This is Worrisome

This is what pisses me off about the prospect of Majority Leaer Murtha:

Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) told a group of Democratic moderates on Tuesday that an ethics and lobbying reform bill being pushed by party leaders was “total crap,” but said that he would work to enact the legislation because Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supports it.

Murtha and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) are locked in a battle for the House Majority Leader post, and both men made presentations for to the Blue Dog Coalition on Tuesday in a bid for their votes.

“Even though I think it’s total crap, I’ll vote for it and pass it because that’s what Nancy wants,” Murtha told the Blue Dogs, according to three sources who were at the meeting. . . .

I'm starting to think there shouldn't be a Majority Leader.

I really don't want the new Democratic Congress to be anything like the last Democratic Congress. Corruption is not a partisan issue, it's an issue where all Americans can come together and reject the kind of practices that would be banned by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. I'm sure conservatives are chortling about this kind of statement, but they should be as appalled by it as they weren't by corruption in their own ranks. There's a report from ABC about Jack Abramoff (America's newest prisoner!) giving up the names of "6 to 8 corrupt Democratic senators." It's unsourced, and the wave of allegations against Sen. Reid (again rearing its ugly head) have been largely discredited (like when he voted AGAINST what Abramoff's lobbyists requested, again left out of Brian Ross' report), but if the evidence shows corruption, get 'em out. I have no desire to carry water for anyone who abuses the public trust. Honest conservatives ought to believe the same thing.

UPDATE: According to a Rep. and a reporter Murtha never said this. The fear of blogging is that you jump the gun. If he didn't say it I apologize and Roll Call needs to check their sources.