Bill Russell Speaks at Tea Party - [Video] #teaparty

Bill Russell addresses the gathering at the Green County, PA Tea Party.

CBS News: The FBI and Murtha - [video] #pork #corruptlibs

CBS News peeks inside the Murtha Machine, earmarks, and campaign contributions. They gets the cold shoulder from the Rep. John Murtha from Johnstown, PA.

Murtha Funds John Murtha Airport With #Pork

Why do conservatives think taxes are far too high, why tea parties have sprung up across the country, and why the government can't be trusted to run private companies? Consider the following MSNBC report on Murtha's excessive pork spending in his district. They quote a Washington Post article by Carol D. Leonnig which is excerpted:

The John Murtha airport sits . . two hours east of Pittsburgh, a 650-acre expanse of smooth tarmac, spacious buildings, a helicopter hangar and a National Guard training center. . . . four passengers lined up to board a flight, outnumbered by seven security staff members and supervisors, all suited up in gloves and uniforms to screen six pieces of luggage. For three hours that day, no commercial or private planes took off or landed. Three commercial flights leave the airport on weekdays, all bound for Dulles International Airport.

The key to the airport's . . . continued existence -- is . . . the powerful patron who steered most of that money here. Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) is credited with securing at least $150 million for the airport. It was among the first in the country to win funding from this year's stimulus package: $800,000 to repave a "backup" runway.

. . . [Murtha] who uses the airport frequently during his campaigns, has steadily steered millions of taxpayer dollars to it to build a new terminal with a restaurant; a long, concrete runway sturdy enough to handle large jets; and a high-tech radar system usually reserved for international airports. The airport's passenger count has fallen by more than half in the past 10 years. . . .

But a watchdog group on federal waste called the airport a "white elephant." "It's an exercise in spending more money than sense," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense. Federal largess is clearly evident here on Airport Road. Each of the six daily flights that the United Express local carrier makes to and from the airport is subsidized, costing taxpayers about $1.4 million, . . . The subsidy is double the national average for the federal program designed to guarantee air service for 150 rural communities, excluding those in Alaska.

. . . the Murtha airport has long received funds from another federal program, meant to help pay for runway improvements and safety at regional airports. The airport has received $7.3 million since 2004 under the program. Last year, when the number of passengers fell below a federal threshold and the airport's minimum yearly funding was about to drop from $1 million to $150,000,[until] Murtha stepped in. . . .

Big-ticket items An $8 million radar system . . . A $17.8 million earmark in 2006 from the Defense Department replaced the airport's 7,000-foot-long asphalt runway . . . A $6.5 million, three-story National Guard and Reserve training center, resembling a rustic ski lodge . . . A new air traffic control tower [$6.8 million] . . . $14 million hangar and training facility

Congressman Murtha's Earmarks - Paid for by You - [Video]

From the Archives - 1 year ago! This guy still gets away with ripping off the taxpayers. In April, 2008, CBS Evening News "follows the money" on Democratic Congressman John Murtha's (D-PA) earmark trail. According to the report, Murtha has used $2 BILLION taxpayer dollars since 1992 to fund his wasteful pork projects. All the while, he received generous campaign contributions from his earmark recipients.