John Murtha (D)Pa. notorious for his success as the "King of Pork" by bringing home federal dollars for his state and the John Murtha Airport, has shown his hand with his political rival,Bill Russell. With Russell, we have a perfect example of the power-brokering John Murtha's boys will use when dealing with political rivals who would dare challenge his pork-laden empire.
As for strong-arming political opponents, Bill Russell (R) who recently challenged Murtha and lost the 2008 election by 16% to Murtha, received a political threat from Murtha's chief of staff, Bill Hugya. Russell who plans to challenge Murtha again in a rematch in 2010, apparently attracted Rugya's attention. Russell reports while he was working the tables at an NRA event, Murtha's top guy,Rugya, threatened Russell with the following as reported by
Fox News:
"Rep. John Murtha's opponent in the 2008 election claims the Pennsylvania congressman's chief of staff has threatened to have him recalled to active duty and court-martialed for campaigning while in the military, which is in violation of military code."
It happens that Bill Russell was in the military when he ran against Murtha which is a violation of military code. Russell was in the reserves, and claims he was not actively campaigning in April,May,and June of 2008, but did resign when he actively campaigned against Murtha.
Russell also told Fox News that Rugya used these words when threatening him:
"What are you gonna do when we have the new secretary of the Army seated and have your ass recalled to active duty for that s--- you pulled last summer?"
If true, and Murtha's office has not denied it,then Bill Russell has every right to be concerned. It seems that Rugya was considering making good on his threat by approaching, Ret.Lt. Colonel Ritch,who is Bill Russell's former commanding office,with the possibility to court-Martial Bill Russell!
Even though Murtha brags about how it is his job to bring home the bacon to Pennsylvania, he still uses federal tax dollars, and recently received $800,000 from the Stimulus bill for his name-sake and unprofitable airport.
Murtha,as stated before on this blog, is a
walking ad for term limits. For a career politician to wield such power in Washington and at home is unsettling.
Murtha brings to mind the greed and power profiling of old characters out of the fiction and movie themes of the South. Think of Will Varner,the bullying owner of an entire town in Mississippi, and "Big Daddy" in "Cat On a Hot tin Roof",and we begin to get the perfect picture of Senator John Murtha.
