Murtha Gets Full-Page Send-Off From Corporation He Constantly Aided

Reasonable people worry about the world that has been bequeathed to them by the Supreme Court Justices who upended campaign finance laws in the Citizens United case. But there's really no better demonstration of how creepy the entrenched corporate interests in our governance already are than to point out that Lockheed Martin purchased a full-page ad in the Washington Post to pay their "respects" to the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.).

I put "respects" in the ol' scare quotes specifically because you can be sure that Lockheed Martin is not guided to memorialize Murtha for his long career or the good he's done or the legacy he left behind. This ad exists because Murtha was a "rainmaker" for the defense industry and only last year was one of the more defiant voices fighting the efforts of the White House and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to cut funding for Lockheed's F-22 fighter. It would have looked weird for Lockheed to give the F-22 this sort of send-off -- but that's essentially what's being done here.

Perhaps in the future, corporations can pay for birth announcements when a lawmaker is spawned. With nepotism flowering so fully in politics, corporations may as well mark their territory early.

The good news, of course, is that this ad paid for some print journalism.

RELATED:
Lockheed Martin Thinks It's So Cool, Buying Death Ads All Willy Nilly... [Wonkette]

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Comments

[USAFVET76]

04:45 AM on 02/14/2010

When Obama croakes and if there are still papers being published by then imagine, the entire paper may have corporate sponsor passing along their respects. There maybe no news that day. Just corporate advertisements praising Obama for his .............................................accomplishments.

Unions
Drug Companies
Insurance Companies

[Ucan2]

12:08 AM on 02/14/2010

Lol.

Man we barely wait until their graves are cold these day.

Rest peacefully sir.

[Cole65]

08:27 AM on 02/14/2010

I was thinking the same thing. RIP

[charles77]

12:59 PM on 02/13/2010

And so the circular firing squad begins anew…

CharlieWilson and John Murtha were Progressive Democrat heros featured big time in the Democrat National Convention that nominated Obama.

As soon as they died the so called "Progressives" could not wait to trash them horribly. And they wonder why they are not a majority???

Were there any new ‘revelations” that suddenly appeared?
No, everything now known about them was known during the Democrat National Convention where they were celebrated.

People of limited income sent small donations the Democrates in record numbers, sacrificing to try to make a difference, so of course the Democrates used it to run ads against other Democrates. I won’t repeat what Rahm Emanuel said about this but he was absolutly correct.

The far Right has a lot of problems with John McCain, but they will air them while he is alive and can respond, after he passes, he will only be praised. Something called decorum. For all things there is a time and a place...Godspeed John Murtha.

No wonder all the GOP had to do was sit on it’s hands and wait for the Democrats, with the Presidency and historically huge majorities in both houses of Congress attack each other into oblivian.

READY…, AIM , FIRE!

And may whatever God you worship have mercy on your souls…

[aflyinyoursoup]

12:21 AM on 02/14/2010

Eloquently written but only partially correct.
All politicians, regardless of stripe, eat their own. It's the nature of the beast of theatrical partisan politics.
We are all victims of this viscous form of persuasion that is produced, directed and scripted by a ruling-class who's objective is to perpetuate the 'illusion' of a participatory democracy while robbing us blind!

And, my God, 'UNGATOOLAWA', couldn't give a r@t's_@$$, because he/she doesn't exist.

[johnnydajogger]

11:48 AM on 02/13/2010

this is interesting:

http://maplight.org/map/us/legislator/382

[clearpepsi]

04:12 AM on 02/13/2010

yes.. I agree it's creepy and Murtha's "legacy" stop being anything honorable after age 42....

[peowlemeow]

03:03 AM on 02/13/2010

Maybe the F-22 looked better on paper when he chose to front for it.He knew how the game was played.HP has been running Boeing ads .They moved their factories to China.Defense contractors need to have some more jobs for less money.Lockheed or Boeing or whoever with labor and machine tools could be building tents ,tables ,cots, whatever.I'm sure Lockheeds reps were loyal and passionate people that ,like most goddamn contractors probably thought they could get the bugs out after production was rolling.It's easy to criticize and I do enough of it but I can't build a jet and getting one built between Presidents and administrations has got to be trying.It is rocket science.Russia and America should pool their ideas and build some solid Warthog type planes .Durable and useful
Crapping on Murtha after he's dead is about Hannitys' speed.I liked Murtha during ABSCAM telling the FBI "I don't know what do you want to do ?" Driving them nuts.He had a sense of humor.

[Dem02020]

11:19 PM on 02/12/2010

It's true that Congresspersons who have a vested financial interest in any corporate lobby (whatever highest bidder has paid for their services), they likewise have no reason at all to be against the recent SCOTUS opinion on corporate "electioneering".

Instead they're pleased by it, because it frees up more money for political advertisements and other modes of political activity, and that money not only 'trickles down' to mutual friends and business associates in the political ad and activity business, but also I'm sure winds up somehow as campaign contributions made to the Congresspersons (despite that kind of "electioneering" not being in the scope of the SCOTUS opinion).

Money as the prime (if not only) corrupting influence of our Congress, and the fact that money intended to influence the writing and enforcement of U.S. law is in truth BRIBERY and BRIBES, is right now as important a political issue there is, and also happens to be one that the American people are in a near universal agreement on, as it crosses all political and geographic and demographic lines.

I liked and respected the late Rep. Murtha, and I don't believe he intentionally did anything unethical as he took money from Lockheed Martin and their lobbyists.

Whether actual influence peddling was at work here is beside the point, as the mere appearance of it is enough to criminalize such corporate lobbying.

It's certainly enough for us to start calling it publicly what it truly is, BRIBERY and BRIBES.

[clearpepsi]

04:07 AM on 02/13/2010

ugh.. a bit much don't you think - we get it you have time on your hands... it might speak better of your interest if tomorrow you were not so kooky...

[JohnSawyer]

04:36 AM on 02/13/2010

I'm confused. You say: "I liked and respected the late Rep. Murtha, and I don't believe he intentionally did anything unethical as he took money from Lockheed Martin and their lobbyists."

But in the very next two paragraphs of your comment, you say:

"Whether actual influence peddling was at work here is beside the point, as the mere appearance of it is enough to criminalize such corporate lobbying. It's certainly enough for us to start calling it publicly what it truly is, BRIBERY and BRIBES."

I can't reconcile the several internal contradictions in those lines--am I missing something?

[DanEboy]

10:40 PM on 02/12/2010

If he was so great how come only 5 people chose to say anything ...and only 1 said the true.

[clearpepsi]

04:08 AM on 02/13/2010

I'll say the true - you have typo

[DanEboy]

10:39 PM on 02/12/2010

I'll speak for hannity this guy was a crook....and an insult to the brave marines that fight.

[clearpepsi]

04:09 AM on 02/13/2010

ugh.. did you catch the mannity's sasquach expose - tomorrow try to be so gulible.. try it just for a day

[JMiler]

02:42 PM on 02/13/2010

Was Hannity a marine? Maybe a boy scout but I doubt a marine.

[ImaVeteran]

10:34 PM on 02/12/2010

Seriously, this man was a REAL patriot and hero. He had a pair of bawles. Something lacking in any of the f'ox jocks.

When hannity talks about who he thinks is a great American patriot, I'm surprised he can get the words out of his yellow but without choking..

[ImaVeteran]

10:29 PM on 02/12/2010

Good.

[The Cause Endures]

10:20 PM on 02/12/2010

Capitalism always has tugged at my heart strings.

[SparkyDash]

06:46 PM on 02/12/2010

or perhaps someone did love this man and shamed others into spending money for a print memorial.

Rest in peace, Mr. Murtha. Thank you for your service.