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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Murtha will be remembered for 'pork'
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), center, answers a reporter's question. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

 

Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.) is being hailed for his public service and military dedication. But over his long tenure, Murtha was also a consummate dealmaker in Washington.
 
Murtha died Monday at age 77. The decorated Vietnam combat veteran reportedly developed an infection after doctors at the National Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Md., inadvertently cut his intestine during gall bladder surgery.
 
First elected in 1974, Murtha was Pennsylvania’s longest-serving House lawmaker. He was a gruff, physically imposing man who mastered backroom politics and was instrumental in getting Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) elected as the country’s first female speaker of the House in 2007.
 
A retired Marine, Murtha feared neither presidents nor generals. This teetotaling son of a gas station owner made himself into an influential force to be reckoned with in Congress. He voted in 2002 in favor of invading Iraq. But his opposition to the war in 2005 was a turning point, due to his expertise in military affairs and the respect of colleagues in both parties.
 
As the senior Democrat on defense appropriations, Murtha showered his Johnstown-area district with taxpayer-funded projects. One watchdog group estimated that he brought $2 billion back to his district over the years.
 
Murtha’s efforts unquestionably boosted the local economy and created jobs in a region hit hard by the decline of the mining and steel industries. But the state’s “King of Pork” played the game of federal earmarks to wasteful excess.
 
Equally troubling was the way lobbyists with ties to Murtha, and their clients, enjoyed unusual success in obtaining government contracts. He defended his actions as always trying to help his constituents.
 
Murtha was a dominant force in bringing home federal aid for his district and his state. But his abuse of that process tainted the end of a long career dedicated to public service.
Posted by Inquirer Editorial Board @ 3:06 PM  Permalink | 3 comments
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:15 AM, 02/10/2010
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