John Murtha: “If I’m Corrupt, It’s Because I Take Care Of My District”

It’s ok to be a dishonest crook, as long as you’re serving your constituents. I guess.

“If I’m corrupt, it’s because I take care of my district,” Mr. Murtha said. “My job as a member of Congress is to make sure that we take care of what we see is necessary. Not the bureaucrats who are unelected over there in whatever White House, whether it’s Republican or Democrat. Those bureaucrats would like to control everything. Every president would like to have all the power and not have Congress change anything. But we’re closest to the people.”

For the record, per the article, Murtha was defending his earmarks for the John P. Murtha Technology center. Which is apparently just down the road from the John P. Murtha Airport.
Murtha’s not entirely wrong when he says that Congress is closer to the people, and more accountable to the people, than the President/White House. And he’s not entirely wrong that local representatives can probably earmark federal money more appropriately than can the President. And I will admit that not all earmarks are bad earmarks.
But even so, there’s no excuse for being corrupt. And Murtha is, in fact, corrupt.