The congressman's large intestine was damaged during gallbladder surgery and the complications led him to be hospitalized, a Pennsylvania congressman and longtime friend said.

Tonight's Rescue Rangers are shayera, Lousiana 1976, Alfonso Nevarez, dopper0189, jennyjem and grog.

DParker takes us back 80 years to the unlikely event...

For those of you who have gone into campaign minutiae withdrawal, there is good news: The Wrap is back. With primaries on the horizon and the real world (aka my day job) interfering a bit, it looks like the Wrap will be a three day a week feature for the next few months. So, expect to see the Wra...

The White House released this statement on the passing of Rep. John Murtha.

Michelle and I were deeply saddened today to hear about the passing of Congressman John Murtha.  Jack was a devoted husband, a loving father and a steadfast advocate for the people of Pennsylvania for nearly 40 years. H...

Obama administration launches plan to limit Chicago-area locks and gates from opening to prevent the giant carp from dominating the Great Lakes.

Shelby's blanket holds on pending nominees has apparently been lifted, just in time for Ben Nelson to step up to the plate and announce that he will join the Republican filibuster of Craig Becker's nomination to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Senate Democratic leaders needed the hel...

U.S. Rep. John Boozman is the ninth Republican to say he's going to make a go for two-term Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln's seat, but a recent survey shows the congressman isn't fighting for elbow room.

The Obama administration argued premiums Monday while House Republicans argued process as both sides girded for what looks like three weeks of posturing before televised bipartisan health care talks commence Feb. 25.

They're no postmen:

With Washington still digging out from the weekend snow and expecting more snow beginning Tuesday afternoon, the House leadership put off votes set for Tuesday night, leaving the Congressional schedule for the week uncertain.

House officials said they would reassess Tuesday...

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has 10 days by law to schedule an election to replace the 35-year lawmaker.

The NYT Caucus blog reports

A former Marine, Mr. Murtha, his office noted, was the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to Congress. Throughout his years, Mr. Murtha paid particular attention to defense spending and to the Pentagon and the military.

When he called for bringing the troops h...

What you missed on Sunday Kos ….

In With Friends Like These, Angry Mouse ripped into women who pile on other women for having the audacity to choose to think and live for themselves.

And s...

The department said in a memo that it destroyed or deleted all of the copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence gathering guidelines about "protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said those in Congress ?will miss the tenacity and passion that he brought to his job every day.?

Honest to God, how do these people spew this crap with a straight face?

Here's the morning crew on Fox & Friends, with their take on Sarah Palin's 19th century palm pilot:

CARLSON: I think she did it on purpose. I think she did it on purpose, yeah. Because it’s an exact opposite of reading off...

The letter is penned by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA).  

Snow and Republicans are conspiring against the nation's unemployed. There's not much anyone can do about the former, with even more forecasted over the next day and a half. And with Scott Brown now seated, there are questions about what can happen with the latter.

Although both parties say Was...

GOP Rep. Paul Ryan handed House Democrats the perfect wedge issue last week, and they're going to use it.

House Democrats want to kick House Republicans where it hurts, and are exploring ways to force the minority party to take a stand on Rep. Paul Ryan's budget "roadmap" that has become a poli...

Apparently there's a a lot of angry people out there:

Three-quarters of the nation’s voters are “angry” at the federal government’s policies, ...

from the diaries - BarbinMD

From a press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his family.

Murtha, 77, was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcomm...

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. John Murtha, the first veteran of the Vietnam war to enter Congress and one of the House's most powerful lawmakers, died Monday afternoon at Virginia Hospital Center after complications from gallbladder surgery. Murtha was 77.

... or she is willing to lie about when it's okay to do so.

From Greg Sargent at The Plum Line:

Case in point: On Fox News yesterday, Palin explained why it’s okay that Rush Limbaugh used the word “retard” even as Rahm Emanuel’s use of the term “retarded” constituted a firing offense:

PALIN:...

New York Mayor Bloomberg raises doubts about federal government's readiness to pay for a trial of Sept. 11 suspects in Manhattan.