP) — House members and their families suffered through investment losses like millions of Americans last year, a sampling of financial disclosure statements showed Wednesday. The economic downturn also sparked some cautionary moves. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, reported capital losses between $100,001 and $1 million when he sold stock in American International Group, the insurance giant given a hefty federal bailout. ~snip~ Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., known for dispensing pet projects to his western Pennsylvania district, lists his largest asset as $50,001 to $100,000 in Wesbanco, a bank holding company. AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269178/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:04:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266260/posts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a step forward earlier this week when she directed Dan Beard, the chief administrative officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, to begin posting online quarterly reports of how representatives spend their official office accounts. Members use these accounts to hire staff, lease automobiles and office equipment, and pay for official lunches, as well as a host of other things. To grasp the importance of these accounts, one need only recall that for years, the reports could only be viewed in an obscure office buried deep in the bowels of the Capitol building. So hardly... SF Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266260/posts#comment Sat, 6 Jun 2009 17:33:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265770/posts Folks, the Murtha story isn’t going away. The Washington Post writes, “Murtha, who was celebrated at the LBK Ranch with a fundraiser held in his honor, last week sidestepped questions about $50 million in earmarked funds and contracts he has helped direct to Kuchera Defense Systems and Kuchera Industries Inc. since 2001. But newly obtained documents and interviews show that the current federal investigation is only the latest chapter in the troubled history of the Kuchera brothers' business ventures.” "Worried by their prospects in the House, Democrats postponed final action on a nearly $100 billion wartime spending bill until next... MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265770/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 20:22:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265576/posts Companies Under Investigation Have Gotten Millions in EarmarksCROYLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Inside the LBK Ranch, a private game preserve on a scenic hilltop here, guests mingle at a stone lodge after hunting deer and wild boar. Signs posted at intervals along the fence warn: "No Trespassing: U.S. Govt. Testing Facility." Defense firm owner Bill Kuchera and his wife, Lena, the owners of the 161-acre property, live in an upscale log home within the preserve and go to extensive efforts to keep out strangers. There are no visible signs of government testing, but behind the 10-foot fence and electronic gate lies... The Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265576/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 16:11:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265177/posts Seeking to head off Republicans, Democratic leaders on Wednesday pushed through a resolution requiring the House ethics committee to disclose what actions it has taken in responding to the controversy over the PMA Group, a once prominent lobbying firm now at the center of a Justice Department criminal probe. The largely partisan vote was 270-134, with 17 members, including members of the ethics committee, voting “present.” Led by Rep. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), have been calling for a PMA investigation by the ethics committee for months, but Democrats have resisted, arguing that it is not necessary and just an attempt by... Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265177/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 03:26:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264930/posts A Johnstown-area defense firm under investigation for possible contract fraud received an infusion of cash during its start-up years from a narcotics trafficker with whom one of the company's founders admitted engaging in the drug trade. At the time, Kuchera Industries was a startup company that assembled electronics components and sought federal contracts -- contracts that would ultimately make the company and its sister firm, Kuchera Defense Systems, multimillion-dollar businesses. Peter Whorley, a Florida man and business associate of William Kuchera, one of the top officers at the companies, put up $50,000 to help Kuchera Industries find its feet, according... Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264930/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 21:51:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2264920/posts Defense firm got money from drug dealer Thursday, June 04, 2009 By Dennis B. Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A Johnstown-area defense firm under investigation for possible contract fraud received an infusion of cash during its start-up years from a narcotics trafficker with whom one of the company's founders admitted engaging in the drug trade. At the time, Kuchera Industries was a startup company that assembled electronics components and sought federal contracts -- contracts that would ultimately make the company and its sister firm, Kuchera Defense Systems, multimillion-dollar businesses. Peter Whorley, a Florida man and business associate of William Kuchera, one of... Pittsburgh post-gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2264920/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 21:28:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264653/posts House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has avoided saying much about the travails of his one-time leadership rival, Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha. But that collegiality is beginning to fade. On Thursday, Hoyer argued that a vague resolution the House passed Wednesday was a clear call for the ethics committee to investigate ties between a once powerful lobbying firm and a handful of his fellow Democrats, including Murtha, the man who challenged him for the majority leader's post in late 2006. “This is a serious matter and ought to be looked at," Hoyer said Thursday morning at a Christian Science Monitor... Politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264653/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:17:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264221/posts The House on Wednesday approved a resolution requiring the House ethics committee to report on the status of any investigation into a now-defunct lobbying firm and its ties to lawmakers. The unusual move by Democratic leaders came in the wake of steady Republican pressure on the ethics controversy and is aimed at giving vulnerable Democratic members political cover. The resolution, offered by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), would force the ethics committee to disclose within 45 days whether it is investigating the nexus between campaign contributions and earmarks PMA Group clients have received. The measure specifically requires the ethics panel... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2264221/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:17:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263935/posts Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is making plans to offer a resolution as early as Wednesday afternoon that will provide Democrats political cover on an FBI investigation into the now-defunct PMA Group and its ties to senior Democratic lawmakers. The resolution would force the ethics committee to disclose whether it is investigating the nexus between campaign contributions and earmarks PMA Group clients have received, according to knowledgeable Democratic sources. Such a move would implicate Reps. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), whose office the FBI subpoenaed for documents last week, as well as Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) because both are top recipients of... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263935/posts#comment Wed, 3 Jun 2009 18:07:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2263490/posts You have to give pork king, John Murtha points for creativity. Between the nepotism, creating a new federal drug abuse agency and his own airport, Murtha constantly finds new ways to cheat the public by creating new earmarks that waste federal funds. The latest Murtha revelation is just pure artwork. The pork king has figured out a way to turn a regular defense contractor, Commonwealth Research Institute, into a not for profit charity, saving the company at least $15 Million Dollars in taxes. Have no fear though, their not for profit status has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact... CBS News/The Lid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2263490/posts#comment Wed, 3 Jun 2009 04:05:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263444/posts Murtha Apparently Moved Earmark Between Brother’s Clients By Paul Singer Roll Call Staff June 3, 2009, 12 a.m. In early 2005, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) apparently added language to a tsunami relief bill shifting $8.2 million from a former client of his brother’s lobbying firm to a new client of the same firm. That earmark is now tangled up in a federal indictment alleging that some of the money was skimmed by contractors and a Defense Department employee for their personal use. Murtha’s spokesman said that no one in his office has any recollection of the transaction, and the House... Roll Call http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263444/posts#comment Wed, 3 Jun 2009 02:28:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263335/posts FBI Investigating Multi-Billion-Dollar Defense Contractor With Tax-Exempt Status In Congressman's HometownCBS News has learned the FBI is investigating a little-known not-for-profit organization called Commonwealth Research Institute. It's located, like a lot of Rep. John Murtha's, D-Penn., pet projects, in his hometown, Johnstown, Penn. Commonwealth gets the same benefits as the Salvation Army or any other charity: It doesn't have to pay taxes. But its line of work may be surprising. It's a defense contractor. "It certainly raises a question," says Dean Zerbe, a former top Senate investigator. He questions Commonwealth's tax exempt status, saying it seems to do business just... CBS News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2263335/posts#comment Tue, 2 Jun 2009 23:48:25 GMT