John Murtha dead at 77
Democrat Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania passed away today at Virginia Hospital Center following gallbladder surgery last month.
I’ll let my archives on his political career speak for itself. For now, condolences to the Murtha family. And I echo this message from GOP challenger Bill Russell:
RUSSELL ASKS FOR PRAYERS FOR MURTHA FAMILY
Announces a Moratorium on Campaign Media Efforts
(JOHNSTOWN, PA) – Responding to the sudden and unfortunate announcement of the death of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA-12th), GOP challenger William Russell has asked all citizens, Republicans, Democrats and Independents to come together and pray for Joyce and the Murtha family as they deal with the tragic loss of husband, father and grandfather. “While Mr. Murtha and I were political combatants in every sense, our family and campaign team asks you to keep the Murtha family in your thoughts and prayers,” said Russell. “Regardless of your political position, you always knew Jack had an immense love and loyalty to his family and the residents of the12th Congressional District.
The Russell campaign is immediately initiating a moratorium on all political media activity for the next five days in respect of the passing of John Murtha. The campaign will also remove all political references to Mr. Murtha on the Russellbrigade.com website immediately.
It is the wish of the William Russell for Congress Committee, that the passing of Mr. Murtha be treated with the utmost respect and decency by all…
Yes, we can show Murtha’s family more decency and respect than he ever showed the Haditha Marines.
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Categories: John Murtha
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Bye Jack.
Thank you Mr. Russell.
If you can’t say anything good…
My condolences to the Murtha family.
-USMC active duty 1975-1979
See ya Jackie and hello LtC William Russell!
Here is a summary of this criminal’s political record while in Washington DC
1. Wrote a House Resolution calling the United States military a failure and should leave Iraq
2. When #1 above failed, He falsely and intentionally accused U.S. Marines of murder in Haditha, Iraq in an attempt to end the war early
3. Earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars as bribes to his district’s campaign supporters and filthy corporate welfare ridden voter block
4. The Abscam investigation where he temporarily put off a bribe of $50K to grant quick citizen ship to Saudi Nationals (FBI sting), but asked them to give $$$ to his friends
Hey Murtha, Have fun burning in hell with Ted Kennedy. When you violate your oath to the Constitution and destroyed people’s lives and reputations, you get No sympathy from me.
My prayers with his family. But, I am glad he will no longer bea bale to make policy in our country.
RIP
As posted in the other thread.
Didn’t agree with any of his politics but the man volunteered for combat in Vietnam and won the Bronze Star (with Valor device), two Purple Hearts, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and retired from the Marine Corps receiving the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
Have to acknowledge and respect distinguished service.
Prayers for his family.
I’d hate to celebrate someone’s death, but good riddance.
I cannot come up with too much sympathy for this man who would malign our troops the way he did.
Great news for Bill Russell. Maybe he can finally break the stranglehold that the Democrats have on this district.
Sincere condolences to Mr. Murtha’s family. (Note: Let’s follow Mr. Russell’s & Michelle’s advice…no snide comments. Some of the other conservative bloggers’ comments are shameful. Ignore the politics for a few minutes. Mr. Murtha leaves behind a family who loved him.)
Mr. Russell sure is a classy guy.
I’ll second what he says.
The USA is a better place.
The current US MARINES are safer now.
My condolences to the Murtha family as well.
God bless the US Marine Corps.
May almighty God have mercy on him, forgive him his sins, and bring him to everlasting life.
Whew, that hurt! Sometimes hard to be Christian.
Amen.
My condolences to the Murtha family in their of grief.
That was a classey move by Russell. To the Murthat family, my prayers go out to you.
Regardless of political position the one thing that can be said about Murtha is while he served in the Corps he served honorably and that should be respected.
As my mom always said…
.
Mr. Russell, Class will out.!
Time just imposed its own term limit on Rep. Murtha (D). That’s about the only nice thing I can say.
Have fun burning in hell with Ted Kennedy.
If you believe that’s where they went, take care you don’t find yourself joining them there. You’re not the Divine Judge (as neither am I).
O my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fires of Hell.
Lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need of Your mercy.
As I noted @ HillBuzz ……………….
Semper Fi’
DM
I too, thank him for his service to his country. Too bad he let his idealogical politics and blind loyalty to liberal thinking besmirch his memory. Prayers out to the family of Rep Murtha.
Good luck to William Russell. We need politicians with an ounce or two of class.
From my post #24
Sorry for the using the wrong word. Fatigue.
I’m just sorry the Haditha Marines weren’t there to look him in the eyes.
RIP. Prayers to his family.
RIP.It appears that he did right while serving and the military did right by him.To bad he lost that bond for political gain for his party against a President while knee deep in defense deals.
Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Jack.
Some sources are indicating that the cause of death may have been unintentional cutting of the intestines during the gall bladder surgery.
Does this mean his surgeons “killed an innocent civilian in cold blood”?
Just asking…
Give him 21 guns, bury him in Arlington, name his stupid airpork after him, and then shut it down.
Representative Murtha could find very few supporters on this website and I think most of us know why….however let’s try and keep our feelings under control. After all this is not the DailyKos or a similar wacko website.
May God grant his family peace and comfort during this time of sorrow at the lost of their loved one.
Was Jack’s Dr. in favor of late term abortion? I’m just asking.
Condolences to the Murtha family.
DesertLover
SSGT – USMC
1963-1973
Prayers are with him and his family, and I applaud the reactions on here from conservatives. I remember when Ann Coulter’s father died, some liberal journalists were rejoicing.
Keep showing the left the difference between them and everyone else.
I wish his career had ended at the polls in November instead.
Silence
From this Marine
Speak nothing but good of the dead.
He fought for his country in Vietnam. After that, well…we know the rest. Now he is at rest, which is the only way he was going to lose that seat.
Benedict Arnold was an American hero after that…we know the rest.
“Oh my God, they killed Kenny! …You bast@rds!”
Semper Fi
(respect the rank/office…)
This news caught me by surprise. Elected to Congress in ’74. Quite a long time to hold onto that seat. I wonder who his party will put in his place for the elections. Should be interesting.
Goodbye, Rep. Murtha. Condolences to his family. He was a fighter to the end.
Encumbants are dropping like flies..one way or the other.
Was that mean?
Condolences to the family, with great respect for his service as a Marine. After that time he changed, obviously and not for the betterment of his country.
I have to be honest, I have no feelings of remorse for his death, he acted as an un-American bully in the House, not working to better our country IMO.
He’s not the 1st war hero to change to a liberal, un-American way of thinking and acting, ex. Juan McShame.
Hopefully Inouye is next.
Prayers and condolences for his family. May a gracious and loving God have mercy on him.
“incumbents” sorry.
Murtha I am sorry for your family that you died. What you did in condemning those Haditha Marines was terrible thing to do. You will not be on of the few guarding the streets “On Heaven’s Scenes” which we all know are guarded by United States Marines!
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.
Exactly.
Condolances to the family.
He broke with the tradition of loyalty to his fellow Marines for personal gain. I would turn my back to his casket.
“To err is human, to forgive, divine. Neither are Marine Corps policy.”
Umm….
Uh….
Hmmm…
my motto:
If you can’t say anything nice, come sit next to me.
Here richly, with ridiculous display,
The Politician’s corpse was laid away.
While all of his acquaintances sneered and slanged,
I wept; for I had longed to see him hanged.
It’s just difficult to be nice to such an awful excuse for someone that claimed to be representing the people. Even in death.
And remember, just because someone serves this country doesn’t mean I have to respect and revere him. Howard Zinn is a prime example; this cartoon is exactly how I feel about Zinn and Murtha.
well, it’s a good day when there are suddenly less bad men breathing, and today there’s one less
This is a fine example of Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony. We’ve all been convinced that judging is wrong (mainly through the twisting of Scripture). I, for one, am proud to serve a closed-minded, intolerant God.
“Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:20
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6
People take themselves waaayyy too seriously by giving themselves waaaay too much credit and thereby become waaay to prideful…
Personally, I want to thank Rep. Murtha for his actions and service to our country as a Marine in Vietnam. In my opinion, anyone who puts on a uniform and steps into harms way, is a hero.
Unfortunately, his career in Congress was the opposite of his military career and I am not a big fan.
However, I have prayed for his family and I ask all to pray for his wife and family.
None of us know when our end will come so we had all better be prepared to stand before God with our Savior in our heart. I know I am ready.
I don’t know the circumstances regarding Murtha’s health other than the gall bladder surgery, but gall bladder inflammation makes a person feel like they have severe and constant heartburn. It kills their appetite and interferes greatly with sleep. This leads to a lack of nutrition and rest that can quickly become an older person’s final decline, especially when underlying factors such as heart disease are present. So when an older person you know (including yourself if/when you’re older) starts having a lot of heartburn, encourage them to get that gall bladder checked and taken out as quickly as possible – and don’t assume that a negative ultrasound rules out gall bladder inflammation. Arthroscopic exploratory surgery is available, and it isn’t uncommon for the surgeon to look in under minimally invasive circumstances and see inflammation that none of the tests could detect. At that point, the gall bladder is easily removed, as a continuation of the arthroscopic procedure.
Just taking the pain pill doesn’t have to be – and shouldn’t be – the only option.
I’m afraid I have no apologies for having cheered out loud when I heard Murtha was dead – the world is a better place now. Did the same for Mary Jo’s killer, Ted Kennedy. Pelosi’s attack dog never had to account for those American soldiers killed by terrorists who were convinced to join the jihad by watching videos of Murtha’s foul lies about our soldiers murdering Iraqis – and Murtha made his comments before these soldiers had been charged by politically motivated prosecutors, and thank God all have been acquitted. Murtha never apologized – or retracted his blood libels. Wish I could travel so I could take a piss on the traitor’s grave.
De mortuis, nihil nisi bonum
In that spirit let me say that John Murtha did an outstanding job exposing government fraud and corruption (by example) and will forever be remembered as a founding inspiration for the Tea Party movement in America.
Ditto from me.
Rest in peace, John.
May God have mercy on you.
Because we know Chesty Puller and Joe Foss won’t.
Sincere condolences to the Murtha family, and to those in Congress that will miss him.
Perhaps, one day, I’ll gain the insight into human behavior that explains how a man can serve his country with honor and distinction in the military, then once elected to public office exhibit few of those traits. I pray God helps me answer those questions.
Send_Me:
One can judge a man’s actions, and his legacy. But God’s Grace is not closed off to any man who accepts it, and no matter how dire the circumstances. Yes, God is not “tolerant”. But He is also merciful, and we wish that His grace and mercy are accepted by all who are offered it. I know nothing of the state of John Murtha’s soul. I can only pray that he has been forgiven, and that he and you and I may all eventually stand before the Throne of Grace, there in spite of ourselves.
(full disclosure: if you couldn’t tell by the Fatima Prayer quoted earlier, I’m Roman Catholic).
I disagree.
After these events he became a very corrupt political individual. So corrupt that he falsified votes on the floor of congress. This was caught on tape and I’ve seen the footage. This amounts to a treasonous act and he should have been hanged from the closest tree.
Good riddance.
24KLady, it is called greed. John Murtha at one time understood the idea of service to his country but once you fall for the temptation of greed, it is hard to find your way back. If we want our representatives to remain servants of the citizens we have to remove the trappings of royalty. Why do they get a lifetime pension for serving ONE term, even if they are convicted of crimes? Change that to one half of your highest salary with 20 years of service and complete loss of pension if convicted of any crimes and you would see less self-serving individuals in office. Good enough for the military but not for those who send them to war? Hmmmm.
And that is where you are no different than liberals.
There are two ways to judge others: by their actions, and the eternal destination of their souls.
The first is acceptable. Some behaviors are not tolerable to God and as Christians, we are called to “admonish the sinner” and attempt to warn those who are leading lives of sin. When liberals say “judge not”, that passage does not refer to judging behavior, but souls.
The second is the unacceptable judgment. You and I are not God, we do not make that final decision. I would look to Matthew 6:14-15 if this matter is unclear to anyone:
The Military is much stricter than Congress. When I served-Air Force-I discharged many people for what pales to what politicians get away with. Their families also suffered for their wrongdoing. If the Congress really upheld ethics investigations and took appropriate action, it may help clean up the mess. Don’t hold your breath.
Wow, my bad day just got changed to good. Thanks Jack!
I don’t think I’m being disrespectful to the deceased if I observe that too many incumbents have to be carried out instead of voted out or voluntarily retiring for there to be fresh blood in their seats.
Englishqueen is correct.
Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul and all the souls of the Faithfully departed through the Mercy of God rest in Peace.
My sincerest condolences to the Murtha family.
One thing I can’t stand at funerals is when the preacher “preaches the dead into heaven,” even if the person was a scoundrel.
I believe in being fair, and it is fair to say that Murtha was a scoundrel. That didn’t change just because he died.
Don’t speak ill of the dead? So we should never say anything negative about anyone just because they died? Should we be silent about Saddam, or Hitler, or Stalin? Obviously Murtha wasn’t a scoundrel on their level, but I hope you get my point.
Buy the truth, and do not sell it.
Yup.
I was never of the school that holds that if you can’t say something nice about someone, you should say nothing. However, I think that’s a good rule to follow for the recently departed.
Regarding John Murtha, I can say that the period of mourning his passing will be abbreviated in my household.
Amen, nbarry, a tribute to a population of Americans who have neglected their obligations of citizenship to be properly informed.
May God grant peace to Murtha’s family in their time of grief.
In any case, I cannot help myself. I do not ask forgiveness. What Murtha did as a politician was disgraceful. He truly hurt good Marines fighting in Haditha and elsewhere, he undermined the country’s efforts in Iraq, he was a corrupt porker who did no small damage to the nation’s finances, and he blatantly insulted his own constituents as racists and bigots. That he died in office rather than be turned out is in itself a disgrace. We must hold similar politicians, and there are plenty of them, to account in November.
I will simply repeat what I posted on Twitter:
I don’t believe in “kicking a man when he’s
down” dead, but obviously, I have nothing good to say about John (our Marines are murderers) Murtha. Out of respect for his family, who I assume loved him very much, I will just say, RIP. And I pray that they will find peace in their sorrow.Here is everything that needs to be said in Murtha’s memory.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
Having a friend in college of the same name (and from the same state), I am not sure I agree with this. If my friend from college was any relation to this ******* (a disctinct possibility), he is definitely NOT corrupt. He’s not even political …
Doesn’t change Murtha’s ******* status, but I do believe it’s wrong to put this man’s faults on his family. This is America, and we do not punish the son for the sins of the father.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
*Kudos to Mr. Russell, and may God have mercy on Mr. Murtha.
There is no problem asking God to be merciful to John Murtha – God is merciful. But Murtha did not seek mercy in life but rather money and power. Mercy towards others he spurned. Those who risked their lives to protect us he placed in mortal peril without mercy or regret. And now his spirt is surely bound and heavily burdened with the chains he forged in life, long and heavy and cold. Perhaps one night, some Christmas eve perhaps, he can bring a warning to Pelosi or B.O.
Maybe Murtha will now get a better idea as to how long it takes to re-deploy from Okinawa.
I’m reposting here what I had written at HA:
I just left FB and came here, and wouldn’t you know it? I knew after seeing a post on FB about Murtha’s demise that someone would bring up his military service.
That means absolutely nothing when compared to the hatred he has shown for everyday Americans? Examples? Calling his constituents redneck racists, taking advantage of his constituents by ripping off the government, and so on.
I’m tired of people like Murtha who think themselves above reproach and believe they are entitled to a seat in congress being played up as though they have done no wrong. Murtha is gone, so, taking a page from the fascists’ playbook, let’s look at this as an opportunity to reclaim a seat for America.
No we don’t. But in God’s sovereignty, the sins of the father almost always are visited upon the son.
Wonder why he died from a rotten gall bladder?
I thank the Marine for his service to his country. Semper fi.
Well Gee, God Bless Him because I am sure that many of us will not.
I wished him no ill will. Personally I was more upset at the loss of Rescue Randy .
Hopefully PA will elect a good and ‘honest’ replacement.
The left have beat the right over the head with this since the begining of time.
The quote is in reference to believers in Christ to not judge other believers…some being stronger in their faith than others (take the log out of your eye first before you pick the speck out of your brother’s eye).
I don’t see Murtha as my brother. He would have demonstrated spiritual fruits othewise.
Just remember his slam on our service people. For his family my sympathies–as for Murtha himself all I can say is enjoy Hell.
Death has cheated us.
Then leave that to God.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
Poetic justice.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
RWR, did mrminority return to his blog? I haven’t looked.
The hatred on here is really a bit much.
I don’t think his constituents ever felt wronged. Everyone in Jtown knew he was a mob guy to start with, which means corruption. It’s accepted at some level. He brought MILLIONS to that economy in pork, is that not serving his constituents? People there are very proud about their old world heritage, and are fierce culturalists (ethnicity, religion, etc). It’s called Pennsyltucky for a reason. They weren’t too keen on voting for a black guy…and they’ll tell you that.
That’s not saying everyone liked Murtha, but they certainly didn’t hate him. The Haditha thing was a bit bizarre and uncharacteristic. I chalk that up to Bush Derangement Syndrome.
No.
However, if you would like me to email him and implore him to return, I’ll gladly do so.
However, he didn’t respond when I invited him to blog at The Second American Revolution, so who knows what he’s up to.
He was a wonderful voice, however, and it’s sad that he’s gone silent.
RWR
http://www.rightwingrocker.com
Stop, you’re scaring me. The Ghost of Christmas Pretense?
Obamaneser Scrooge: “You’re not real. You’re nothing but a bit of undigested PORK. Be Gone!”
The John Murtha Airport just went on life support.
Fair winds and following seas, and long may your big jib draw. RIP and Semper Fi Shipmate. Devil Doc ’68-’72
OK, now that’s funny. I don’t care who you are.
You think this is bad wait till he reaches room temp. He stabbed every Marine that ever lived, and died, in the back. I don’t understand what was wrong with his gall bladder. He had plenty of it.
His rantings left me in hysterics sometimes.