Earmark Scandal Breaking for Rep. John Murtha

Hat Tip Teagon Goddard: There's a potentially big story brewing on Capitol Hill... Apparently 104 members of Congress of both parties -- 42 Republicans and 62 Democrats -- secured earmarks for a lobbying firm linked to Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) in a single bill. The earmarks were inserted in a bill Murtha controlled as the defense appropriations subcommittee chairman. The firm's executives and clients are among Murtha's biggest sources of campaign contributions.

Update: CQ Politics has the story. "More than 100 House members secured earmarks for clients of The PMA Group, known for its ties to John P. Murtha, the congressman in charge of Pentagon appropriations... The same House members who took responsibility for PMA's earmarks in that spending bill have, since 2001, accepted a cumulative $1,815,138 in campaign contributions from PMA's political action committee and employees of the firm."
Update II: The complete list of House members involved is now posted.

Corruptocrat alert: Second Murtha-tied company raided by FBI

Hat Tip to Michelle Malkin: Everything Pork King Jack Murtha touches turns to political gangrene. ABC News has the latest scoop:

The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.

The FBI searched the Virginia headquarters of the PMA Group in November, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. PMA was founded by former Murtha aide Paul Magliochetti and specializes in winning earmarked taxpayer funds for its clients.

Good government groups have long criticized Murtha’s cozy relationship with a handful of lobbyists and defense firms, ties that see millions of dollars in government spending go out from Murtha’s office, and hundreds of thousands in campaign donations come in. Murtha has said his earmarking has helped revive his economically depressed district.

PMA is the second company with close ties Murtha to be raided by federal agents recently. In January, agents from the FBI, the IRS and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service searched the office of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems, as well as the homes of the firms’ founders. The companies reportedly have received over $100 million in earmarks, thanks to Murtha’s efforts.

The Significance of 33 Minutes

ARRA News Service - A ballistic missile from a foreign enemy would take 33 minutes to reach the United States. With each passing day, this becomes a growing danger to America, yet our government has failed to build the missile defense systems capable of defending us against such attacks. Our enemies are attempting to stockpile arsenals that threaten our freedom and prosperity. North Korea and Iran are the most prominent, but this also includes Russia, China and other nations that have missiles capable of killing Americans in very large numbers and threatening our allies.

The time has come to revive the strategic missile defense system that America uniquely can develop, maintain, and employ for its own defense and the peace-loving world's security.This documentary aims to do just that by highlighting the disastrous consequences of a nuclear explosion on American soil - one that could happen in just 33 minutes. Film coming winter 2009. Below is a trailer for the film:

Open Letter to Congress Regarding the Stimulus Bill

ARRA News Service: Have you had enough of the stimulus scam. Below is a satirical open letter written by Laura Singleton. We wanted to help make sure her letter arrived. You can also help by sending Monopoly Money to DC, so that our "esteemed leaders" can fool around with it instead of OUR hard-earned money. She has asked if you'd send some too.

Here's what to do: send your elected officials monopoly money. How? Anyway possible: Email or Fax the image I've posted in my pics on this site. Put the image on your blogs. Mail Monopoly money overnight. Drop some off at their offices in your state or in DC. Blog about the waste, the pork, the delay & reference the Monopoly Money. Send out press releases, whatever. Flood their offices with the stuff. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get it then. Remember, the final vote is likely to happen Monday or Tuesday, so we don't have a lot of time. One voice is a dissenter. One million is a democracy.

Dear Esteemed Politicians,

I know many of you are new, and that the experience in our nation's capital can be both heady and confusing. Therefore, I'm writing to remind you that the Monopoly Money is the stuff that is pastel. Apparently, some (a "pared-down" $780,000,000,000.00 at last count) of the citizens' real money has slipped into your wild game. Normally I wouldn't be so rude to point out this slight and obviously unintentional mistake. However (dear me, I'm blushing), it seems that our children and grandchildren will be responsible for this debt so you can buy:

$99,600 worth of doorbells in Laurel, MS (net jobs produced: 2)
$6M to convert hybrids to electric cars in Boulder (net jobs produced: 0)
$650M more for Digital TV coupons (net jobs produced: 0)
$70M in smoking cessation programs (net jobs produced: ?)
$500K for a dog park in Chula Vista, CA (net jobs produced: 0)
$600M for the Heritage Trail in Natchez, MS (net jobs produced: 65)
$1.5M for a Prostitute Shelter in Dayton (net jobs produced: 0)
$500M for Solar Water Heaters in Puerto Rico ((net jobs produced: 14)
and--(this one deserves an award for "stupid positions have consequences" posterchild)--$400M for testing and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

Now, I know that you know best, and I'm certain that this is all a misunderstanding. How could you know that the water company turned off service to somebody in our upper middle-class subdivision a couple of days ago? Or that there's a foreclosure sign a few houses away? My 70-year old parents came out of retirement to do substitute teaching after their life savings tanked. My brother's business deal fell through because of the economy & he's going to lose everything. But obviously no one told you that businesses here are going belly up and people are losing jobs. However, if it wouldn't interrupt your game too long, perhaps you could talk to any of these people--or me, for that matter--and find we'd actually rather have the money to get back on his feet than to pay to test someone who didn't abstain for an STD.

I know that Washington, DC is far, far away from here, but I would be more than willing to bring you additional Monopoly Money for you to play with in exchange for the real money, which real people could use for real needs.

Sincerely,
Laura Singleton