A word of wisdom from my correspondent...

MMG reader (and hopefully soon-to-be contributor to MMG) Bones, passes this along:

Ol' man Murtha has lost it, boys and girls.

He screwed up by using Haditha to draw attention away from the investigation into his business and money deals...

Wizbang:
"Is anyone else familiar with an article written by Jim Kouri in 5/05, suggesting Murthas' then new found cut and run mentality may have been instigated by a proposed ethics investigation? I've copied some of the article here. It is interesting.

Well, according to investigative journalist Sher Zieve, the House Ethics committee is considering investigating Rep. John Murtha for House multiple ethics violations. The investigation would center on Rep. Murtha's involvement with his brother's firm KSA Consulting.

The story, which originally ran in the Los Angeles Times on 13 June, surrounds the 2005 appropriations bill that funded $20M to companies for which KSA Consulting lobbied. Murtha is a leader on the House Defense Appropriations Committee. An aide to Murtha, Carmen Scialabba, also works for KSA.

Further reported by the LA Times is that KSA directly lobbied Murtha's office for funding on behalf of 7 of its clients and that a Murtha aide advised a defense contractor that it needed to retain the services of KSA Consulting.

Zieve also dug up a recent editorial appearing in Investor's Business Daily that stated: "The newspaper Roll Call reported that there might be a House ethics committee investigation of Murtha's apparent improprieties. But, is that possible now that Murtha has become the media's 'hawk with a conscience?' Come to think of it, could Murtha have been thinking about a possible ethics investigation when he decided to throw himself into the public limelight last week?"

My own BS meter is showing that Murtha conducted a calculated and probably successful operation to neutralize Republicans if they should make an issue of his ethics deficiencies. The LA Times article in June was written while Murtha was considered a war hawk. Now that he's become an "enlightened" anti-war spokesperson don't expect to see followup articles about any ethics violations or criminal acts by Rep. John Murtha. Americans will only hear about Murtha's lapses of integrity in the alternative media. As long as he calls for troop withdrawals and makes ridiculous statements about the US military, he's insured himself against the mainstream news media reporting on his ethics problems. Besides, the media only cover Republican politicians accused of misconduct. John Murtha is just another sleazy politician. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I don't know if there's anything to it, but I've seen nothing else about this suggestion written anywhere."

[SNIP]
What we have here is a man - in power - who is desperate to save what he can out of this mess, and all he's thinking about is himself...an ethics investigationwill ruin him back home in the current political climate in Pennsylvania, plus it will impact his reputation as a money raiser.

i.e. He took a shot at the big time inna House, 'cause if he had the power, he could re-direct the investigation, or prolong it indefinitely...

Everything he's doin' is just a case of trying to cover his own ass...Haditha, withdrawal from Iraq, all of it.

In a way, it is a bit of genius, though, due to his use of multiple layered distractions and political machinations.

BUT...like with all lies, he's having trouble remembering all of the ones he's told over the last twelve months...and it's all startin' to start to spin completely out of control on him...

The good news is that the MSM is plastering everthing he says all over the place...so when this all comes out, they're ll take huge hit with their credibility ...one more time...

Now...if he's allowed to keep all of the hullaballoo going until the elections, he's still probably safe. The Dems love his money raising skills...

We just have to keep pounding away at it...and raise awareness of what's he's actually been up to.

If we can do that? He's toast.

Bones

Indeed. The reasoning behind Murtha's machinations are becoming more and more apparent.