Murtha: Ethics Reform "Total Crap"
By James Benton
Posted on Wed Nov 15, 2006 at 05:08:31 PM EST
This is not looking very good.
The outspoken ways of Rep. John Murtha, D-PA, Nancy Pelosi's endorsed choice for House majority leader, may have just cost him his bid for House Democrats' No. 2 slot.
Roll Call (registration required) is reporting that Murtha, in a meeting with Democratic moderates yesterday, had less than flattering words for Pelosi's ethics and lobbying reform bill.
"Even though I think it's total crap, I'll vote for it and pass it because that's what Nancy wants," Roll Call quoted Murtha as saying to members of the
Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats.
The Murtha quote was confirmed by three sources who attended the meeting.
Despite his unambiguous misgivings, Murtha told the Blue Dogs he would work to see the bill enacted in Congress because Pelosi is pushing it.
Murtha is challenging Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-MD, for the position of majority leader. Although he has Pelosi's support, Murtha's questionable track record on ethics (including opposing Pelosi's ethics and lobbying reform bill on the House floor earlier this year) has raised some eyebrows.
Now this from Murtha. This can't help Pelosi's bid that a Democratic majority would clean up a Congress beseiged by numerous scandals.
It apparently also didn't help Murtha in the eyes of one Blue Dog that he continued to tell this group -- whose views will help shape the Democrats' plan for governing -- that he would support Pelosi's agenda:
"'My agenda will be Nancy's agenda' -- he kept saying that," the lawmaker said. "The performance was stunningly awful."
Another Democrat who was in the room said Murtha's remarks, especially on the ethics and lobbying reform bill, "were not the right thing to say in front of a roomful of Blue Dogs."
Leadership elections are scheduled for tomorrow, but you can probably stick a fork in Murtha. He's done.
Tags: John Murtha, Nancy Pelosi (all tags)
You are not logged in.
In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.
If not, you can make an account just by filling out the form below. It's quick and free.
