Friday, March 20, 2009

The Malfeasance Never Seems to End...

That is, when you're "Jihad Jack" Murtha:
WASHINGTON - A Pennsylvania defense research center regularly consulted with two "handlers" close to US Representative John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, as it collected nearly $250 million in federal funding through the lawmaker, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post and sources familiar with the funding requests. The center then channeled a significant portion of the funding to companies that were among Murtha's campaign supporters.

The two advisers included a lobbyist for PMA, a firm with close ties to Murtha that is under federal investigation for allegedly making illegal contributions by reimbursing donors to the Pennsylvania lawmaker and other members of Congress. The center also relied on advice from a longtime Murtha friend who now works on the congressman's staff.

The Electro-Optics Center, created by Murtha a decade ago under the auspices of Pennsylvania State University, was envisioned as a way to spur new high-tech industry and create jobs in economically depressed western Pennsylvania. Last year, the US attorney in Pittsburgh received budget materials, memos, and e-mails from inside the center documenting how closely its managers conferred with PMA about the best ways to get its projects funded in the federal budget, according to two sources.

Several of the center's partners hired PMA for lobbying. In the 2008 budget, PMA clients received $299 million in defense earmarks through Murtha and other lawmakers. PMA and its clients gave $775,000 in contributions to Murtha in the last election cycle. A PMA lobbyist and a close associate of Murtha's helped make many key decisions about which research and contractors would get the federal money flowing to the center, according to the documents.

Typically, center director Karl Harris worked with the lobbyist to prepare funding wish lists, which were described in some of the records as "requests for Mr. Murtha to carry." The requests were then sent to the congressman's staff, according to the records. The lists offered detailed specifications on how much, and where in the budget, money should be added for projects desired by the center and the contractors.

Had enough yet, PA-12? Had enough yet, Johnstown Tribune Democrat?

As I've stated before, it will bring great personal satisfaction when the day comes that Congressman "Jihad Jack" Murtha is frog-marched and perp-walked in front of a hundred cameras in a Federal court. The PMA group investigation and its concommitant baggage it brings for John Murtha couldn't happen to a nicer guy.


W.T.F?


Murtha has gotten an award... from the Navy?
The U.S. Navy awarded U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., its Distinguished Public Service Award, triggering an Internet campaign to have Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter withdraw it.

Murtha, who publicly accused U.S. Marines of cold-blooded murder in a firefight in Haditha, Iraq, and was caught on camera in the Abscam scandal appearing to negotiate a bribe, was honored by the Navy for his "selfless devotion to the Nation's Sailors and Marines."

The award credits him with making sure the military services "were provided the resources necessary to effectively conduct the Global War on Terrorism."

"His courageous leadership, vision, and loyalty to the men and women of the Department of the Navy greatly contributed to their quality of life and helped create the most modern and highly trained fighting force in history," the honor said.
This is like giving Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge an award for his humane treatment of the Hmong. I don't know, Maybe Winter saw fit to hand ol' Jihad Jack an award because it was Marines that he threw under the bus? Or was it some quid-pro-quo and some palm-greasing PR gesture, knowing that Murtha holds the purse strings for the stuff the Navy needs?

At any rate, this better be some really twisted joke. I know at least twelve Marines and their families who I'm sure don't find this amusing at all.

If you're as disgusted with this as I am, please sign this petition.

**UPDATE***

As of this writing, there are 17,934 signatories asking this honor be revoked.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Murtha: "See This? This is the Constitution!:

Murtha: As arrogant as ever!



Yes, Jihad Jack, Murtha--that is the Constitution in your grubby, slimy, greasy, blood-stained hands. That is the Constitution that you so cavalierly discarded when you played judge, jury and executioner to the Marines in Haditha, including Lt. Colonel Chessani, Sgt. Wuterich, and Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt, whose father is a contributor to this blog. That very Constitution that you held in your hand is the one you put in the chipper shredder as you threw these gallant Marines under the bus for your own sorry-assed political gain.

Then you have the chutzpah to pull it out of your pocket and tell reporters, PA-12 voters, and the American people that that same Constitution gives you the right to do as you please like you're some kind of friggin' emperor?

I can't wait til this PMA investigation comes through, Jihad Jack. I can't wait to see you in handcuffs and leg-irons as you're frog-marched into a federal courtroom. I can't wait for the day when you're introduced to your new roommate, Bubba at the Federal Penn. Hope you have plenty of vaseline handy.

Yep, Jihad Jack, that day can't come too soon in my book.

***BREAKING NEWS*** Chessani Rulings Upheld!!!

Today, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals issued their ruling that the dismissal charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani won't be re-instated. Here's TMLC's official statement on the NMCCCA ruling:

A Victory for Marine LtCol Chessani
---
ANN ARBOR, MI – Late this morning, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals sitting in Washington DC, released their unanimous decision upholding the dismissal of charges against Marine Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani on the grounds of apparent Unlawful Command Influence. But the case may not be over yet.
For the last four years, LtCol Chessani has been investigated and prosecuted for his involvement in the so called “Haditha Massacre”, a massacre that never happened. A 22-year veteran, Chessani has served three tours of duty in Iraq. He served in the First Persian Gulf War and in Panama. At the time of the November 19, 2005 Haditha incident, he was the Battalion Commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (“The Thundering Third”), one of the most decorated units in the history of the Marine Corps.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, observed, “LtCol Chessani, one of the most effective combat commanders we had in Iraq, was made political scapegoat by the civilians in the Pentagon to appease the antiwar politicians and a liberal media. In fact, we now know that the story of the ‘massacre’ that prompted the Haditha prosecutions was a headline in a Time news article instigated by insurgent propaganda operatives.”

Continued Thompson, “This nation has come to the point where we can’t call terrorists captured on the battlefield ‘enemy combatants.’ We release the terrorists out of Guantanamo and prosecute the military our country placed in harms’ way to defend us.”

Robert Muise, an attorney with the Law Center, a national public interest law firm, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, argued the case on behalf of LtCol Chessani. The Law Center has been defending LtCol Chessani throughout his prosecution alongside his detailed Marine lawyers, LtCol John Shelburne and Captain Jeff King. Captain Kyle Kilian, a Marine appellate defense lawyer, also assisted in the appeal.

LtCol Chessani is the highest ranking officer facing criminal charges as a result of the much-publicized and ill-described “Haditha massacre.” The criminal charges against him stem from a legitimate combat action taken by four enlisted Marines in his command after they were ambushed by insurgents in Haditha, Iraq, on November 19, 2005. Their actions resulted in the deaths of several ambushing insurgents.

Unfortunately and tragically, several civilians were also killed in the house-clearing operation.

Even though LtCol Chessani wasn’t present during the incident, he was criminally charged with failing to launch a full investigation into the incident. If convicted, he faces 2 ½ years imprisonment, dismissal from the Corps, and loss of all of his retirement pay.

The essential holding of the military appellate court was as follows: “We are convinced the Government failed to meet its burden of demonstrating, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the proceedings were untainted by the appearance of UCI (Unlawful Command Influence). We are similarly convinced that an objective, disinterested observer, fully informed of all the facts and circumstances, would harbor significant doubt about the fairness of this proceeding.”

Rep. John Murtha's accusations have now been proven to be false. Among Rep. Murtha's accusations was that the Haditha Marines had "killed innocent civilians in cold blood" because they "cracked under the pressure" of war. We now know that they didn't kill innocent civilians in cold blood because charges against these Marines have been dropped.

Another of Rep. Murtha's accusations was that the Marine officers, supposedly including Lt. Col. Chessani, covered the incident up. The NMCCCA upheld the dismissal of charges against Lt. Col. Chessani.

A day after Rep. Murtha made his accusations, he was asked where he got his information from. Here's Rep. Murtha's reply:

“All the information I get, it comes from the commanders, it comes from people who know what they’re talking about.”

Based on the fact that charges were dismissed before court-martial in 6 cases and another man was acquitted, I'd suggest that Rep. Murtha either lied or he talked with people who knew less than what they claimed they knew. Frankly, it's easier to think that Rep. Murtha made this stuff up in his attempt to become the House Majority Whip.

Another red flag incident for me was Murtha's accusation of a cover-up:

GIBSON: Jonathan just mentioned, there’s no charges yet filed against any of the Marines that were in this outfit, but Jonathan mentioned a moment ago, defense lawyers are already saying, well, there’s drone video and there is actual radio traffic to higher-ups that will give a different picture than you have been talking about of this incident. What do you know about that?

MURTHA: I can only tell you this, Charles. This is what the Marine Corps told me at the highest level. The Commandant of the Marine Corps was in my office just last week, so you know, I know there was a cover-up someplace. They knew about this a few days afterwards and there’s no question the chain of command tried to stifle the story. I can understand why, but that doesn’t excuse it. Something like this has to be brought out to the public, and the people have to be punished.

When Rep. Murtha said that he knew that there was a cover-up someplace, I said that he didn't know anything. If you know something, you can explain in detail what you know. A person who suspects something would say that he suspects a cover-up. That clearly didn't happen in this instance.

Should all the appeals for Lt. Col. Chessani turnout the way today's ruling did, that would leave only SSgt. Frank Wuterich with charges still pending. Considering the fact that the military has ruled that a masscre didn't happen and that the military has ruled there wasn't a cover-up, how much of a case is left against SSgt. Wuterich?

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Cross-posted at LFR.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Well...We Tried To Tell You...



We tried to tell you, again and again, that John P. Murtha was not to be trusted.

We tried to tell you, again and again on this blog, that the only thing John P. Murtha is interested in, is, well, enriching John P. Murtha, whether it's throwing the Haditha Marines under the bus for reasons of political gain, or rewarding his cronies with pay-to-play earmarks designed as quid-pro-quos to keep his political machine and campaign war machine well-oiled and chock full of booty.

Hell, even when the megalomaniacal John Murtha scores an earmark for a local cancer center, it has his name plastered all over it like he's some modern day Julius Caesar.

Yes, we at Murtha Must Go!! have known this since May of 2006, when we first started peeling the rotten onion that is Congressman John P. "Jihad Jack" Murtha.

We even warned you literally years ahead of the curve that John Murtha was utilizing his political connections and earmarks to set up phony fronts to line his greasy pockets. As a matter of fact, this story, regarding Murtha's connection to Electro-Optics Center, now just coming to light in the mainstream press, was reported by me on MMG back on September 27, 2006, over two and a half years ago.

We at MMG tried to warn the voters of PA-12 that they were sending and re-sending a crook of the lowest order back to Washington, time and time again. But I guess it's hard to see straight when you have more pork dangling in front of your eyes than a Hormel Spam factory.

So, to our friends in the mainstream media (and even the Kos-Kids) who have finally taken the time to delve into what a scumbag Murtha is, welcome to the club.

Just one question, though: What the hell took you so long?

Monday, March 02, 2009

Murtha & PMA--the King of Pork is the also the King of kickbacks...

According to Open Secrets:
The chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who has helped insert more than $100 million in defense-related earmarks into appropriations bills for 2008, according to government watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, collected the most from PMA and its clients among all subcommittee members--$2.4 million. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) is next, having brought in $1.4 million. The PMA clients that have given the most since 1998 to the subcommittee's current members are three well-known defense companies: Lockheed Martin ($862,700), General Dynamics ($693,400) and Boeing ($578,600). (This research commences in 1998 because that's how far back CRP's lobbying data goes.)

The following two tables include: 1) A list of current members on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee who have received money from lobbying firm PMA Group and the employees and PACs of its clients since 1998 and 2) A list of the PMA Group clients that have contributed through their employees and PACs to current members of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee since 1998.

Members of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee who have received contributions from PMA Group and the firm's clients:

Name

Total

John P. Murtha (D-Pa)

$2,378,552

Pete Visclosky (D-Ind)

$1,369,298

Jim Moran (D-Va)

$997,348

Norm Dicks (D-Wash)

$536,330

C. W. Bill Young (R-Fla)

$460,750

Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)

$359,041

Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan)

$351,565

Kay Granger (R-Texas)

$347,450

Hal Rogers (R-Ky)

$249,499

Jack Kingston (R-Ga)

$199,750

Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)

$144,300

Allen Boyd (D-Fla)

$143,000

Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga)

$93,500

Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)

$80,000

Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ)

$74,000

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich)

$13,500

I suppose if you're going to be doing something, it always pays to do your best. Especially when your best talent involves lining your pockets at taxpayer expense.

Way to go, Jack Murtha--whether it's pork, or graft, or corruption, you're still the king!