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This is just beyond a stupid disgrace.Last week’s release of FBI documents finally put in writing what nobody had ever said on the record: The FBI suspected that former Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and lobbyists close to him were running a scheme to funnel earmarks to sham companies and nonprofits to benefit the lawmaker’s friends and former staffers.
Bits and pieces of this story were kicked around for years before Murtha died in February 2010. The Los Angeles Times, Roll Call, the Washington Post and others had documented the odd appearance of earmarks for tiny defense contractors that just happened to open an office in western Pennsylvania and just happened to hire one of the lobbying firms close to Murtha and just happened to begin making campaign donations to Murtha and other Members of Congress close to him.
Hat tip S.
36 comments:
Better hurry with that name change. LPD-26 is already under construction at Pascagoula. Although the keel is not yet laid, many modules are being built and taking shape.
Name suggestions ? How about some city where Americans died fighting for the birth of our country ?
USS TRENTON, USS BOSTON, USS PHILADELPHIA ..... anything is better than john murtha....
We all knew he was a dirt bag. Now if you want to name the LCS Murtha and the next one Frank, then you will have capability and money drainage matching their namesakes.
Changing a name isn't a big deal...Happened to Saratoga and Forrestal. -59 is really 60, is because the Sara hull was supposed to be second, but was moving faster, so they just switched all the name plates and one became the other.
And you forget another...Valley Forge.
We need someone from the DC legacy media to publicly ask SECNAV, preferably in public and on camera, about this issue this week. Since, for some odd reason, the word "weasel" comes to mind, let me suggest that SECNAV simply mention that he has changed the name of LPD 26 to something else and will honor REP Murtha by naming, say, LPD 5220 in his honor. ;)
The last Valley Girl was a cruiser. Neigh. I say it is time for a return to LPD roots: USS AUSTIN!
Oh Lordy. USS Austin! Capable of eleven knots, downhill, with a tailwind! And the bulkhead rusted away so that on the 01 level, there was about an inch-high gap open to the great outdoors.
Given the logic -and outright lack of honesty- we've seen in ship naming in recent years...
We should name the next one up John Dillinger
His troubles led him to enlist in the United States Navy where he was a Fireman 3rd Class assigned aboard the battleship USS Utah,
Hey. Don't scoff. He was an iconic thug adored by many, who cahmpioned the rights of the downtrodden...And although a navy vet, didn't like the USN that much.
Not a whole lot different than this guy...
And, then there is Larry Flynt
Arguably the most honest , and sucessful, one of the bunch, who served willlingly and honorably...
Since the United States was at peace, the Army decided to honorably discharge Flynt...
he enlisted in the United States Navy in July 1960. He became a radar operator on the USS Enterprise. He was the operator on duty when the ship was assigned to recover John Glenn's space capsule.<sup></sup><span></span> He was honorably discharged in July 1964.
Hey. He is the best role model of this motley crew.
Murth included.
So perhaps the next carrier should be named after him!
(And came from a "mid-sized" city too.)
The solution would be to have the only ships named after people be named after people 100 years dead or Sea Service Medal of Honor winners 10 years dead. Except for the MOH winners, the people selected must have served with distinction in time of war in the uniform of one of the sea services. The honor would be limited to ships with crews (including embarked troops) of less than 400. Priority would be given to Medal of Honor winners, holders of the Purple Heart, and names from heroic ships in past wars.
Other vessels, one name type per ship type, and really mean it. Attack submarines after heroic ships bearing the names of killers of the deep. Any consistent system adhered to without exception for the rest.
Sounds like the military capability of any ship named after the city of Austin (whose motto really is "Keep Austin Weird.")
Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah. First off, URR, the AUSTIN you deployed on back in the 1960s is significantly different from the AUSTIN that I sailed on in the early 2000's. We did a LOT of work on her, and actually bumped her speed up to 22 knots (a record for the class). She had her issues, but we did a damn good job of taking her from the rust bucket that she was into a world class gator. We got the battle E and not just for nostalgia. She did her job and was retired like the lady she was. Of course, she was sold for a penny and then taken down to Texas to be scrapped, but we can omit that from her legendary story.
I love when Marines rag ships. Like a child in the car seat giving you a hard time about not cleaning the engine compartment of your car as they gorge themselves on food and rotate between sleeping, watching movies, and throwing things at you!
Delta Bravo, USS AUSTIN, LPD-4, was the third ship to ever bear the name AUSTIN. Originally named after Steven Fueller Austin, the founder of Texas.
And as for you making judgments of the military capability of my old ship...shudder...some things some people just shouldn't say. I won't give you fashion advice if you stay away from Amphibious Warfare.
Delta Bravo, USS AUSTIN, LPD-4, was the third ship to ever bear the name AUSTIN. Originally named after Steven Fueller Austin, the founder of Texas.
And as for you making judgments of the military capability of my old ship...shudder...some things some people just shouldn't say. I won't give you fashion advice if you stay away from Amphibious Warfare.
I know I'm not hearing someone talk $hit about my old ship here...........
I'm pretty sure URR wasn't deployed on any ships back in the 1960s. LOL.
I don't mind fashion advice from men... their perspective is always interesting. I was commenting more on the city than on the ship... I'm sure if Stephen F. Austin could come back and see Freaktown today he'd ask the city council to change its name.... I'm an expert on the subject of that city. I'd think twice about naming anything military after it. We're at COEXIST central here. just sayin'....
Oh, and even though I'm only a girl... I may be more familiar with the gator navy than you know. People talk...word gets around... you hear things. knowwhatImean? Might even have wandered through some LKAs or LSTs in my day... I do know rust and daylight in odd places probably aren't good things on anything that is supposed to float. ;)
i was walking down the main deck of the proteus heading for the gangway one night about 2200 and saw a line of light in the deck. turned out it was the seam between the superstructure and the deck rusted away and the light was comming from the ICBM magazine.
made a phone call and we got that fixed by midnight (ship was shifting home port to one of the pacific islands the next morning.)
C
Kinda like this???
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=162409560498153
AOD,
Did you have kids like this in mind...
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=162409560498153
DB, I'm guessing that saying anything negative about a man's former ship is sorta like telling a mother that her baby is ugly. It's going to provoke a strong reaction. :)
A friend of mine married an Austin girl about five years ago and I spent three days in the city. Fun place. Of course, freaks don't scare me. You oughta visit Venice Beach one of these days. I was forbidden to go there when I was a teenager. O:-)
I will have you know, AOD, that it is our mission set as embarked Marines to eat until we were tired, sleep until we were hungry, use all the fresh water, and buy all the good crap in the ship's store. Then we bitch about the ship because we can. It's what we do.
Austin was a good old girl, actually. Lotsa history in her. The XO had her operational record in a binder in the wardroom. Fascinating stuff. She was in bad need of a yard visit when I was on her in Jan 1996. I seem to remember being told that she hadn't had her engines overhauled in going on ten years at that point.
She had a good crew, and First Lieutenant who was one of the funniest guys on the planet. And the Chief Bosun warned the Navy UAV det not to plug sensitive electronics into unrectified deck-edge power. They ignored him twice. FZZZZZT. Burned out two MOKED-400s.
I do like the analogy of the car-seat, though. Sounds about right! ;)
Nobody, really. Just an embarked Marine....
Larry IS a big 1st amendment proponent and has shown he will fight for it. ;)
Rust and daylight in odd places is also bad for girlfriends. :)
The only satisfaction we all are going to get is the knowing that Mr Murtha is having a "grand ole time" where he's at right now.
UsualSuspect, I think that's EXACTLY what AOD had in mind. LMAO.
LOVE those Mayhem commercials. Genius. :-D
Another reason cutting military budgets is a bad idea. Dont worry we dont need to replace those engines we will have entirely new ships soon!
2yrs later
"Sir about those LPD's engines."
..Oh sh*t.."yes?"
" We'll looks like they broke down out in the pacific and admiral foopah wants to know why he has no money to keep his fleet ready. Oh and there is a marine coming down the hallway......he looks pissed."
"Sh*t"
Never thought I would look forward to watching a ship get scrapped.
I bet the informal nicknames for this ship will be good.
URR, DB:
Sorry to get all grouchy. She'll always be my baby. I work in a shop in the Navy now staffed with a few former AUSTIN sailors and, surprisingly enough, am permanently detailed from another shop that has five former AUSTIN sailors, four of which I personally served with. Yeah, we can be an incestuous bunch but hey when you have a good ship and you have a good wardroom and crew, you get bonded for life. I'm sure the Corps is like that too.
Besides, if you embarked her, you are part of the family.
You WERE grouchy. And you hurt my feelings. My self-esteem is suffering, and I need to feel validated. I just need a hug.
DB can hug you for me. I'll toast you tonight with some Makers bourbon and my Rocky Patel Vintage 92 cigar.
I still think it's folly to name anything military after the City of Austin.
salute!
DB, after the 3rd ship it is less about the city and more about the ships that have borne the name before. And let us not forget who Austin was. Ok, a few weirdos in Austin. plenty of weirdos in Philadelphia, but that is a name that should be carried forward as well. same as New York. Or Los Angeles?
Nobody is saying we need a USS hollyweird.
Dear god......USS hollywood? If it acted like hollywood does it would fire at its own sailors and troops, meanwhile a lucrative trade in drugs and prostitution would bloom onboard. It would bus supplies to and from our enemies. And deep in its hull would be the people that spoke out locked in a room never to escape.
how about keeping the major LPD26 components in reserve and selling off the rest of her? OR completely an bare hull for sale to some other navy? Anything to stop building these expensive, exquisite ships.
Take the remaining funds and build TWO amphib-type ships like Absalon or Endurance (admittedly smaller but usefull in different ways).
I will have to go look up price for Dokho? or Juan Carlos or hell many other designs.
Don't look now, but expect CNIC to name part of the new national medical center after Murtha sometime in the very near future. The ship isn't enough, now we have to further insult all those wounded "cold blooded" killers Murtha complained about by naming part of a HOSPITAL after him.
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