John Murtha, Democratic Rep. from Pennsylvania has moved on. Murtha is best known as the "King of Pork" and for his harsh criticism of the War in Iraq and he repeated accusation's against some troops in the field accusing them of war crimes. In may ways he is like Senator John Kerry another veteran of the conflict in Vietnam. We honor his service to this country while on the battlefields of Korea and Vietnam, but for his harsh word against our troops in Iraq he must be condemned. Murtha served for over 36 years in congress and rose to chairman in the powerful Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Following the recent death of Teddy Kennedy this is yet another blow to the Democratic Party. This seat will be up for grabs in the 2010 elections. It does seem that the only way to get some of the folks out of Congress is feet first as in the case of Murtha and Kennedy.
I will not miss John Murtha and I feel the nation is better off with him gone. I do however wish his family the best in this trying time.
Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha, the first veteran of the Vietnam war to enter Congress and one of the House's most powerful lawmakers, died Monday afternoon at Virginia Hospital Center after complications from gallbladder surgery. Murtha was 77.
"Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va. At his bedside was his family," read a statement from his office.
A native of New Martinsville, W.Va., voters first elected Murtha to Congress in a 1974 special election that spelled impending doom for President Nixon and congressional Republicans. That fall, Democrats wrestled away 49 House seats from the GOP, reeling from the scourge of Watergate and a presidency in shambles.
Murtha rose to become the chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which controls spending for the Pentagon. Chairmen of the appropriations subcommittee panels are viewed with such prestige on Capitol Hill that they're called "cardinals." That's a nod to Rome because of the eminence these lawmakers hold over spending for their federal fiefdom.
Murtha was the endorsed candidate of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to become majority leader when Democrats won control of Congress in 2006. But current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer overwhelmingly defeated Murtha by secret ballot in a hard-fought leadership contest. read more from FOX News
