[Rodeo]

I think John Murtha was the most courageous public official in the nation a year ago, when he was the first to acknowledge publicly that Iraq was the disaster everyone privately knew it to be. He was the first to call for a redeployment, which still remains the best of the bad options our president has left us. He held his ground in the face of fierce attacks from the WH, and the country soon realized that he was, and is, right.

That's leadership, a rare commodity these days.

But I don't think he should be the House Majority Leader. There's the AMSCAM thing, where although he was never charged, his conduct was marginal at best. And perhaps more importantly, he's the king of earmarks, trading political favors for money for home districts. While there is nothing illegal about his horse trading, the Congress needs to overhaul that system. Murtha's not the guy to do it.

So thanks to him for his courage, but no thanks to his leadership bid.