February 21, 2007
Italics by Ann "Lunacy's My Middle Name" Coulter
Logic and reason by Billie Shears
Rumored ex-Marine John Murtha, Democrat congressman from Pennsylvania, has become the darling of the cut-and-run crowd for trying to place absurd restrictions on our troops, amounting to withdrawal from Iraq. Were Arab sheiks whispering into his ear?
OK, Annie, I'm going to stop you right here. Just for a moment. What exactly do you mean "rumored ex-Marine"? His military service is not disputed. He really did volunteer for a year's worth of service in Vietnam. He didn't opt to have his rich and powerful Daddy get him a cushy spot in the National Guard like Bush, a position the man didn't even show up for, mind you. You see Ann, since practically no powerful Washington republicans served in Vietnam, the way they discredit those who do is by attacking their honors. They did it with Kerry and they've done it with Murtha. Carry on.
In case you missed the video on "I Love the '80s," Rep. Murtha was caught on tape negotiating bribes with Arab sheiks during the FBI's Abscam investigation in 1980. The Abscam investigation was conducted by Jimmy Carter's Justice Department, not right-wing Republicans. On tape, Murtha told the undercover FBI agent: "When I make a f***in' deal I want to make sure that I know exactly what I'm doing and ... what I'm sayin' is, a few investments in my district ..."
I'm not going to bother explaining this situation until your tantrum starts winding down.
It is a profound and shocking fact that Murtha even showed up at this meeting, knowing he was going to be negotiating bribe money with Arabs.
Actually no, he wasn't negotiating bribe money at all. He was negotiating the investment of Arab sheiks into his district, because the district was, at the time, in 24% unemployment. When he was offered $50,000, he turned it down. If you want to talk being in deep with the middle east, why don't you take a look at the Bush dynasty? Or the Iran-Contra scandal? And "Arab sheiks" are not the same as "terrorist sheiks".
Murtha added that he wanted the investment in his district to look like it was done "legitimately ... when I say legitimately, I'm talking about so these bastards up here can't say to me ... 'Jesus Christ, ah, this happened,' then he (someone else), in order to get immunity so he doesn't go to jail, he starts talking and fingering people and then the son of a bitch all falls apart."
The fact that you started the quote off at "legitimately" instead of "I want this shady stuff to look like it was done legitimately" made me extremely suspicious, so I looked up the transcript myself. Even the clips played on Hannity and Colmes are far from damning.
For those of you just joining us, no, this isn't a scene from "The Sopranos." It's an actual conversation between a U.S. congressman and an FBI agent posing as an Arab sheik offering a bribe.
Murtha further said that although he was not prepared to accept cash at that time, "after we've done some business, then I might change my mind." You know, just what you or I or any American might say when offered a cash bribe by an Arab.
Actually, what he said was as follows:
THE TERRIST - Let me ask you now we're here together, I was under the impression, OK, and I told Howard we were willing to pay. And OK, I went out and got the fifty thousand. From what you're telling me, OK, you're telling me that's not what, you know, that that's not what you...
THE MURTHA - I'm not interested.
THE TERRIST - OK.
THE MURTHA - At this point.
THE TERRIST - OK.
THE MURTHA - You know, we do business for a while, maybe I'll be interested, maybe I won't, you know.
Ohhh yeah. That is so damning. Wow. He doesn't take money.
The ever-helpful media exposed the Abscam investigation before it could be completed, and consequently we were deprived of the possibility of seeing Murtha on tape stuffing cash in his trousers like the other Democratic congressmen (and one "moderate" Republican) convicted in the Abscam investigation. Or, as Al Gore used to call such a fund-raising procedure, "community outreach."
You know Ann, I love your articles, but I was wondering if it would be humanly possible for you to base your article more than 100% on speculation and unjustified outrage. No? Well, I guess that's understandable, I won't feel too let down. How convenient that you are up in arms about the Abscam scandal of the seventies as opposed to the Abramoff scandal of, well, right now.
But Murtha was willing to trade favors in return for investment in his district — and suggested he might take cash down the line. In other words, Murtha wasn't calling for an immediate surrender of his scruples and principles, but rather a phased withdrawal of them.
The unbridled hypocrisy of all of this is just absolutely blinding. Murtha is, in this "scandal", that has by the way, not kept him from getting re-elected thirteen times, trying to bring business into his district, taking no money at all for himself. What would you rather he do, Ann? Sell weapons illegally? I'm pretty sure your boy Reagan had the market cornered on that one. And besides, that didn't benefit the American economy, the funds from those sales went to fuel guerrilla warfare in Nicaragua. Although, Reagan probably jumpstarted the economy when he had to employ all those paper shredders and arsonists to get rid of the evidence after the fact.
In fact, according to a co-conspirator's affidavit, it didn't take long for Murtha to warm to the idea of a cash bribe. About a month after the taped meeting with Murtha, the co-conspirator, lawyer Howard L. Criden, wrote in his affidavit: "Yesterday, Feb. 1, (Democrat Congressman Frank 'Topper') Thompson called and told me that Murtha was ready to go," adding that Murtha had indicated "during January that he was not ready to do business but would be willing to do so in the future."
Criden said: "Congressman Murtha of Pennsylvania would be willing to enter into an agreement similar to that of the other congressmen" — i.e., taking $50,000 cash from the sheiks for legislative favors.
I find that extremely difficult to believe that what you're saying has to do with taking $50,000 from the sheiks. Because, as you see, of all the Congressman involved in the scandal, fewer than 10 were found to have engaged in the taking of monetary bribes. Furthermore, the fact that this was "a month later" also makes it hard for me to believe the validity of your statement, being as Murtha found out that the man he had been talking to was an FBI agent a few weeks after the incident occurred.
Criden's affidavit went unsigned, according to his lawyer, Richard Ben-Veniste, solely because of the resulting publicity when the press blew the investigation, leading Criden to believe the prosecutors had broken the deal.
Criden was later convicted and sentenced to six years in prison, along with seven members of Congress (six of them Democrats). Murtha was an unindicted co-conspirator. (Would that Patrick Fitzgerald were prosecuting the case!)
So your frame of reference is an unsigned affadavit from one of the ones who DID take bribes? Oh, that's reliable. And if they were just hauling Democrats away left and right, why not indict Murtha too? Oh what's that, Ann? They didn't have a case? You don't say. Actually, no, you didn't say, because you have this way of being absolutely obtuse when it comes to common sense.
As an attorney, let me give you the technical legal description of what occurred: John Murtha was as guilty as O.J. Simpson.
Of course. That's the logical conclusion, given the fact that he was never even put on trial.
Now Murtha issues high moral pronouncements on the war and denounces our troops, calling the U.S. military "broken, worn out" and "living hand to mouth." Gee, too bad there aren't any Arab sheiks offering them cash bribes. Sounds like they could really use the money.
Murtha probably could use the money too. I don't know if you've heard...but he didn't take the money.
Murtha accuses Marines of killing "innocent civilians in cold blood" during an ongoing investigation. Semper Fi, Mr. Dirty Congressman.
And of course, even if they did kill innocent civilians in cold blood, it's not nearly as bad as not taking bribe money.
Instead of toppling brutal dictators and spreading democracy in the Middle East, Murtha apparently prefers the old way of doing business with Arabs, where he gets juice from the sheiks.
Spreading democracy? If I make you mad, Ann, say, by starting a website that debunks your flaming rhetoric with logic and supported evidence, will you spread democracy to me? Oh, please don't, I can't handle it. Please don't turn me into a breeding ground for terrorists.
The Democrats' cheat-sheet on Murtha demands that it be shouted out: "He didn't take a bribe on tape!" That's their defense. There is not even a pretense that he didn't talk to Arabs about a bribe.
Quote me one Democrat that shouted out, "He didn't take a bribe on tape!" Actually, don't bother, I did my research. Not one Democrat has said that. And what's worse is that you're accusing Murtha of taking a bribe off the record from an FBI agent, and not getting convicted while eight other men did. Beautiful, Ann. Beautiful.
He negotiated with a prostitute at the bar, but never consummated the deal. He's a saint! Let him be my congressman!
As a rumored attorney, you should know that negotiating with a prostitute at a bar is not a crime.
It's the Clintonian "incompetency" defense: Murtha was willing to be bribed; he just never got his act together enough to pick up the cash. I may not be honest, but I'm way too disorganized to actually take bribes!
Fine, Murtha was never convicted. Neither was Nixon. Venal hack John Murtha was willing to sell his country's interests to Arab sheiks. This is the man Democrats have put up to lead the anti-war charge today, demanding that the commander in chief stop deploying troops against his Arab friends.
Here's the difference: Nixon resigned and was pardoned by the crony he appointed. Murtha, on the other hand, was investigated and never so much as indicted, whereas eight other men were. Since then, Murtha has won 13 elections in his district. And furthermore, the fact that John Murtha was involved with negotiations with Arab sheiks has absolutely no effect on his credibility as an anti-war Congressman. In fact, since he actually served honorably in not one, but two wars, one would say that this is a distraction tactic. What are you so concerned with that you have to use distraction tactics, Ann? The fact that your commander-in-chief is a no good draft dodger who couldn't show up for the National Guard?
If only this whole war thing would blow over, maybe that Arab is still waiting out there with a deal for him.
Don't you worry, Ann. The way this administration has set up the country for failure, the war may never end.
