Murtha’s life

The Pennsylvania Democrat was known for saying what was on his mind. He was prone to swearing. And he certainly didn’t cave when he disagreed with the president, regardless of party.

Murtha, 77, died on Monday after complications from gall bladder surgery. He will be missed by many.

{mosads}Some House members view the lower chamber as a steppingstone to the Senate. Not Murtha. He loved the House and protected its authority from the executive branch. When, for example, he heard that President Barack Obama wanted to freeze non-defense discretionary spending, he smiled and said,

“Well, he can call for it, but we’re the guys who make the decision. I always remind them of that.”

At times, the towering Appropriations Defense subcommittee chairman could be brusque with reporters. But for the most part, he was a friendly lawmaker who had a great sense of humor.

Murtha, who served in the Marines, attracted the most headlines when he spoke out against the Iraq war in 2005. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), his longtime friend, rallied 60 percent of House Democrats in 2002 to reject that war resolution. Murtha was not among them.

The relationship between Pelosi and Murtha has always been fascinating. Murtha, representing Johnstown, Pa., supported gun rights and opposed abortion rights. Pelosi, representing San Francisco, has a starkly more liberal voting record.

Yet they became close friends and political allies. When Pelosi defeated Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) for minority whip in 2001, Murtha was a leading reason why she triumphed. Hoyer picked up a lot of centrist Democratic votes, but not all of them, because Murtha persuaded some right-leaning Democrats that Pelosi was the better choice.

Almost immediately after Democrats won control of the House in the fall of 2006, Murtha announced that he was challenging Hoyer for majority leadership. It was a public-relations problem for Pelosi, who stunned the political establishment by formally endorsing Murtha. Hoyer still won, and his victory was a blessing in disguise for Pelosi. Hoyer was always going to be a better fit as Pelosi’s top deputy. Murtha’s penchant for speaking off the cuff would have gotten him into trouble.

In retrospect, it’s easy to see why Pelosi backed Murtha: loyalty. He had always been loyal to her and she was simply returning the favor, even if it did cost her some political capital.

There were times when Murtha’s techniques triggered ethics inquiries. He made mistakes. And his unapologetic taste for, support of, and indulgence in earmarks cast suspicion on him, particularly in this Congress. But even if his reputation was tarnished, Murtha left Capitol Hill full of friends and admirers on both sides of the aisle.