Captain's Quarters -

Ed stop being lazy and partisan.

From the WSJ article you link to - you conveniently omitted some information:
LEADERS OF THE PORK
(Top earmarkers in pending House budget bills for 2008)
1. DEM Murtha---------192.5 million
2. REP Bill Young-------156.5
3. REP Jerry Lewis------153.8
4. DEM Nancy Pelosi-----146.8
5. DEM Steny Hoyer------143.3
5. DEM Pete Visclosky----116.8

Getting your underwear all twisted just because a Democrat is the best/worst at something both parties do exceedingly well is horseshit and a waste of time and energy.

Either you're outraged by pork barrel earmarks or you're not. You can't have it both ways.

Which is it, Ed?

Dave,

So sensitive! Unbunch your own panties. The article focused on Murtha, and so did I. I've written about Republican pork as well. I don't feel the need to write over and over again that both sides do it. I also didn't need to mention that four of the top six are Democrats -- and that's six, not five twice.

A post about Jack Murtha's pork doesn't need to include mention of Bill Young's pork, Jerry Lewis's pork, Nancy Pelosi's pork, Steny Hoyer's pork, or Pete Visclosky's pork.

Dave = fail.

"Getting your underwear all twisted just because a Democrat is the best/worst at something both parties do exceedingly well is horseshit and a waste of time and energy"

And so dave in one swift blow repudiates all the gnashing of teeth over Tom Delay/Jack Abramoff that we dealt with for -years- as "horseshit and a waste of time and energy". Or do we need to point out the well documented quid pro quo between Harry Reid and Abramoff?

Qwinn

Dave:

I can't figure out why you feel the need to defend corrupt Democratic Party politicians. I would think you would be totally consumed defending corrupt Liberal Party politicians at home in Canada.

Ed, if you have bitched in the past about Republican pork, then I apologize. That restores my faith in you to be common sensical and fair in your observations.

Chaos and Qwinn - are your party blinders comfortable?

Jerry - I have no idea wtf you're talking about. I wasn't defending anything. You should ease up on the glue so early in the morning.

Right Dave. You are just a Canadian observer of US politics and are merely pointing out that some Republicans earmark too therefore it is not permitted for us to criticize John Murtha. In other words, you are supporting Murtha's right to earmark.

No, Jerry, it doesn't mean I support Murtha's pork. Nor does it mean I'm denying anybody the right to criticize earmarking. I'm saying you should be annoyed by ALL earmarking and mocking both parties' ridiculous pork moves. You wrote "some" Republicans earmark as if you're trying to downplay it like it's insignificant. That's really funny. Thanks for that.

The earmark system is retarded.
There's no incentive to change it.
You're stuck with it.
Both sides do it.
So, it's pointless to bitch exclusively about the other party's earmarking.

Yes I'm a Canadian commenting on something happening outside my borders. I know that's hard for you to believe, since most Americans know nothing about anything outside theirs.

Chaos and Qwinn - are your party blinders comfortable?

Maybe in Canada they don't teach you about how you can discuss a single example of an issue and not have to mention every single example that could conceivably be mentioned.

I'm saying you should be annoyed by ALL earmarking and mocking both parties' ridiculous pork moves.

Who says we aren't? If you're going to waste our time with straw men, don't bother posting.

You wrote "some" Republicans earmark as if you're trying to downplay it like it's insignificant. That's really funny. Thanks for that.

Again, leave the straw and dirty old clothes at home or don't come, thanks.

So, it's pointless to bitch exclusively about the other party's earmarking.

God but this is pathetic.

No one was talking about the Democratic Party, they were talking about Jack Murtha. You are aware that they are two different things, right?

Yes I'm a Canadian commenting on something happening outside my borders.

Commenting is hardly the term. Ignorantly and stupidly blathering is much more accurate.

I know that's hard for you to believe, since most Americans know nothing about anything outside theirs.

Let's see. You have the bigotry and the arrogance, you have the inability to reason and argue logically, you just got slapped down like the pissant you are, anything else you'd like to contribute for my amusement dave?

I wish some of the commentators here would cut the bull and talk about the real problem.

The earmark spending on "pork" could be reduced dramatically if we, the electorate, would send decent people to Washington. Instead, we elect scoundrels who promise to bring home the "pork."

We are the problem. We want our "pork," and we don't want others' "pork."

It's kind of like opinion polls on members of Congress. Most of us think "our" member is doing a fine job, and the problem is with other members of Congress.

We elect rascals, and then we're surprised when they behave like rascals.

Duh.

Term limitations would help solve this problem. Complaining will not.

And Captain Ed, I live a thirty-minute drive (and that's if I take a leisurely pace) from Johnstown, and I can say without a doubt that all of Murtha's pork has more or less done nothing for that place. It's sad, Johnstown used to be the greatest city between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, now it's a perpetually-declining dirty little town.

It was a well-researched column that will have zero effect.

The MSM isn't even faintly interested in going after Jack Murtha. The Justice Department, FEC, and IRS will find nothing to investigate. The Bush administration won't wage a war on pork and there are few Republicans in Congress who are interested in changing the system.

The vast majority of voters seemingly only care about how much federal money they can get back, not how much they pay in.

Dave:

You said: "...since most Americans know nothing about anything outside theirs..."

You show a typical arrogant and small minded self-righteous Canadian attitude. I doubt most Canadians care what goes on outside of their own province unless of course it is to come south to get quality medical care.

This American probably knows more about Canada then you snidely suggest. My mother is from the town of Lipton, Saskatchewan and I have quite a few Canadian relatives. Canada under the Liberal Prime Ministers Chrétien and Martin was for more corrupt then even John Murtha could hope to aspire. Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney gave away nothing to his successor in his ability to enrich himself at the public’s expense

Despite your protests to the contrary, when liberals make your kind argument it is meant to spike the discussion of Democratic or Liberal Party corruption.

Huh?

I don't recall a propensity of the board to turn the other cheek on Republican pork.

Get a clue.

PS I hope with all of my heart that his Republican opponent kicks his butt outta office in the next election.

PSS An airport named after him? They need a name change.

Captain, Brian Faughnan is wasting his time asking if Jack Murtha represents his constituents. Indeed he does, the Johnstown area and much of Western Pennsylvania is in a generations-long decline, and for good reasons. His constituents have abandoned anything approaching a solid work ethic, personal responsibility, curiosity, and belief in progress.

It's a cultural ghetto, backward-looking and filled with a sense of entitlement. Stores and restaurants should be patronized because the owners show up, not because they offer quality and service. Local government is either inefficient or corrupt, or both.

His region is losing population as younger people go off to school, never to return. Murtha's shennanigans don't bother people one bit, as long as there are a few crumbs to go around and they don't have to lift a finger to actually change and make a better life for their future generations.

Pittsburgh and the Johnstown region have lost more people than anyplace but New Orleans over the last few decades, and that's without a hurricane.

It's worth noting that Visclosky's district includes Gary, and is also a backwater. The list provided gives some hint that all that government cheese is not exactly helping matters for the constituents.

Also, term limits wouldn't matter if we simply made sure to elect people who can say "no" to government cheese. If we don't, we indict ourselves for loving spending and welfare for ourselves.

Funny Dan, I live in Greensburg PA right in the middle of this allegedly declining area and I see new construction and businesses everywhere.

Chaos: You are correct in your observations about the area. Allegheny County with its taxation has chased people out of the Pittsburgh environs to a more business and home-ownership setting. Johnstown is still passively waiting for a miracle to fire up the steel mills again.

Murtha's congressional district abuts my own in a weirdly gerrymandered fashion, and the people who vote that scoundrel in year after year do so out of lazy habit and unquestioning loyalty even though it is only his cronies that appear to benefit from his largesse with federal dollars and contract awarding.

Murtha? Statue? When he retires?

How about the Regional Airport that is already named after him? It used to be one had to die or retire before getting one's Civic monument dedication.

Anyway, does anyone know if a challenger, primary or general, has ever unseated an incumbent with an airport named after him?

"Pork" and Congress. It's like telling a man his wife is so ugly, he should stop having sex with her.

Some men? They do this on automatic pilot.

Others? Enrich themselves in a mutually trusting environment. Where, yes, a man's labors was once known to be "the ticket" to buy a wife.

As to the taxpayers, and their money; it's what Congress does.

Again, to repeat a lesson from THE GENIUS OF AMERICA; our Founding Fathers KNEW in a heartbeat; that expecting others "to do the right thing," was a lost cause. So the US Constitution is a system of distributing powers; taking greed "almost" out of the equation.

Still? We set off on this experiment in 1789? Remember, dates aren't a strong priority with me.

I just know we had a Federation; where the States wouldn't budge from their various positions. While England didn't sleep; she bent over with laughter. Watching pirates steal our ships. And, we had nothing to defend with; because each State worried that the "water" was Federal territory. And, they weren't gonna stick a single American ship on it! So there!

Five Presidents later; James Monroe. FINALLY, after ruining the pirate trade in the Mediterranean, with the Six Frigates Congress finally provided; then went into the Well of Congress. December (3?) 1823. And, announced THE MONROE DOCTRINE. MANIFEST DESTINY.

We kept a very clear image of what a strong military does. But we never set the military on top of ruling this country. Instead? It's the president's role. Unlike the military careerist. And, you can blow holes in your career, if you prefer one side to the other; when you're out there choosing presidents.

We also "do" STALEMATE, like nobody's business!

Murtha? You think he's the first stinker, ever?

The Congress, right now is stymied. It does spend money, needlessly. None of those particular breed of animal knows a thing about "long term planning." Or business needs. Or even keeping up with the infrastructure, we use every day.

Trouble is, there's more than one bum in Congress. And, the people VOTE. Yup. Congress critters: District by district.

And, you bet, we even have a term in our dictionary, for the way they dream up district "lines."

We also don't demand, when they're tossed out of their seats, that they stay stuck in a chair, at a carnival, where we can pitch balls at dunking them. For charity. It would be a great business! But it's not the law!

Does information move fast?

Yup.

Can a politician end up at the wrong end of a headline? Yup.

Murtha, though, is hung on blogs. Which isn't the same as the "paid" media;

So, this is what I mean. You've got Murtha's line hanging out there, stretching across the blog world. Where it's like your back yard. There are lots of Americanws who don't know the color of your sheets. Or, what's actually flapping out there.

And, Congress? Being the ways the law sets up; will probably be supplying crap to DC, in greater numbers. If it was the circus? Barnum's no longer got the lock.

Ya know what? We need to elect presidents better than what the Bush family supplies.

it's all "support the troops" around here until those troops become veterans, at which point it's time to question their ethics and patriotism. Never mind the fact that the war's going to cost well over 1 trillion dollars, what's really disgusting is that this madman is routing public works funds to his district! I'm sure you were writing about this when he supported the war, right? It's probably in your archives here somewhere because there's no way you guys would be inconsistent about something like that. :) So pathetic.

A chicken/egg question if I may: Does the office to which one is elected, with the propinquity of all that money, corrupt the people we send to congress, or are we sending corrupt individuals who are then corrupting the system.

Perhaps Dave, that sagacious kibitzer from the Great White North, can enlighten me.

Do I detect the stench of a Paulisto in joeadams? Why, I believe so.

Dear Jobe,

You're free to choose.

"Being in congress," is like looking across your breakfast table, wondering whatever it was, that had you selecting your wife.

In other words? People choose external "values." Or, sometimes, the fact that a mate comes from a very rich family. But, you rally find people choosing stuff for serious reasons. They're into "hair." Into "convenience."

And, then what I discovered? Guess what. Sex is important to women! They'll decide on a mate by virtue of simple contractions; while they'll over quality ... because quality ain't handsome.

For the longest time, I thought Marlon Brando was the "ideal man." Go ahead. laugh. Now, I do. (After I realized me have orgasms in whore houses; and instead of getting married, they just want to do that again, with somebody else.

As to who we vote for?

Let's say you want to run?

Are you equipped? Someone's got to pay you to get out of bed in the mornings. And, shake lots of hands. You'll be putting your family into a fish bowl.

I once heard a set of rabbi's children complaining about this. How everyone in the neightborhood expected them to be perfect. When they were just human.

I no longer wonder why we come across an Abraham Lincoln, only rarely. Humans, you know, producing lots of humans, rarely produce those of great genius. That's just the way it is.

We've got to make do with the average, who seek out politics. It's been said that if they were handsomer? They'd go to hollywood. As the draw, really, is in how many girls they can bed.

While some women? Have no taste!

If a woman had taste you'd think they'd wear the crap that's labelled "fashionable?"

Now, in the past, the major media had a lock on getting attention. This has been swayed over, to one side. And, us? We're here, in this divided world, on the blog's side. Yeah. It ain't fair. It's partisan.

But after Ross Perot, I no longer walk around carrying banners.

What are we gonna do?

The way the US Constitution is set up, even in DC, 3 branches of government, vie. Everybody wants to be top dog.

While in Congress? The House part. There are 435 chairs. 435 districts. Easily, close to 900 people "race." Ever see one of those foot races? Where lots of people line up on a bridge? And, run. As you watch, you begin to see how those who are fastest; (even when they get all out of breath), move aside slower competitotrs.

After it's over? To win. You think you need good looks and/or good character?

Me? I just expect that in politics we can accomplish what's possible ... when lots more people agree. Than disagree. Nah. We're not there, yet.

But as political theater? Nobody throws better parties than us.

Thieves.
Every d*** one of them.

Hey here is a wild idea, why doesn't the GOP put up a challenger to Mr. Murtha ... and let the people decide? Same thing with Stevens! After all, they only represent their state and districts.

There are some roads in life, just not open to everybody.

If you want to sing opera, you first need a very decent voice.

I'm glad Guiliani admitted on TV, that you wouldn't want to him here sing. (He came right out and said that's not his talent.)

As to those who stand up and become politicians; or ministers. It's something like a calling. You don't go find this work in the employment sections of newspapers!

And, boy, is it tough.

People who want "public" lives go through hell.

Whether they're contestants on TV shows. Or, they are out there willing to run for office.

What we don't know, is how many insiders there are; luckless in the talent department. SO they work behind the scenes.

Sometimes? They meet a man that has it all.

Warren Harding, for instance, was such a man. Over 6-feet. Magnificent features. Deep baritone voice. And, an empty head. He got selected, though to run for the US Presidency. And, was such a bone head, that after he left, and after Herbert Hoover left, the Republican Party thought their legs were cut off!

FDR, who could not rise up out of a chair, on his own power, is the one who stayed in office long enough; that politics shifted towards the democratic party.

We've seen shifts, since that time.

Including JFK's assassination. LBJ's rise up; followed by disaster. And, departure.

And, Nixon!

I know you won't believe me. But Nixon was a man who was truly disliked. Yeah. When he ran in 1962, for governor of California; this state rejected him.

But politics, when it's a sea-saw. Where you go down, and then you bounce up; got the republican nod, at a time this country wasn't going to vote in a democrat. (Not at the top.)

They'd learn, however, how to "split their tickets." So you could get candidates for office, that had no coat tails. And, then? Americans tended to vote in one party for the White House. And, in some 50-state magic trick; force Congress in the other direction.

The courts were supposed to be "above politics." Which shows ya, some feats are impossible; even under the best of circumstances.

I don't predict the future. But, if, in 2008, we have a woman running against an Italian guy ... you have no idea what this says about our US Constitution; and the way it pulses.

There's some genius to our system, after all.

Captain Ed:
A correction...You said "...Halliburton's parent KBR...". I think you have it backwards.
Halliburton is the parent of KBR, now disposed of/spun off.

Murtha runs a Johnstown Defense Fair where the major primes, such as Lockheed-Martin and Boeing, show up to select local subcontractors from a group of Murtha's political supporters.

My former boss returned from Johnstown and directed me to select a metal work sub from the list. Our procurement requested bids from several Johnstown companies and our quality assurance made a trip to inspect their facilities. I went back to the VP's office with the findings. All the bids were above the competitive range and none met the quality and process requirements flowed down from the military. He told me to pick one anyway. I refused, explaining that we were both too heavy to look good in horizontal stripes.

The article shows the biggest problem with getting rid of pork - in congress, there are 534 robbing bastards (House and Senate), and our Congressman who's doing well by the district. What is government waste to everyone outside that district is lifeblood to the local residents.

I'm an ex-Johnstown native, lived there 48 years, moved south in '98. I've watched the way Jack Murtha works from the day he was first elected, and have two main problems with what he's done. The first is the general issue of government waste and becoming too used to the government teat to build up the community by the old classic hard work, etc. The second objection is that virtually everything Jack Murtha's done for the community is completely transitional, and will be gone within six weeks of his leaving Congress. At which point the city is up the creek.

During the same time period, I also got to watch Bud Schuster (remember that pork barreller?) shovel the same kind of money to Altoona - only the majority of what he did was permanent infrastructure that actually does some good after the Congressman is no longer reporting to work daily. Still country-wrecking pork, but at least it has some good uses.

Why don't the Republicans run someone against him? They have. And have lost elections by 75/25 and 65/35 margins. There's another guy who's going to take a shot next year, basing his campaign on Murtha's newly-found doveishness, which is a real departure for that Vietnam Vet.

Understand that Cambria County (his home base) is solidly Democratic. When election time comes around, the county's vote is so predictably in the 'D' column that Republican state administrations don't bother doing anything there because it's wasted money, and Democratic administrations don't spend because they've already got the votes guaranteed. The only time I've seen the Democratic party lose the county is 2004 when Bush beat Kerry (Cambria County is strongly pro-life and pro-vet, and Kerry came across as neither).

I saw this coming years ago. Had a chance to get a job in that drug clearinghouse center, but figured it would have been closed down long ago and I couldn't take the unemployment. I obviously had too much faith in fiscal rationality.

I read this yesterday on the WSJ.

Murtha is the King of Earmark spending. I'm not sure that is something to be proud of.