Published: February 13, 2009 01:43 pm      

Murtha under the microscope | After 35 years, scrutiny tighter than ever

On Feb. 5, John Murtha celebrated the 35th anniversary of the day he first took the oath of office as a member of the U.S. House.

The oath was administered by Majority Leader “Tip” O’Neill, who later became Murtha’s political mentor, because House Speaker Carl Albert was out of the country.

To commemorate the milestone, Murtha’s staff issued a news release touting the fact that “of the nearly 10,650 men and women who have served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1789, only 80 have served longer than Congressman Murtha.”

In that release, Murtha said, in part: “The challenges we face today are enormous, and certainly there is much good work to be done. I’m confident that, just as we’ve done over the past 35 years, we will continue to improve our quality of life here in western Pennsylvania and throughout our nation.”

It’s hard to imagine many times during those 35 years when Murtha faced the level of scrutiny and animosity he experiences today.

Outside the Abscam ordeal of the early 1980s – when Murtha was cleared by a House panel following an FBI bribery investigation – the past four years have seen more people challenge and critique the congressman’s actions and words than ever before.

Since speaking out against the Iraq War in November 2005, Murtha has found foes around every turn. They have supported his election opponents and questioned his decisions and relationships at the Capitol.

However, on more than a few occasions, Murtha’s own tongue has gotten him in hot water.

In May 2006, he said U.S. Marines killed innocent people “in cold blood” in Haditha, Iraq. While several soldiers were charged, nearly all were cleared and one of the servicemen sued Murtha for slander.

Just before last November’s elections, his comments about racism in western Pennsylvania and “rednecks” in his 12th District helped make for a closer-than-expected re-election bid against challenger William Russell.

Then in January, Murtha made another statement that probably seemed innocent – even logical – at the time, but which became fodder for message boards and Web forums.

The congressman said he would gladly accept terrorist detainees then in maximum security at Guantanamo into prisons in the 12th District once the federal site in Cuba is closed.

As it turns out, no local facilities are equipped to handle those prisoners, and sentiment among local residents was at odds with Murtha’s statement.

Now, a pair of federal raids have again drawn Murtha into the spotlight.

In January, Kuchera companies of Windber were raided and files were confiscated, and the companies are now the focus of an investigation over the use of funds. Last week, ABC News reported that back in November another federal probe targeted PMA Group, a Washington, D.C., lobbying agency founded by former Murtha aide Paul Magliochetti.

While the congressman has ties to both Kuchera and PMA Group, neither of the federal raids have yet been linked to Murtha – even indirectly.

But Murtha should understand that every move he makes and every affiliation he has – or has had – will be under the microscope for the remainder of his days in office. And the lawmaker cannot hide his head in the sand and hope the glare of the spotlight goes away.

We would, however, urge him to avoid the avoidable – such as calling his constituents “rednecks” and urging the government to send terrorists into our midst.

He will get plenty of attention every day without wiggling the bait.

Sometimes, we would bet, that day with O’Neill seems like a lot more than 35 years ago.