John Murtha

John Murtha, the Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania and decorated former Marine whose fierce opposition to the Iraq war helped catalyze public sentiment against the conflict, died Monday. He was 77. Murtha died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., surrounded by his family, his office announced. He had been hospitalized with complications from gallbladder surgery. "With the passing of Jack Murtha, America lost a great patriot," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement about Murtha, who was an ally of the California congresswoman.

John Murtha, the Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania and decorated former Marine whose fierce opposition to the Iraq war helped catalyze public sentiment against the conflict, died Monday. He was 77. Murtha died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., surrounded by his family, his office announced. He had been hospitalized with complications from gallbladder surgery. "With the passing of Jack Murtha, America lost a great patriot," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement about Murtha, who was an ally of the California congresswoman.

When Congress passed the $417-billion Pentagon spending bill last year, Rep. John P. Murtha, the top Democrat on the House defense appropriations subcommittee, boasted about the money he secured to create jobs in his Pennsylvania district. But the bill Murtha helped write also benefited at least 10 companies represented by a lobbying firm where his brother, Robert "Kit" Murtha, is a senior partner, according to disclosure records, interviews and an analysis of the bill by The Times.

Robert Murtha for years has made a sizable living working with companies that rely on Pentagon contracts over which his uncle, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), holds considerable sway. He has maintained that his uncle played no role in his defense-related work, much of it secured without competition. Newly obtained documents, however, show Robert Murtha mentioning his influential family connection as leverage in his business dealings and holding unusual power in his dealings with the military.

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a Vietnam veteran who has emerged as a leading critic of the war in Iraq, defended himself Wednesday against accusations that he had defamed Marines under investigation in the slayings of 24 civilians in Haditha, saying he publicized the incident to illustrate the pressures soldiers face in Iraq. Murtha was sued Wednesday in federal court by Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, the senior enlisted man on the scene of the Nov.

The 33-year-old son of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) was arrested in a drug sweep on charges of dealing crack cocaine. He already has a record for burglary and robbery. John Mark Murtha remained jailed Friday in lieu of $20,000 bond after his arraignment Thursday. Earlier in the day he had been arrested at his Greensburg home on charges of possessing and selling crack cocaine, officials said. A Dec. 8 hearing was set.

Rep. John P. Murtha, a 16-term Pennsylvania Democrat known for his close ties to the military and his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq, will run for House majority leader if Democrats win control of the chamber in November, he told Democratic colleagues. Murtha, 73, wrote them a letter saying he would seek the post "if we prevail, as I hope and know we will, and return to the majority this next Congress."

Rep. John P. Murtha, a Vietnam veteran first elected in the antiwar fever of 1974, predicted Thursday that American troops would be brought home from Iraq by 2007. Either President Bush will bow to public opinion or Democrats will have won control of the House of Representatives and increased pressure on the White House, Murtha (D-Pa.) said in an interview. Most likely, there will be a "tidal wave" that propels Democrats into the majority, Murtha said.

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a Vietnam veteran who has denounced the war in Iraq, was named a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award on Thursday. Alberto Mora, a former Navy general counsel who warned Pentagon officials that U.S. policies on terrorism detainees could invite abuse, also will receive the award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

An official U.S. delegation of election observers, dispatched by President Bush to monitor Panama's elections today, landed at this U.S. air base Saturday and set the stage for a potential confrontation with the Panamanian government over their presence in the country. Rep. John Murtha, (D-Pa.), the head of the delegation, told reporters in a brief news conference on the air base tarmac that the 21-member group arrived with "the appropriate documents necessary to get into the country."

Tensions between Republicans and Democrats over the controversial practice of earmarking funds for pet projects sparked a finger-pointing clash on the House floor earlier this month and an unusual attempt Tuesday to reprimand a powerful -- and sometimes volatile -- Democratic congressman. The conflict arises from the switch in control of Congress. In the fall campaign, Democrats used public distaste with earmarks to highlight Republican scandals and criticize a GOP "culture of corruption."

WITH DEMOCRATS like Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesn't need Republicans. After Pelosi promised that Democrats would preside over "the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress," Murtha, whom Pelosi unsuccessfully pushed for majority leader, described a Democratic lobbying reform proposal as "total crap." (He graciously added, however, that he'd support the legislation because "that's what Nancy wants."

Though incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promises to push through ethical reforms in Congress, both of the Democrats vying to be her second-in-command have long histories of earmarking, close relationships with corporate interests, and using their positions to raise millions of dollars in campaign contributions. Pelosi's choice for the job, Rep. John P.

Democrats returned to Capitol Hill on Monday to prepare for a transfer of power in Congress, but their postelection emphasis on unity quickly dissolved into power struggles and jockeying over the spoils of victory. Much of the squabbling stemmed from the decision over the weekend by presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to endorse a longtime loyalist to be her second-in-command. In backing Iraq war critic Rep. John P.

Two years after a cadre of veterans helped sink the presidential campaign of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), they have found a new target in the old steel country of southwestern Pennsylvania: Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha. In a fight that organizers say will feature rallies, TV ads and an aggressive Internet campaign, these activists are promising to make Murtha pay for his criticism of the Iraq war. "I will do my best to 'Swift boat' John Murtha," retired Navy Capt.

Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a Vietnam veteran who has emerged as a leading critic of the war in Iraq, defended himself Wednesday against accusations that he had defamed Marines under investigation in the slayings of 24 civilians in Haditha, saying he publicized the incident to illustrate the pressures soldiers face in Iraq. Murtha was sued Wednesday in federal court by Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, the senior enlisted man on the scene of the Nov.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday backed a call by Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha to quickly start the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and said she believed a majority of her caucus supported it as well. "I will be supporting the Murtha resolution," Pelosi said of his plan calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq at the earliest practicable date, which he said should be about six months.

Democrats returned to Capitol Hill on Monday to prepare for a transfer of power in Congress, but their postelection emphasis on unity quickly dissolved into power struggles and jockeying over the spoils of victory. Much of the squabbling stemmed from the decision over the weekend by presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to endorse a longtime loyalist to be her second-in-command. In backing Iraq war critic Rep. John P.

Rep. John P. Murtha, a 16-term Pennsylvania Democrat known for his close ties to the military and his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq, will run for House majority leader if Democrats win control of the chamber in November, he told Democratic colleagues. Murtha, 73, wrote them a letter saying he would seek the post "if we prevail, as I hope and know we will, and return to the majority this next Congress."

Rep. John P. Murtha, a Vietnam veteran first elected in the antiwar fever of 1974, predicted Thursday that American troops would be brought home from Iraq by 2007. Either President Bush will bow to public opinion or Democrats will have won control of the House of Representatives and increased pressure on the White House, Murtha (D-Pa.) said in an interview. Most likely, there will be a "tidal wave" that propels Democrats into the majority, Murtha said.