House Heavyweight Feels Threat to Power

So powerful was Representative John P. Murtha at one time that he used to put up billboards in his Western Pennsylvania district declaring that “the P is for Power.” Few in Congress dared disagree: he doled out or withheld billions in federal money each year for lawmakers’ pet projects, better known as earmarks. Recently, there have been a string of "federal criminal investigations of contractors or lobbyists close to Mr. Murtha," the top Democrat on the defense appropriations subcommittee, are threatening to undermine his backroom clout. 

And this is the man that Pelosi wanted for House Majority Leader... it's a good thing that Steny Hoyer won.