Congressman John Murtha, Voice for Veterans, dies at 77

Transcription

1 Observer-Reporter, 2/9/2010 3:31 AM Congressman John Murtha, Voice for Veterans, dies at 77 By Peter Jackson, Associated Press HARRISBURG - Rep. John Murtha, the tall, gruff-mannered former Marine who became the de facto voice of veterans on Capitol Hill and later an outspoken and influential critic of the Iraq War, died Monday. He was 77. The Pennsylvania Democrat had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. He died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia, with his family at his bedside, the hospital said. John Murtha In 1974 Mr. Murtha, then an officer in the Marine Corps Reserve, became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress. Ethical questions often shadowed his congressional service, but he was best known for being among Congress' most hawkish Democrats. He wielded considerable clout for two decades as the ranking Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees Pentagon spending. Murtha voted in 2002 to authorize President George W. Bush to use military force in Iraq, but his growing frustration over the administration's handling of the war prompted him in November 2005 to call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. "The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion," he said. Murtha's opposition to the Iraq war rattled Washington, where he enjoyed bipartisan respect for his work on military issues. On Capitol Hill, Murtha was seen as speaking for those in uniform when it came to military matters. Murtha "was the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress, and he was incredibly effective in his service in the House," said Rep. David Obey, a Democrat and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "He understood the misery of war. Every person who serves in the military has lost an advocate and a good friend today." Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said that in part because of Murtha, "America is now on track to removing all combat troops from that country by this summer." President Barack Obama called Murtha, who was known in his home state for helping bring money and projects to areas depressed by the decline of the coal and steel industries, "a steadfast advocate for the people of Pennsylvania for nearly 40 years" with a "tough-asnails" reputation.

2 Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, remembered Murtha as a tireless advocate for veterans and the military. "From health care to weapons procurement, from shipbuilding to pay and benefits, no one understood the needs of our modern military better than he did," Mullen said in a statement. "That we remain the greatest military in the history of world is testament in no small part to his vigilance and stewardship," he said. Known for his seriousness, Murtha also had a lighter side. Gov. Ed Rendell recalled Monday that "he was a funny guy, he always enjoyed a good laugh and he was somebody who was a great and loyal friend." Murtha was admitted to the Virginia hospital on Jan. 31 after complications arose from surgery he had received at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Rendell said Monday that he has not decided when to schedule a special election to replace Murtha. He has 10 days by law; the political parties must come up with their own candidates. The governor said that it would save taxpayer money to hold the election on May 18, the state's planned primary date, but that he might set it sooner in the event of urgent congressional issues. Murtha was born June 17, The former newspaper delivery boy left college in 1952 to join the Marines, where he rose through the ranks to become a drill instructor at Parris Island, S.C., and later served in the 2nd Marine Division. He settled in Johnstown, then volunteered for Vietnam, where he served as an intelligence officer and earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was serving in the Pennsylvania House in Harrisburg when he was elected to Congress in a special election in In 1990, he retired from the Marine Reserves as a colonel. "Ever since I was a young boy, I had two goals in life I wanted to be a colonel in the Marine Corps and a member of Congress," Murtha wrote in his 2004 book, "From Vietnam to 9/11." Murtha's criticism of the Iraq war intensified in 2006, when he accused Marines of murdering Iraqi civilians "in cold blood" at Haditha, after one Marine died and two were wounded by a roadside bomb. Critics said Murtha unfairly held the Marines responsible before an investigation was concluded and fueled enemy retaliation. He said that the war couldn't be won militarily and that such incidents dimmed the prospect for a political solution. "This is the kind of war you have to win the hearts and minds of the people," Murtha said. "And we're set back every time something like this happens." Murtha was a perennial target of critics of so-called pay-to-play politics. He routinely drew the attention of ethical watchdogs with off-the-floor activities, from his entanglement in the Abscam

3 corruption probe three decades ago to the more recent scrutiny of the connection between specialinterest spending known as earmarks and the raising of cash for campaigns. Murtha defended the practice of earmarking. The money, he said, benefited his constituents. He became chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee in Murtha's critics recall the Abscam corruption probe, in which the FBI caught him on videotape in a 1980 sting operation turning down a $50,000 bribe offer while holding out the possibility that he might take money in the future. "We do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested and maybe I won't," Murtha said on the tape. Six congressmen and one senator were convicted in that case. Murtha was not charged, but the government named him as an unindicted co-conspirator and he testified against two other congressmen. Murtha's district encompasses all or part of nine counties in southwestern Pennsylvania and embodies the region's stereotypes of coal mines, steel mills and blue-collar values. State Sen. Don White, an Army veteran and a Republican who represents a portion of Murtha's district, said he and Murtha were longtime friends, despite holding different political views and serving in different branches of the military. "He made sure that Washington, D.C., knew where Johnstown, Indiana, Kittanning and a lot of other sites in western Pennsylvania were located," White said. Survivors include his wife of nearly 55 years, Joyce, and three children. Observer-Reporter, 2/9/2010 3:31 AM Lawmaker will be missed by colleagues, constituents By Barbara S. Miller, Staff writer, bmiller@observer-reporter.com Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell cannot, by law, appoint a successor to U.S. Rep. John Murtha, who died Monday, but he can issue a "writ of election" within 10 days of the vacancy. A special election cannot be scheduled less than 60 days of the issuance of the writ, but, "There's no end date," said Leslie Amoros, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of State. U.S. Congressman John Murtha In other words, a special election for the 12 th Congressional District, which includes all of Greene County and about half of Washington County, could be held any time this year from about mid-april. The regular election cycle would also take place,

4 and two Republicans who had hoped to eventually challenge Murtha in the fall also weighed in with statements on the congressman's death. Rendell addressed the vacancy question only briefly Monday afternoon in a conference call from Harrisburg with members of the media. "My inclination is always to save the counties and the state money first and hold a special election on primary day (May 18)," Rendell said. "But there may be extraordinary issues Congress may have to decide before primary day." He said he'd be talking to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now-senior Pennsylvania Congressman Bob Brady, D-Philadelphia, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer about "how important it is to have a special election." In a special election and the involvement of Republican and Democratic state committees, Rendell said, "Obviously, people are going to have to come forward. "This is not the day for that." The last time a congressional vacancy occurred in Pennsylvania was in February 2001, when U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster resigned his seat in the 9 th District. His son, Bill, won the seat in a special election that was held in May of that year. Rendell cited Murtha's clout in talking of his passing. "Wherever you were in Pennsylvania, certainly for anyone sitting in this chair, Jack Murtha was our go-to guy. He'll be missed in countless ways. "For Southwestern Pennsylvania and the areas he represented east to the Johnstown area, the economic development Jack brought in his district was maybe second to none. He wanted people to have a decent, family-sustaining job, and second to that was his devotion to the American fighting man and fighting woman." Two Republican congressional hopefuls had issued statements by late afternoon Monday. Tim Burns of Eighty Four said, "Congressman John Murtha's life was a story of service and dedication to his country and his constituents. "He learned the value of public service as an Eagle Scout and carried it with him to the Marine Corps, where he volunteered for service in Vietnam. All Americans, regardless of their political views, owe Congressman Murtha a debt of gratitude for his dedication to his beliefs and his life of service to our country. Today, I join all of Congressman Murtha's constituents in offering my deepest condolences and prayers to Mrs. Joyce Murtha and the entire Murtha family at this difficult time.' William Russell of Johnstown, Murtha's Republican opponent in 2008, who had planned a campaign stop in the Mon Valley on Thursday, issued a brief statement Monday:

5 "Today's news will be met with profound sadness by the hundreds of thousands of constituents he served in Johnstown and throughout the 12 th Congressional District. "To Joyce, their children and grandchildren, we extend our heartfelt respect as you honor Mr. Murtha's memory and reflect on his legacy in the upcoming days and months." He soon followed it up with another message: "The Russell campaign is immediately initiating a moratorium on all political media activity for the next five days in respect of the passing of John Murtha. The campaign will also remove all political references to Mr. Murtha" on its Web site. Representing the other half of Washington County is Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair. "It is a sad day for Jack's constituents in the 12 th Congressional district, for the Commonwealth and the nation," Murphy said in a statement. "No more dedicated a public servant could be found than Jack Murtha. Jack was a Marine who fought for his country and brought his same fighting principles to the halls of Congress on behalf of his constituents and Pennsylvania. Not only have I lost a colleague but sadder yet, I've lost a friend." Former U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara said Murtha's death is surely a loss for Washington County. "His seniority played a big role in the amount of federal dollars coming back here," said Mascara, who served in Congress from 1995 to Mascara and Murtha, fellow Democrats, had a working relationship prior to the redistricting that occurred following the 2000 census, when the 20 th Congressional District, which included much of the Mon Valley, was split between the 12 th and 18 th Congressional Districts. Mascara opted to run against Murtha in the 12 th 's Democratic primary, since the redrawn 12 th contained more of Mascara's old territory than Murtha's. After a bruising primary filled with negative campaigning by both candidates, Murtha won by a widerthan-expected margin. "I'm sure (his death) is a loss to his family and constituents," said Mascara. "They have my sympathy." Washington County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Maggi was shocked when told of Murtha's death. "He worked tirelessly," Maggi said. "He has only been our congressman for the past six or seven years, but he cared what happened here and tried to help us with our problems with the federal government." Maggi's counterpart in Greene County, Commission Chairman Pam Snyder said, "I am just sick, so distraught. "He was such a good man who did so much for Southwestern Pennsylvania, " she said. "He is unparalleled as a U.S. representative." She cited Murtha's legacy in Greene County, securing millions of dollars for the development of Walmart at the Waynesburg Crossings retail center. The county commissioners named the road leading to the complex as Murtha Drive. "I am just so devastated," Snyder said. "This loss is too deep to even grasp."

6 Murtha attended Washington & Jefferson College before joining the Marines, and W&J President Tori Haring-Smith said she was "deeply saddened" at news of his death. She said Murtha was "a strong supporter of this college, and this region, and very deeply appreciated the value of an education." Larry Spahr, Washington County elections director and a Union Township supervisor, credited Murtha with the construction of sewers in the community of Elrama, which had languished on a back burner for nearly 20 years. "He put a sufficient amount of money to keep the monthly sewer bills at an affordable level at a very reduced cost - $60 a month and with taps costing $1,000. There are taps here in Washington County that are almost $6,000." He likened Murtha to another senior member of Congress, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, legendary for bringing home the bacon. "Murtha did the same thing for his people in Pennsylvania, no question." Staff writer Linda Metz contributed to this story.