Murtha: Ethics Reform is “Pure Crap”
That isn’t me stating my opinion. That’s a quote from this Norm Ornstein article. Mr. Ornstein is a liberal but he’s a good government liberal, much in the same vein as Mort Kondracke. In other words, he’s the type of guy that you’ll disagree with but respect. Here’s the key section of Mr. Ornstein’s article:
Republicans are still viewed harshly, but Democrats are not seen as much better. The do-nothing Congress charge is back, this time proclaimed by Republicans who show no visible discomfort at their hypocrisy after their own reign of inaction. Ditto their complaints of Democrats’ insensitivity to ethical standards, which follow the indictment on bribery charges of a prominent House Democrat, William Jefferson, and the complaint by an even more prominent Democrat, John Murtha, that ethics reform is “pure crap.”
The last thing John Murtha will vote for is genuine ethics reform. It’s a matter of public record that he’s one of the sleaziest, most unethical politicians in our nation’s history. He’s essentially the ruler of his military earmark ‘kingdom’. He’s earmarked funds, which are essentially no-bid contracts, to his friends who comprise the military infrastructure. In return, he’s received millions of dollars worth of campaign contributions.
People will say that that isn’t any different than Texas or Oklahoma legislators getting campaign contributions from oil companies. I’d strongly disagree with that. Politicians in both parties from those states believes in the use of oil products. John Murtha couldn’t care less about using the military hardware. He’s only interested in it to the extent that his position can buy him more power. That’s a slim distinction but it’s one worth making.
Asking Murtha or any other longtime legislator to vote for legislation that limits their ability to buy votes with pork is as difficult as getting real campaign finance reform. In that instance, what they voted for was best described as the Incumbents Protection Act.
Having politicians write the rules that they have to live by will automatically cause them to write the rules in a very lenient manner. It’s utterly predictable.
Technorati Tags: John Murtha, Corruption, Ethics Reform, William Jefferson, Norm Ornstein, Good Government Liberals, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
August 7th, 2007 at 12:13 am
[...] Cross-posted at California Conservative Categories: Military, Corruption, John Murtha, Reforms, Special Interests, Election 2008 | [...]
August 7th, 2007 at 3:50 am
Murtha said he likes Barbeques (at least that’s the rumor)!
There’s lots of PORK out there. Apparently a reported 150 MILLION in PORK to SPECIAL interest groups of MURTHA that he WON’T comment on.
MURTHA STOPPING THE MONEY TO HELP SAVE AMERICA’S SAFETY???
HTTP://THINKPROGRESS.ORG/2007/01/04/MURTHA-TROOP-ESCALATION/
Murtha’s talking about money being spent in IRAQ??
At LEAST we KNOW where the money is going (even if many don’t agree with it - NOW after the Fact).
Our President had a REASON “he believed” (along with the Dems who went along with it WITHOUT RESERVATON), that America was in danger.
What about all this EXTRA MONEY that Murtha says we DON’T HAVE for IRAQ that he’s obviously GETTING??
WAIT! 150 MILLION IN PORK TO MURTHA BUT NO MONEY FOR President BUSH? IS THAT THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK??? SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE SENSE OF THIS FOR ME!
HTTP://NEWSBUSTERS.ORG/BLOGS/NOEL-SHEPPARD/2007/08/03/HECK-ETHICS-MURTHA-NABS-150-MILLION-EARMARKS
Is it as obvious as saying, The MORE the Government Spends the LESS available for EARMARKS and Pork??
I think the Dems KNOWINGLY voted for a WAR they KNEW had no plan then set up to attack on a plan they KNEW would NOT WORK instead of ACTUALLY CARING about this GREAT NATION and assisting the President in America’s time of need. Like it or not, he is the ONLY President we have now (with Dems support went to war) and as a leader it looks DISCUSTING that Dems are attacking him on issues WITHOUT EVIDENCE just PURE Speculation and “hunches”.
WE are in a WAR and we have to see Gonzolez and Firings and what the HECK was the issue with that again??? OH, A HUNCH!!!!
There are TERROSRISTS HERE and OUT THERE and we care about who said what to whom in a meeting that we are not even sure if it was off the record, on record, legal or executive?? The country on PAPER (the Constitution) and on the Battlefield (The War) are at stake while Murtha has 150 million in PORK for FUN??
Why would they do that?? Provide a SMOKE screen for the Barbque and all the PORK!???
But its’ just a little thought I had….
That is the issue often I have with Democrats. Let the issue seem bigger than it is, come up with CRAZY explanations when the LAW and CONSTITUION is in plain and CLEAR ENGLISH and does NOT NEED to be INTERPRETED JUST UPHELD.
Am I the only one that sees the hoodwinking going on here? Everything Dems accuse the President of, they have done TEN FOLD.
Watch out INTERPRETERS of laws (Dems), here comes Alito and Roberts to the RESCUE of the Constitution!
Truth Crushed to the Ground shall RISE! No LIE can live forever. No LIE can survive the Test of Time. We Sometimes find ourselves in need of not only DIVINE but HUMAN Assistance. Is there such a person in Justice Alito and Chief Roberts?
The Constitution is at risk. Will Alito and Roberts stop the obvious treasonist acts of many government officials?
Signed a young Party Unaffilliated Female Ultraconserative Preservationist of Color with specific Liberal Views as it Pertains to The Constitution and ByLaws of this GREAT Nation
August 7th, 2007 at 8:25 am
When an unelected Beauracracy like the EPA can make “breathing” illegal we have bigger problems than Iraq poses.
Civil War NOW!
August 7th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Well said Carla, thank you!
August 7th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
One thing’s for sure: the ethics reform Congress is foisting upon the public is pure crap. I never thought I’d agree with Murtha on anything, but at least he’s got that right.
Unfortunately, he’s calling it crap because he’s afraid it’ll impinge upon his greed.
Right statement, wrong reason.
August 9th, 2007 at 1:08 am
No, he’s (MURTHA)calling it CRAP because he does NOT know the LAW nor care.
This country is ran on what we THINK the LAW is and what PROVISIONS we can make to it.
What’s CRAP about asking a few questions?
What’s CRAP is no one has the ANSWERS and too many are OKAY with that because they choose PARTIES that will do noting but use them for a votes.
Come on .. I don’t care what you eat, who you praise, what your morals are, this nation has seen some of its greatest TERROSIST in our own government…
Don’t we remember that the Constitution was writtem because of King George Misappropiation of funds (pork), conpiracy, mock hearings, treason and lies in the name of POLITICS.
Yes, maybe there is a civil war, on our Constitution and Rights as Americans.
I agree the issue IS MUCH LARGER than IRAQ.
Was WACO a terrosist Act?
Was Oklahoma City Bombings terrorism?
Was MOVE a Terroridt Act?
Anthrax in the mail?
Sars? E. Coli., AIDS?
They were all completed here on American soil by Americans because of certain beliefs. A two fold problem, both believing that they were within their rights of the law and what happened in all?? PURE DISASTER!!! DEATH and NO solved problems.
Yes OUR issues FAR OUTWEIGH what we face ahead in IRAQ…question is, who’s going to stop the terrorism in our own government??
Are people in government going to keep killing each other over what they believe and solving nothing ie WACO, MOVE, OKLAHOMA etc
What did the death of all the people in WACO, MOVE, OKLAHOMA, MISSISSIPPI, NEW ORLEANS etc tell us about our governments will, strength and moral???
Is there such a force with that power?
That is simply WHY the Great Words of This Nation Start wit WE THE PEOPLE NOT WE the POLITICIANS and WE THE GOVERNEMNT.
As my grandmother would say if she were still alive
“The GOVERNMENT has gotten to BIG for ITs Britches” - its taken on a force all its own.
The solution? KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH and INFORMATION on Constituional LAW.
Or Simply what they did in the days of KING GEORGE the PEOPLE forced the ISSUE and the Constitution wa Born!