–updated–
The news came from his office, with more from the Washington Post. Chris Cilizza runs down the coming special election.
Congressman John Murtha Passes Away at Age 77
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his family.
Murtha, 77, was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in February of 1974, Murtha dedicated his life to serving his country both in the military and in the halls of Congress. A former Marine, he became the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to the U.S. Congress.
This past Saturday, February 6, 2010, Murtha became Pennsylvania’s longest serving Member of Congress.
Back in 2006, I was involved in helping Rep. Murtha fight back against some of the most heinous swiftboating to be seen, prior to the Swift Boat Veterans, when Murtha stood up against further actions in Iraq. I joined Dave Johnson and James Cannon Boyce in “The Patriot Project” at the time, working diligently to fight back against what Republicans were doing. I was proud of our work, especially on Murtha. The man was a real war horse for the military. He was also an old time pol who was under scrutiny many times for his actions on getting contracts for his district in Pennsylvania. Murtha was one of the few people with the courage to go up against SecDef Gates on Afghanistan last September. No more troops was Murtha’s line and he never let up.
Blessings and meditations go out to his family, his staff and everyone he touched, which is a very long list.
I think John Murtha deserves incredible credit for exposing the lies of this war and standing firmly behind his beloved military.
I had incredible respect for this man because I always knew where he stood. Unlike some other pols. My condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.
Jane Austen
I left you a note on “who dat”
And God bless John Murtha
Rest in peace Brother.
From a Vietnam Vet-67-68.
Added some links that came after the post, including one from Cilizza on the coming special election:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/inner-circle/john-murtha-dies-special-elect.html
Has he been sick long? One of the few to stand up. Bless him and his family.
Gall bladder surgery complication.
I think he was more for PA and America than he was for himself. A genuine good guy.
It seems we are getting a lot of slick and polished rotten apples, instead of the peaches and plums we need. He will be missed. Bless his family and friends.
My husband grew up in what is Murtha’s disctrict. Murtha was famous for taking care of his people. While many would call it pork – it was to help, among other things, to care for a deeply poor area, intolerably high unemployment due to the shutting of the steel mills and closing of some coal mines. What a terribly miserable way to have to earn a living – coal mines.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/08/remembering-the-murthquak_n_454182.html
Remembering The ‘Murthquake’: When John Murtha Took On The Iraq War
Please note – John Murtha underwent a routine procedure and should have every reason to expect routine outcome – even for a person of his age. This, apparently, is why he died:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/08/source-explains-murthas-cause-of-death/?eref=marqueeflipper&fbid=JVL64vVjt7a
Source explains Murtha’s cause of death
Washington (CNN) – Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha died Monday as a result of recent gallbladder surgery complications which arose from doctors accidentally nicking Murtha’s intestines, a source close to the late congressman has told CNN. The procedure was “routine minimally invasive surgery,” but doctors “hit his intestines,” the source said.
This is an outcome of death caused by doctor error. But these are the errors that many don’t think Doctors should be held accountable.
Let me get this straight. Murtha supported invading Iraq, but he opposed surging additional troops in? Murtha supported invading Afghanistan and stood silent about surging additional troobs into that country? Murtha supported every stinking defense authorization bill that he mostly wrote all by himself? Murtha set his son up in the defense industry and funneled tens of millions of dollars into his kids company making the kid a millionaire? Murtha strong-armed everybody and their uncle into donating to his campaign fund after he stole millions of taxpayer dollars to fund his pet projects? I gues those are called earmarks. This guy made Nelson and Landrieu look like pikers and he’s some kind of hero? He was a warmongering thief. Peace
Imhotep
You make a zombie look like the greatest peacenik of all time.
THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN DELETED.
Oh good grief….give it a rest,the man just passed away today.Your language is uncalled for.
No, I said “you make a zombie look like the greatest peacenik of all time.”
Imhotep says:
08 February 2010 at 8:41 pm
Because I am of the opinion that Murtha was a warmongering thief you have the audacity to refer to me as a zombie? Why don’t you take whatever opinion it is that you have and shove it straight up your ass? How’s that? Two can play your childish game. Peace
TAYLOR -This is getting really old – can’t you give Imhotep a time out and remove him from these threads for a while?
AliceP
What’s reall “funny” is Imhotep referring to childish games as he/she posts hate filled missives and signs off supposedly wishing “peace.” It’s seems abundantly clear Imhotep wishes few , if any, “peace.”
AliceP says:
08 February 2010 at 9:18 pm
If you don’t respect someone’s opinion ignore him/her. Fly right by. When someone takes the time to insult someone who has passed, whom they didn’t know at all, why give them the time of day?
Actually, Murtha was another victim of the medical/industrial complex. “Gall bladder surgery? Sure, we do millions of ‘em! Let’s see, gotta hurry up, lots of people waiting, the more we can do in a day, the more dollars we earn, and — oops!”
That Dr is likely accustomed to many procedures per day. Wonder if it is fee based hospital.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/mar/10/health/chi-ap-medicalschoolboom
“Health care in America is a $2.4 trillion annual business, or about $8,000 for each of the nation’s 300 million residents. President Barack Obama has made overhauling health care – extending coverage to the 48 million uninsured while fighting rising costs and attacking waste – an early priority of his administration.
A quarter century ago, experts blamed rising health costs on what they said was a surplus of doctors. They said doctors seeking income would perform unneeded procedures, making medical care more expensive. In response, medical schools capped or cut enrollments.
But in recent years, doctors and medical school groups have re-examined the issue of doctor supply and now warn of a large shortfall in the number of doctors in coming decades. “
John Murtha RIP
One crusty ol Marine