UPDATE — As predicted, the measure to reprimand Rep. Murtha was defeated. I noted below that some Dems found it distasteful to vote to protect Murtha.

Of the 221 Democrats who cast a vote, 219 of them voted to protect their own. I guess they didn’t find his thuggery that distasteful.

The two Dems voting with the integrity to vote against Murtha? Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Jim Cooper of Tennessee. I guess they can say goodbye to any of their earmarks in the defense appropriations bills.

Republican Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania voted with the Dems, which isn’t surprising. And makes him a coward.

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We wrote last week about Rep. John “Backroom Deal” Murtha (D-PA) threatening a colleague, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), on the House floor.

Specifically, Rep. Rogers had the temerity to challenge a $23 million pork project for Murtha’s home district. In retaliation for his vote against the pork project, Murtha made the following threat:

I hope you don’t have any earmarks in the defense appropriations bills because they are gone, and you will not get any earmarks now and forever.

House rules forbid members from blocking earmarks based on how a colleague votes. A rule Murtha has clearly violated.

And now it looks like he’s put his Democratic buddies in an uncomfortable position:

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans angled Tuesday to put Democrats in a no-win position: reprimand a senior colleagues or be seen as blindly excusing legislative bullying for partisan reasons.

House leaders tentatively scheduled a late Tuesday vote on a Republican move to reprimand Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat and close ally of House Speaker Hancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The GOP accuses Murtha of making a blatant threat against a Republican who challenged a pet project that Murtha wanted.

Democratic leaders said they believed they had the votes to kill the motion, but conceded that some party members were unhappy about being pressed to defend a blustery colleague known for bare-knuckled politics.

Murtha has not disputed a Republican claim that he stormed across the House floor May 17 to confront Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. Rogers had tried unsuccessfully to strike a $23 million Murtha earmark—or narrowly targeted spending item—for a drug intelligence center in Murtha’s district.

In a House speech Monday, Rogers said Murtha threatened him by saying, “you will not get any earmarks now and forever.”

Rogers, backed by House GOP leaders, said Murtha’s threat violates congressional ethics rules and “merits the reprimand of the House.”

A “blustery colleague” known for “bare-knuckled” politics? Are those the euphemisms the MSM is using for “unethical bully” these days?

The motion will of course be voted down by the Democrats (probably with a little help from some RINOs). But it’ll be interesting to see who votes their approval of this type of unethical behavior.

The “Cleanest Congress evah!” was promised to us by Speaker Hancy…errr…I mean Speaker Nancy Pelsoi. I’m going to have to go ahead and disagree with Madam Speaker on that one.

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007 | Trackback |