Posts Tagged ‘John Murtha’

Jason Altmire (PA-4) Headed for Defeat?

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

Remember Jason Altmire? The Blue Dog Democratic representing Pennsylvania’s 4th District who didn’t roll over when Nancy Pelosi snapped her fingers, and voted against ObamaCare? Thanks to that, while scores of his fellow Democrats were booted out of office in the Great Red Wave of 2010, Altmire hung on to his seat.

It appears his luck has run out. During redistricting, Pennsylvania lost a seat, so Altmire’s district was merged with the 12th District, and early returns show him losing to 12th incumbent Mark Critz (who won the seat in a special election after the death of pork king Rep. John Murtha).

Either way, he 12th should be a pickup opportunity for Republican candidate Keith Rothfus, who had no primary challenge and finished Q1 with $385,000 on hand.

Rep. John P. Murtha, RIP

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Since I’ve slagged him fairly mercilessly in this space, I would be remiss not to mention the passing of Rep. John P. Murtha. Murtha served his country honorably in Vietnam, and then dishonorably in Congress, where he became the poster child for earmark corruption, doing everything in his power to steer pork patronage to his friends and relatives. The fate I wanted for Murtha was seeing him defeated and indicted, not dead. He’s now beyond the reach of any earthly justice, but the endemic congressional culture of cronyism and corruption he helped create and perpetuate survives him.

Evidently you can’t go a day without another John Murtha corruption story

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Today’s Rep. John Murtha (D-ollars)-related corruption story involves outright kickbacks from Kuchera Defense Systems Inc.:

A defense contractor with ties to Rep. John Murtha has been suspended again from bidding on government contracts, this time for paying more than $200,000 in kickbacks to another contractor turned government witness.

If you look at that CREW chart I linked to yesterday, you’ll see that Kuchera Defense Systems Inc. is part of the circle of corruption (one of several circles of corruption on that chart) for the Ervin Technical Associates lobbying firm. And which Ervin would they be technical associates of? That would be Jim Ervin, who you may remember from yesterday’s post about PharmAthene, the company to which the Obama Administration (personified by Tara O’Toole, another Murtha friend) awarded a no-bid contract for anthrax vaccines. And needless to say, just about everyone associated with Kuchera Defense Systems are heavy Murtha campaign contributors. (So many backs to scratch, and so many taxpayer dollars needed to scratch them.)

Bonus: Owner Bill Kuchera is a convicted drug dealer.

For the Obama Administration, your health John Murtha’s Pals Come First

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

Remember Rep. John Murtha? The congressman who called his own constituents racists? You know, the John Murtha who sits as the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee? The John Murtha whose nephew got $4 million in no-bid Defense contracts? The man at the center of the PMA Group lobbying scandal? The John Murthta who secured more than $200 million worth of taxpayer dollars for little-used John Murtha Airport?

You do? Good.

Well, guess what company got a single-source contract to produce anthrax vaccines? That would be PharmAthene, a company run by Murtha cronies Joel McCleary and James Ervin. And just who awarded the contract? That would be the Department of Homeland Security’s Under Secretary for the Science and Technology Directorate Tara O’Toole, who just happens (better sit down for this one) to be a friend of…Rep. John Murtha! (I know, it’s a shock. What are the odds?)

What would you care to bet that the same sorts of high ethical standards will be used to dole out funds for ObamaCare?

But wait! There’s still more exciting news on the Obama-anthrax front! If John Murtha’s cronies actually do succeed is producing enough anthrax vaccine, how will it be distributed in an emergency? Why, by that epitome of speed and efficiency, The U.S. Postal Service! As Stewart Baker at Skating on Stilts put it: “No one but an idiot would bet their children’s lives on that option.”

Here’s a link to CREW’s extremely informative interactive documentation of the web of corruption that surrounds Murtha, You Don’t Know Jack.

The Boot Murtha homepage may also be of interest.