Murtha's myrrh*

The WaPo has an article about Rep. John Murtha's endorsement of Hilary Clinton, and doesn't skimp on the filth that is this man. All from the man with institutionalized bribe sessions and a penchant for directing federal anti-terror/anti-drug money to his rusting town on the Pennsylvania side of the PA/WV border. And yet, somehow, despite the Democrats' rhetoric about Bush's fiscal irresponsibility, an endorsement from the House's largest recipient of pork seems to be the best thing that Clinton has going for her in Pennsylvania. Thankfully, the last two paragraphs of the article do Murtha's sliminess justice:

In 1980, Murtha testified as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam trial of two House members after an FBI sting in which agents offered several lawmakers $50,000 to help a fictitious sheik with immigration problems. In a conversation that agents videotaped, Murtha responded characteristically: He refused to take the money, but he indicated that he might be able to help later if the man invested in local businesses and helped unemployed miners get new jobs.

"He understands the system, and he knows how to work it better than anybody," Rooney said. "I'm not sure there's anybody from around here who wields more influence."

* From Wikipedia: "Myrrh was burned in ancient Roman funerals to mask the smell emanating from charring corpses."