Pork Over Principle: The Johnstown-Democrat gets out the defibrolator.

Pork over Principle.

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, truly living up to its name, has once again thrown its scruples (if it had any to begin with) under the bus to try to resuscitate Jihad Jack Murtha's sorry political career. After falsely labeling William Trower Russell as a "carpetbagger," the two-bit call-girls on the editorial board of the Tribune go on to say,

• He is virtually a one-issue candidate, repeatedly attacking Murtha on his comments concerning Marines in Haditha, Iraq.

Yeah, I know... it's no biggie that Jack Murtha put 8 Marines and their families in a state of living hell for over two years with false accusations (for his own political aggrandizement), without so much as a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club for the trouble he put them through. It's no big deal that he, an elected official sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States, threw their Constitutional right to the presumption of innocence out the window. Yep... the same guys who put their lives on the line to defend that very Constitution.

But yes, I know. Pork over Principle.

The lemmings at the Tribune-Democrat go on in a lame, rambling attempt to rationalize their "principled" decision to back Jihad Jack:

For some politicians, “experience” simply means too many years drawing a comfortable salary and nice benefits on taxpayer dollars without giving much back.

That is not the case with Murtha, who has provided leadership and sparked the development of new programs in key areas, especially in the health-care arena:

• He helped increase funding for Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where service personnel returning from combat are treated for their injuries.

Yep... Jihad Jack cares so much about those who defend our country that he refuses to apologize to the Haditha Marines--not even to Justin Sharratt, who just happens to be Murtha's constituent! They go on to say,

• He has increased awareness and helped fund programs aimed at two of our region’s deadliest afflictions: Breast cancer and diabetes.

Pork, pork, pork, and more pork. There are beyond a doubt more pork projects with Jihad Jack's name in the Johnstown area than there were buildings with Caesar's name during the height of the Roman empire.

The Tribune Democrat then employs some feigned indignation at Murtha's arrogance against his own constituency:

We have been troubled by Murtha’s statements in recent weeks about racism in his district. He first said that “western Pennsylvania is a racist area,” then tried to clarify that a week later by saying there are a lot of “rednecks” in the region. We would like to see our congressman use better judgment and not attempt to lump all of his constituency into one category.

Yeah, I know.

Pork before Principle.

And, beyond all of that, Murtha’s social positions reflect those of his region much more so than those of his party. He opposes gun control and is pro-life, both positions that put him in step with most voters in our region.

Yep. Pro life and anti-gun control. I wonder if that's why he was pal-ing around with the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Code Pink. If Jihad Jack Murtha is so "in step" with how he sees most voters of PA-12, I wonder if he sees a "racist" or a "redneck" when he looks in the mirror. Likewise, I wonder if the editorial board at the Tribune-Democrat see the same thing when they take a shave in the morning.

Further, would most voters in PA-12 have the temerity to play judge, jury and executioner to those who defend freedom without the benefit of due process?

Somehow I doubt it.

But then again, Pork over Principle, right?

Once upon a time, when there wasn't an election on the line, the editorial board at the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat wrote:

We can’t accept the congressman’s earmark dollars with one hand and brush off his alleged transgressions with the other.

When he steps in mud, or when others throw mud at Murtha, we all get dirty.

That’s why, when questions are raised about possible improper activities at a Murtha-created organization, we get anxious.

And when a watchdog group rates our local congressman as being among “the most corrupt” lawmakers in Washington, we are embarrassed.

We don’t like being characterized as folks who support questionable activities, or who endorse troubling behavior by our elected officials.

Yet when the rubber hit the road, the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat found it fit to swallow their embarrassment and sell whatever remained of their principles to once again endorse a decidedly crooked politician to represent their readership in Washington.

Pork over principle, I guess.

Johnstown-Democrat..still in bed with Murtha...

With regard to the pending lawsuit by PA-12 constituent Justin Sharratt against Jihad Jack Murtha, the editors at the Johnstown-Democrat no doubt had a huge lump in their throat and a scowl on their face when they begrudgingly penned the following:

We certainly hope justice is done in this case.

That would mean that if Murtha truly damaged someone’s reputation with false accusations, that he face the music in court.

The rules should be no different for public officials than for the rest of us.

But the editors, still in love with their self-absorbed, repugnant, corrupt congressman from PA-12, couldn't help but add the following salt to the wounds of those already unjustly besmirched by Murtha:

We would also hope that the courts – military and civilian – are making every effort to be certain that those who are cleared of wrongdoing deserve that treatment. War means dangerous circumstances, but even in such a setting, crimes against civilians should not be tolerated.

There was no "crime" against civilians perpetrated by U.S. Marines. Period. If there was a crime against civilians, it was perpetrated by the terrorists, who, against the Geneva Convention and the rules of war, chose to utilize civilians as human shields in time of war and during a firefight. And the sycophant editors at the Tribune-Democrat go on to offer yet another "caveat" with regard to their faux consternation of Jihad Jack:

We also understand that there is a political side to this situation – although Geary said: “There’s no political motivation whatsoever. This is purely a legal endeavor.”

Republican challenger William Russell has made Murtha’s Haditha comments his rallying cry in attempting to unseat the longtime incumbent."

Damn right there's politics involved! It takes politics to unseat a dirty politician with a scandalous record a mile long, and it's high time that a man of honor in the name of William Russell has stepped up to the challenge. The editors go on to say,

While the courts ultimately will decide Murtha’s fate concerning the lawsuit, voters will have their say in a month.

You're damned right about that. And the fawning editors at the Johnstown Democrat will more than likely be crying in their coffee once their corrupt golden calf is sent to retirement on November 4th.

***UPDATE****

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