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2005-12-03 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by Steve 2005-12-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Defense bill aids Murtha brother
Tuesday, June 14, 2005By Ken Silverstein and Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- When Congress passed the $417-billion Pentagon spending bill last year, Rep. John P. Murtha, the top Democrat on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, boasted about the money he secured to create jobs in his Pennsylvania district.

But the bill Murtha helped write also benefited at least 10 companies represented by a lobbying firm where his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, is a senior partner, according to disclosure records, interviews and an analysis of the bill by the Los Angeles Times.

Clients of the lobbying firm KSA Consulting -- whose top officials also include former congressional aide Carmen V. Scialabba, who worked for Rep. Murtha for 27 years -- received a total of $20.8 million from the bill.

more at link I know you are looking for Vietnam service and this may have been posted already - but thought it was interesting.

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 00:43|| 2005-12-03 00:43|| Front Page Top

#2 This is interesting too...though still no vietnam service. sorry. But this is interesting because was from 2/2004, before the flap and the guy fingers Murtha, Cunningham, and Hunter and Kerry. I'd be really bummed if Hunter is on the take.

Kerry under fire over missiles contract
LOS ANGELES
The Herald, February 20 2004

John Kerry, the Democratic presidential front-runner, pressured Congress and
the Pentagon to fund a missile system on behalf of a San Diego contractor
who, years later, pleaded guilty to making illegal contributions to the
senator and other politicians, according to the Los Angeles Times.

>From 1996 to 1999, Kerry sent 28 letters urging the freeing of funds for an
upgraded guided missile system which Parthasarathi Majumder was trying to
build for US warplanes, the newspaper said on its website.

The letters were sent at a time when Majumder and employees at his Science
and Applied Technology company were donating money to the Massachusetts
Democrat, the article said, citing court records.

Kerry received about Â£13,000 during the period, according to Dwight Morris
and Associates, which tracks campaign donations.

Last week, Majumder pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal campaign
contributions and defrauding the government. He could face up to six years
in prison and more than Â£130,000 in fines when he is sentenced.

The plea follows a December 18 civil settlement in which Majumder agreed to
pay the government about Â£2m for submitting false claims under a government
contract.

He acknowledged making more than Â£50,000 in illegal donations to Kerry, and
Republicans Duncan Hunter, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, John Murtha and Joe
Scarborough, who is now retired.

None of the lawmakers or their staff was charged with any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Kerry received the endorsement of the 13 million-member AFL-CIO
union coalition yesterday, a move that could help him rebut his rival John
Edwards' challenge on jobs and trade. AP

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 01:09|| 2005-12-03 01:09|| Front Page Top

#3 link

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 01:12|| 2005-12-03 01:12|| Front Page Top

#4 darn. link

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 01:16|| 2005-12-03 01:16|| Front Page Top

#5 It's always been my understanding that there is supposed to be no such thing as an ex-Marine; once you've joined the Corps, you're always a member of the Corps even if you're no longer in the service.

May I respectfully suggest that we make an exception to this rule in the case of one John Patrick Murtha, Jr.

Posted by Mike 2005-12-03 09:47|| 2005-12-03 09:47|| Front Page Top

#6 He acknowledged making more than Â£50,000 in illegal donations to Kerry, and
Republicans Duncan Hunter, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, John Murtha and Joe
Scarborough, who is now retired.

Gotta love how the reporter slipped Murtha in there after the "Republicans" label. They sure do work hard to hide the political affiliations of crooked Democrats...

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2005-12-03 10:54|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2005-12-03 10:54|| Front Page Top

#7 good catch, Robert.

I've been thinking about this...and sorry Steve, I know you are looking for Vietnam experience, but...

These Senators probably started out with good intentions, and then realized there were many personal perks involved in steering govn't contracts in certain directions. You can even see themselves telling themselves that they were just rewarding themselves for doing good deeds for their country.

Cunningham, and Hunter (?) are easy for the libs to smear away. We'll see endless articles about Republicans claiming to be for the military but in fact are really just part of the industial-military conflict that creates war for profit.

But Murtha is going to be more difficult to deal with, as he was steering those profits towards Nancy Pelosi. And that's a big problem for the Dems.

So now what we see is Murtha and Pelosi doth protesting too much. Who us? We don't even support the war! It's all just a Republican smear game.

Still, I think it's going to be a problem for them as the article I posted was from 2004, long before the evil Shrub decided to eat the heart of John Murtha. I think this get-out-of-the-war-now was Murtha just trying to provide himself some politcal cover, believing that the Republicans probably wouldn't do anything about it - but it's backfired now and Murtha - new champion of the left, has not only backed himself into a corner, but Nancy Pelosi as well.

It will be interesting to see the lemmings on the left rush to support Nancy Pelosi, who in fact represents everything they deluded themselves that they are against. We know they will. It will just be fun to watch them sell out one more piece of their pious souls for the good of The Party(TM).

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 13:43|| 2005-12-03 13:43|| Front Page Top

#8 IIRC - Hunter returned unknown illegal contributions, as is the custom. I've seen Hunter's house in EC, don't know what he lives in back east, but it ain't the Cunninghamansion.

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-12-03 15:23|| 2005-12-03 15:23|| Front Page Top

#9 I'm glad to hear that, Frank.

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 16:21|| 2005-12-03 16:21|| Front Page Top

#10 I'm impressed Murtha, as a Dem member of the class of 1974, voted to not to cut off aid to South Vietnam and leave them defenseless.

Posted by ed 2005-12-03 16:47|| 2005-12-03 16:47|| Front Page Top

#11 First off let me say that anybody who has raised their hand in defense of this country deserves respect for serving honorably. But just because you put on a uniform should donât get a blank check to say anything you want about the military. John Murtha gives the impression that he commanded troops in the field in combat while serving in Vietnam. He also likes to throw out that he was awarded a Bronze Star with V and two purple hearts. Near as I can tell John Murtha was assigned to Intelligence company/battalion in Vietnam. Now given that he had no training, doesnât speak Vietnamese, and was a field grade officer I doubt John was out stomping in the boonies looking for Charlie (more than likely he was a staff weenie assigned to a intelligence unit). For the uninitiated please donât get mad at my analysis and debunking of his service. I donât know the numbers but I will bet all my next coming retirement check that almost all field grade officers and most of the company grade left Vietnam with at least a Bronze Star with V device. Most were given as an end of tour award and not based on specific heroic act. If john had seen combat I would have expected a Silver Star because that is what most of them deserved. Lord knows how he got two purple nerples but I would really like it if he released his medical records and we could know the whole story. You can bet that if he had an Audie Murphy type story all the Networks would have movies coming out this week. But even if he had one Murtha would still be wrong with his stance on Iraq and the WOT. Just my 2 Â½ cents.

Posted by Cyber Sarge">Cyber Sarge 2005-12-03 19:22|| 2005-12-03 19:22|| Front Page Top

#12 bravo, Cyber Sarge. Very interesting scoop. Well said.

Posted by 2b 2005-12-03 22:27|| 2005-12-03 22:27|| Front Page Top

23:19 Redneck Jim
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21:10 Malikrik
20:50 Rafael
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