Colleagues reflect on Murtha as a good ally, a combative foe

9 Feb 2010 // WASHINGTON -- He was a fierce advocate for his state and district, a champion of the military, a Congressional powerhouse of influence, an intimidating presence with a Marine's salty vocabulary.

The portrait of Rep. John P. Murtha came in a flood of reactions to his death Monday from leaders in Washington and Pennsylvania.

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, who was close to Mr. Murtha, was shocked to hear of the Johnstown Democrat's death, after his condition appeared to stabilize last week as he battled an infection that developed after gallbladder surgery.

In 1995 when Mr. Doyle arrived in Congress, Mr. Murtha welcomed the freshman into "Murtha Corner," the back left section of the House of Representatives' floor where the dean of the Pennsylvania delegation held court. He told Mr. Doyle to study up on parliamentary procedures and pick an issue that he cared deeply about to focus on.

And when party leadership put pressure on Pennsylvania's Democrats to vote a certain way, Mr. Murtha -- a large, physically imposing man -- always held his own.

"Murtha said, 'Leave my guys alone,'" Mr. Doyle said. "He was sort of like the protector. As long as you were back there in the corner with Jack, nobody messed with you."

Mr. Murtha had a temper that could flash in an instant. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Blair, remembered asking Mr. Murtha to support a seemingly innocuous bill when he was a freshman in 2001. Mr. Murtha, who was in a foul mood, apparently misunderstood the request and flew into a tirade at Mr. Shuster from his perch up in Murtha Corner, appearing even taller than usual.

The next day Mr. Murtha crossed the aisle to apologize to Mr. Shuster, and they remained friendly, but the image stuck with Mr. Shuster.

"I can see Jack Murtha as a Marine, as a colonel, dressing down one of his junior members," Mr. Shuster said last week.

Mr. Murtha used his power and influence best when helping the Johnstown area, which became a hub for the defense industry due to his influence. The apparent connection between defense earmarks, campaign donations and jobs in Mr. Murtha's district was distasteful to many clean-government advocates, though Mr. Murtha was never officially implicated in wrongdoing.

Melanie Sloan, the director of the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said last week that when Mr. Murtha is gone, the benefits for Johnstown will soon leave.

"A lot of those places only have one or two employees -- they will be closed within days," Ms. Sloan said. "And that too will reflect on, will shed light on what's really going on. It was really for Murtha's favor and not that those jobs were meaningful."

Ms. Sloan added that another Murtha legacy will be the recent surge in interest in earmark reform.

Yet his impact on Washington and Pennsylvania was so much larger, as evidenced by the tributes Monday. He spoke his mind on issues he cared about, most notably when he called for an end to the Iraq War in 2005.

"His passion for service was born during his decorated career in the United States Marine Corps, and he went on to earn the distinction of being the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "Jack's tough-as-nails reputation carried over to Congress, where he became a respected voice on issues of national security."

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised Mr. Murtha's commitment to the military.

"So frequent were his visits to the war zone, to stateside bases and to military hospitals that he knew firsthand the challenges our troops and their families face every day," Adm. Mullen said in a statement. "From health care to weapons procurement, from shipbuilding to pay and benefits, no one understood the needs of our modern military better than he did."

Speaking in Harrisburg Monday, Gov. Ed Rendell said he has ordered all state flags throughout Pennsylvania to be at half-staff until the burial.

"That is fitting," Mr. Rendell said. "Jack Murtha was not just a wonderful congressman for his district but for all of Pennsylvania.

"He was our go-to guy. Whatever the issue was, he could make things happen for us. I used him constantly, such as for problems with the stimulus bill that could have caused Pennsylvania to lose hundreds of millions of dollars."

Though he was at times a fierce partisan, Mr. Murtha earned respect and praise from Republicans as well.

"While the Congressman and I often differed when it came to politics, he always had my deepest respect," Pennsylvania GOP chair Rob Gleason said in a statement. "The thoughts and prayers of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania go out to Jack's family."

House Republican Leader John Boehner issued a statement as well, saying that Mr. Murtha will be missed and offering condolences to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a close ally of Mr. Murtha's whom he helped become the first woman to ascend the top post in the House.

Ms. Pelosi, in a statement, called Mr. Murtha "a great patriot."

"Dedicated to God and Country, and devoted to Joyce and their family, Jack Murtha was a giant. All who served with him were honored to call him colleague. I was privileged to call him friend."