[jluetjen]

I sat through the whole vidoe. While it confirmed my worst opinions about politics in general ( Such as congressional favors are keeping inefficient businesses alive, and laws with good intentions (clean air act for example) are so riddled with exceptions as to be a joke.), I can't fault Murtha for what I saw.

1) He didn't take the money.
2) He focused on throwing benefits to (favored) constituants, I'm sure who will repay him favors, yada - yada - yada
3) He didn't stand and moralize or pontificate in front of the guys offering him money. Yeah, so? Much as it would have been nice to see (Gee guys, you can't go throwing money around at congressmen, it's illegal you know!), I'm enough of a realist to know that congressmen get ahead only if they avoid making enemies. Preaching and pointing out the sins of others in the room rarely makes friends or influences people.
4) His offers/requests for future deals don't really count for anything since there's no deal if the money doesn't change hands. And by definition, nothing has happened yet that is still in the future.

It's far easier for me to have issues with Pelosi because of the things that she has said and done, and the stands that she takes, then it is for me to get heartburn over Murtha and Abscam. I have bigger problems with Murth's strategy for Iraq since it doesn't address the fundimental issue that there are countries (for example: Iran, Syria and groups within Lebenon and Saudi Arabia) which are sending guns and money to places like Iraq, Palestinian Territories and Somolia for the purposes of killing civilians and imposing Islamic regimes. (Nothing wrong with Islam in this context, it's the imposing that I have issue with).

So what happens after the troops come home? Let the groups that I mentioned above overrun Iraq? Ignore Somolia? We'll just hole up here in North America and let the world fall apart around us. Didn't we try that in the 1930's?