Commentary

Squabble House

Just over a week after winning back the House and Senate, the Democrats
have decided to show the voters that not much has changed in the way
politicians behave in Washington D.C.

Nancy Pelosi, the incoming Speaker of the House, backed Jack Murtha, the
losing candidate in the battle for majority leader.  It is not that rep. Murtha lost
that is the problem, but it is the fact that he is widely known to be ethically
challenged.  Her allegiance to Murtha makes her pledge to create an honest,
ethical and open Congress a complete joke: actually, it is insulting to every
independent voter who made the removal of the Republican majority possible-
I emphasize the role independents, because I am one, and I voted Democratic
in order to remove the layer of corruption that covered the Capitol.  I didn’t
think that a new film would develop so quickly.

Mr. Murtha was caught on tape discussing the possibility of accepting bribes
with  an undercover FBI agent during the Abscam investigation- he wasn’t
charged with any crimes, but did say that he wasn’t interested at the time- not
exactly an explicit refusal.  More recently, his role as ranking member of the
House appropriations defense subcommittee has been questioned due to
potential abuses of power.  It has been alleged that Murtha has flouted ethical
standards and has worked against efforts to limit the role of lobbyists.

Murtha sharply criticized Pelosi’s ethics and lobbying proposals before the
vote for majority leader, but decided to push for them anyway due to the new
Speaker’s backing in this fight.  All I can say is:  pure genius.  Here is a man
who walks with a cloud of corruption hanging over his head, criticizing ethics
reform legislation when his party was elected due to the public’s disgust with
the unscrupulous behavior of public officials.  Then again, he is the one who
suggested that US forces in Iraq should fall back to Okinawa.  Why not
Oklahoma?

He was also one of only 12 Democrats to vote against campaign finance reform
written by Senators McCain and Feingold.  He also put forward a House rules
change designed to block outside groups from filing complaints to the ethics
committee.

Pelosi feel she owes Murtha a favor, after all, he ran her successful 2001
campaign for party whip- against the newly elected majority leader Steny Hoyer.
Pelosi has known Hoyer for over 40 years, and she nominated him in a 1991
House leadership race, but their relationship soured after the bitter 2001 battle
for the top seat of minority whip.  Pelosi has been uneasy with Hoyer’s
perceived lack of loyalty, and his independence of thought and action.  This may
provide a better explanation for her decision to back Murtha in the race for
majority leader.

Pelosi won by a wide margin against Hoyer in 2001, and her insistence on holding
a grudge against her rival is a big mistake.  Hoyer won by a wide margin in the
election for majority leader, strengthening his position and weakening Pelosi’s.
As for Murtha, his loyalty could have been rewarded in other ways-I’m sure he
would have been quite happy with a large bag of cash.

Now that the leadership of the ruling party has been decided, it is time to repair
the damage done by this unfortunate episode.  I must admit that I am not overly optimistic.  The watchdog group, Public Citizen, has ranked Rep. Hoyer as a top Congressional beneficiary of political action committee(PAC) and lobbyist booty.
He has raked in $5.6 million in PAC contributions  over the past six years.  Another
fact causing dismay is that the combined time in office of Hoyer, Pelosi and Murtha
is 76 years.  In with the new guard?  I think not.  With this sophomoric display of
selfish political bickering, I really doubt all that much will change, but it is still
very early-I hope that the incoming majority will prove me wrong.

Greg Strid

© 2006 Splendid Marbles.