Bloodless Coup

Ruth Marcus Writes A Devastating Case Against John Murtha

In a word - Abscam. In several more words:

"I am the guy that didn't take the money," Murtha said this summer when his opponent raised the issue.

Yes, but: He's the guy who, brought into the deal by two other House members -- Frank Thompson (D-N.J.) and John Murphy (D-N.Y.) -- agreed to meet with men offering money in return for official action. He's the guy who knew these two colleagues expected a payoff and even vouched for them with the would-be bribers ("Both of them are solid.").

He's the guy who, when offered a bribe, still wanted to do a deal. "I'm delighted to do business with him and do every goddamn thing I can within bounds, you know, so I don't get myself in jail, in order to get him into the country and whatever needs to be done," he says on the video, unearthed by the conservative American Spectator. (You can watch at http://www.spectator.org/.) He's the guy who -- as a member of the House ethics committee-- did nothing to stop the scheme.

Unless Steny Hoyer has a page problem we con't know about, or has a habit of hunting cute kittens, purely for sport, I think it's abundantly clear who the next House Majority Leader should be - and it's not Nancy Pelosi's guy.

Btw, Marcus also brings up the Alcee Hastings issue - and the new Speaker could very well flub that one too.