article in the
Pittsburgh Evening Post:
Dual Rallies Show Pennsylvanians Divided About Murtha
[EXCERPTS:]
Johnstown - There were more hawks and doves
in this small Pennsylvania town over the weekend than you could find
in an aviary…
… [Murtha] Supporters, including many
veterans, were bussed in from as far away as Philadelphia…
… Taking time from his own campaign for
reelection, Rendell said, "(Murtha) has done more for the U.S.
Military than any American alive today. How dare these outsiders come
here to Pennsylvania and dispute the patriotism of one of our greatest
sons in Commonwealth history?"
But, come they did. And there were few
non-Pennsylvanians among them.
… The anti-Murtha crowd was without the
alcohol, buses, elected officials and retired generals who came to
shore up Murtha's positions.
They came on their own, paid their own way
and listened to the fathers of dead marines; the father of a marine
who has been in the brig since May with seven others, waiting to see
if he will be charged with capital war crimes; a World Trade Center
survivor and David Beamer, the father of Todd Beamer, who died in the
crash of United flight 93 that crashed about 30 miles from Johnstown
on 9/11. The younger Beamer is credited with leading the attempt to
take the flight back from Muslim hijackers and coining the phrase,
"Let's Roll," …
>>>read entire article
Hannity & Colmes
ABSCAM story now online
[transcript excerpts:]
HANNITY:
So for 26 years, that tape has not been seen by the public. But on
Friday, it was published by
The American
Spectator. And our producers here at "Hannity & Colmes,"
we also showed the tape to an individual with intimate knowledge and
details of the contents, who confirmed to us that it is, indeed,
authentic. And Murtha was never indicted, in part because he agreed to
testify against two of his colleagues, Democratic Congressman Frank
Thompson and John Murphy.
Now, the
House Ethics
Committee split along a party line vote and did not
punish Murtha, although the special counsel to the committee resigned
in protest.
We asked Congressman Murtha to appear on
tonight's program to explain what we saw on that tape. He declined,
citing a previous engagement. Instead his office issued this
statement:
"This is nothing but a political stunt
designed to distract attention away from the message that we must
change the direction of the war in Iraq. I am the guy that didn't take
the money. I have been reelected to Congress 13 times since this tape
was made 25 years ago. I will not be distracted."
>>>read entire transcript
IREY within 10 pts!
– BEFORE the Abscam
tape’s release; BEFORE the Boot Murtha Rally!
Murtha’s unfavorables must
be huge…
It’s the information everyone’s been
waiting for – an actual poll of the Irey-Murtha race in PA’s district
12. And it’s a doozy!!
Challenger Diana Irey has closed the
gap to within 10 points of incumbent John Murtha. But wait -- this
poll was taken before the Abscam surveillance tape of Murtha
was released online and before the Boot Murtha Rally (which
made news around the globe).
What will the next poll numbers show
now that Murtha’s dark dealings are finally coming to light? Even the
New York Times newspaper is joining the revelations (see below).
Clearly, Murtha is in deep trouble in
PA’s district 12. [from
RedStateMobile.com]
New York Times article targets Murtha:
“Trading Votes for Pork Across the House Aisle”
Look whose unethical ways are being blasted by the New
York Times -- Congressman John Murtha’s. His unscrupulous votes for
pork dealings are finally getting the attention they deserve.
Negative.
[EXCERPTS:]
For more than a decade, Representative
John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania has
operated a political trading post in a back corner of the House of
Representatives.
A gang of about two dozen
Democrats mill around his seat. A procession of others walk
back to request pet spending projects, known as earmarks. And
Republicans come by, asking him to
enlist some of those Democrats to join them on close votes. …
…In one case that particularly irked Democratic
partisans, Mr. Murtha led three others in voting against a politically
vulnerable Louisiana Democrat’s proposal to divert money intended to
be spent on base closings to research prosthetic limbs for veterans.
It failed by one vote.
For their “nays” on that and other matters, all four
Democrats were rewarded. In the weeks after the vote, they claimed
credit for a total of more than $250 million in earmarks in the 2006
appropriations bills. Mr. Murtha alone brought home about $80 million
for his district and $120 million for his state, according to
Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan group that tracks such
projects.
>>>read entire NY Times article
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