The Record of John Murtha
John Murtha, U.S. Representative of the 12th congressional district of Pennsylvania, died today. His death was due to complications from gallbladder surgery.
Typically, journalists attempt not to speak ill of the dead. Here at That’s My Congress, when a member of the House or Senate dies, we attempt merely to speak accurately.
Speaking accurately, Murtha’s record as a Democrat in Congress was consistently to the right of center, and shaded with dark clouds of ethical impropriety, if not downright corruption.
In the 109th Congress, Murtha’s legislative scorecard reached merely a 38 out of a possible 100 on the progressive scale. In the 110th Congress, that progressive score reached up to 52, but in the current session of Congress was back down to a 32. As his health was failing, Murtha was absent for 102 roll call votes in 2009. Still, Murtha found the time to cosponsor H.J. Res 47, a frivolous attempt to amend the Constitution to prohibit burning of the American flag.
Citizens for Ethics reports that Representative Murtha was under investigation for his relationships with defense contractor corporations and the lobbyists who represented them. Four out of the five top financial donors to Murtha’s 2010 re-election campaign were military contractors. His financial interest in the profits of weapons merchants puts Murtha’s vote in favor of rushing an invasion of Iraq in a particularly troubling context.
[...] been 10 days now since the death of John Murtha, and the field of candidates competing for his position has begun to take shape. The policy [...]