Let me get this straight... 25 years ago... the FBI caught Murtha NOT accepting bribes?

[jsamuel]

And that is the story?

I hear that he has contributed to earmarks being so bad, but so has Burns and lots of other Dems. Isn't it time to reign them in? Instead of going after those who did it, how about we go after the rules that ALLOW them to do it?

[Boo Boo]

1. Ignorance is bliss

The transcripts of Murtha getting stung by the FBI are embarrassing. Characterizing what happened as getting "caught not taking bribes" is great spin, but it won't help much if they start airing those transcripts on T.V. About the best one can say about it is that Murtha was cagey enough not to just grab the money. The FBI wanted to burn people, like, right now, and Murtha would've only been interested in the money much later. So yeah, they couldn't get him to grab the bait, but what transpired is still an embarrassment.

Whatever. I agree that what is really important is that the system is corrupt and needs to be reformed. Our elected representatives operate within that system, and will continue to be corrupted by it. You can throw the bums out all you want, but if you don't insist on reform it won't do any good. OTOH, Murtha has not shown himself to be a reformer. Most recently, he cut a deal with Republicans whereby he delivered enough Dem votes to sidetrack an ethics inquiry. I don't think he really has any interest in ethics reform.

Oh well. Be that as it may, I tend to think that Pelosi should have the leadership team she wants, and, overall I think that Murtha is preferable to Hoyer if what you want is some sort of strategic redeployment out of Iraq. I think Hoyer falls into the "we're riding a tiger and have no choice but to hold on" camp.

[jsamuel]

2. Well I don't intend to stay ignorant, that is why I asked to get this straight

thanks for your input

I won't take what anyone says as gospel, but I will incorporate the information into what I understand.

[Boo Boo]

5. Sorry, didn't mean for that to be slap. I'll see if I can run down a link to

those transcripts. Not pretty. OTOH, it was 25 years ago. Everybody makes mistakes, I guess.

:shrug:

[LittleClarkie]

3. Which Dem is squeaky clean?

If there was something wrong with Murtha, why is it coming out only now?

I'm just sick of the opposition picking Dems to destroy who might provide a strong opposition to them.

[zreosumgame]

4. you admit he did not take the money and still you insult the OP?

Yes it may be 'embarrassing' that he did not take the bribe I guess. But to try to claim something is spin it really kind of needs to deviate from the facts. Which the OP did not do...

[Boo Boo]

6. Looks to me like you're spinning right now

"Yes it may be 'embarrassing' that he did not take the bribe..."

Obviously, that wasn't my point at all. Getting taped discussing large sums of money with FBI agents, and telling them that you have banks that owe you favors (i.e. you want to stash the money where it can't be found), etc... that's what is embarrassing.

Spin doesn't normally deviate from the facts. Deviating from the facts is called lying. Spin is when you attempt to characterize the facts surrounding some event in order to effect how people perceive that event. You're not deviating from fact, what you are doing is focusing on one fact (Murtha did not take the bribe) while ignoring everything else. The embarrassing part for Murtha happens to be everything else.

Like the OP said, it was 25 years ago. I doubt it's going to hurt him much now.

[mmonk]

7. Reform would be great.