Can you imagine any major television news network doing a report on a Republican Congressman's history of exorbitant earmarks without mentioning his Party affiliation?
The words "Republican," "GOP," "right-wing," or "conservative" would likely appear in almost every sentence, correct?
Well, as amazing as it might seem, the "CBS Evening News" on Friday did a fabulous segment about Congressman Jack Murtha (D-Penn.) and his free-spending ways when it comes to his own district, but never once informed viewers that he was a Democrat (video embedded upper right, h/t Hot Air via NBer Blazer):
KATIE COURIC, anchor:
Among power brokers in Washington, Congressman John Murtha is one of the most powerful. In the past four years, he has steered more than $600 million in congressional earmarks to his Pennsylvania district, two billion since 1992. But what's good for Murtha and his home district isn't necessarily good for America's taxpayers. Sharyl Attkisson follows the money.
SHARYL ATTKISSON reporting:
At a recent high-priced fundraiser at the Ritz, top defense lobbyists flocked to honor Congressman John Murtha, head of the House Committee on Military Spending. This year alone, Murtha gave out nearly $160 million in earmarks, grants of money without the normal public review.
(Graphic on screen)
$159.1 Million
Ms. RYAN ALEXANDER (Taxpayers for Common Sense): Every private entity that received an earmark from Representative Murtha gave him a contribution, a campaign contribution.
ATTKISSON: Murtha helped set up the nonprofit Concurrent Technologies in his hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Among the things they do, help others get federal money. They should know, they get $200 million in federal grants each year. Murtha alone doled out nearly $12 million in earmarks to Concurrent this year. Concurrent pays big bucks to PMA, a lobby firm started by a former Murtha committee staffer. Both PMA and Concurrent employees give generously to Murtha's campaigns.
More mysterious is Murtha's million dollar earmark to the Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure.
Representative JEFF FLAKE: (From C-SPAN broadcast) We don't know if this center even exists.
ATTKISSON: Anti-earmark Congressman Jeff Flake had questions when he found no record of the center. Murtha wasn't there, so a colleague spoke for him.
(Begin excerpt from C-SPAN broadcast)
Rep. FLAKE: Does that center currently exist?
Representative PETER VISCLOSKY (Democrat, Indiana, 1st District, Gary Merrillville, Hammond): At this time, I do not know. But if it does not exist, the monies could not go to it.
(End of excerpts)
ATTKISSON: Congressman Murtha wouldn't tell us if the center exists or agree to an interview. His most notorious project is the government agency the government doesn't want, the National Drug Intelligence Center, also in Murtha's hometown. Every year, the White House tries to close it because they already have a drug intelligence center, but Murtha keeps the duplicate open, using--you guessed it--earmarks, a half billion dollars so far.
Ms. LESLIE PAIGE (Citizens Against Government Waste): It's like you want to drive a stake through its heart, but you can't because Congressman Murtha continues to put this in.
ATTKISSON: Murtha's power plays are no surprise to those who followed him since the bribery scandal known as Abscam. He wasn't charged, but the undercover tape shows him even back then bragging about his power.
Representative JOHN MURTHA: (From 1980 undercover video) I've got as much influence in that god...(word censored by station)...Congress with the leadership and the White House as anybody in Congress. There's no question about it. And I haven't been here for a long time, but I know the right people and I know the system.
ATTKISSON: Three decades later, Murtha not only knows the system, he's mastered it. Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News, Washington.
Bravo, CBS. Next time, try telling your viewers what Party the hypocritical elected official represents.
Or, is that just plain verboten when the hypocritical elected official is a Democrat?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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Thank's Noel. They may
April 7, 2008 - 22:13 ET by BlazerThank's Noel. They may have forgotten his party affilliation but now that the MSM has at least mentioned his name, maybe ol' Abscam Jack may start to spend a few restless night's. Most ethical Congress in history my a$$.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
no surprises here
April 7, 2008 - 22:30 ET by RousseI am no longer surprised or dismayed at "reporting" from the alphabets. Because we have a "free press" in this country, they are free to say and write anything they choose. Just when you think that CBS couldn't be anymore repugnant, ABC tops them. But don't count NBC out. It's easy to figure out where all the Hollywood scriptwriters drifted off to during the strike.
But I am free to gather my news elsewhere, as I have done since 1981. It hasn't been easy, but it's a lot better now than it was.
I salute NewsBusters for all your hard work. I appreciate it.
Keep it up NewsBusters!
April 8, 2008 - 06:11 ET by dronetekAt some point they will have to change their ways. I cant beleive they are STILL getting away with this though. Its just so blatently biased and corrupt.
Agreed. Not to mention all
April 8, 2008 - 07:30 ET by WolfremAgreed. Not to mention all of the laws they break like libel, slander and let's certainly not forget treason. Aiding and abieting(sp?) the enemy in time of war.
I remember a couple of years ago, the Chicago Trib found a sympathetic judge to open the sealed divorce documents of a Republican running for senator of Illinois just to dig up some dirt on him, which they used by the way.
IMO business and broadcasting licenses should have been revoked and a majority of them should be in prison now. What good is having laws when they are not enforced?
"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." - George Santayana
Noel, You stopped the
April 8, 2008 - 08:39 ET by Hunter12Noel, You stopped the excerpt too soon. It gets even better. Murtha (D-PA) is funding his campaigns through a dummy corporation that channels his earmarks back to him. ABSCAM looks like peanuts compared to this SCAM.
(End of excerpts)
"Perhaps he should ask Pennsylvania Democrat John P. Murtha. He's the sponsor for this earmark. He also did not show up to defend this so-called Center. Supposedly, the Center is part of a corporation called Concurrent Technologies, which is based in Johnstown, PA.
Yet Flake's attempt to get rid of that earmark failed 98 to 326. Even though Visclosky admitted he did not know what the Center is about, the Democrats still chose to support the earmark.
Here is where it gets interesting. Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is actually a Section 501(c)(3) entity. Their 2005 Form 990 reports no direct support from the public (charitable contributions), yet it has received over $116 million in government grants in that year.
It would seem that back in 1988, Murtha asked the University of Pittsburgh to form a non-profit entity that would focus on excellence in metalworking. This entity would receive funding from the Navy. Over the years, this non-profit became CTC. It would seem that this "corporation" is totally funded by earmarks. The New York Times believe that CTC has been paid almost $1 billion in grants and contracts. From 2002, it would seem that most of the members of the CTC board and directors have contributed to Murtha's campaign.
Daniel DeVos, president of CTC is part of the PMA Group, one of Murtha's largest overall campaign-funders."
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill