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As noted here last night, the FBI has raided a lobby shop, PMA, which is closely enmeshed with Congressman John Murtha, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, last year alone PMA’s clients received 154 earmarks worth $299.5 million from Murtha’s subcommittee.
PMA is a major political contributor, giving Murtha $26,700 during the current election cycle. That makes the firm his 10th biggest contributor.
Records compiled by opensecrets.org show that PMA is among the top twenty contributor to 26 other House Democrats, including Carolyn McCarthy, Mike Doyle, Silvestre Reyes and Pete Visclosky. The latter’s ties to PMA are just as close as Murtha’s.
Incidentally, PMA gives overwhelmingly to Democrats but also provides for the GOP. The firm is also a top 20 donor to at least six Republicans.
More from Ken Silverstein:
Commentary — July 25, 2012, 2:20 pm
Washington Babylon — September 29, 2010, 11:37 am


Years of consideration preceding the inclusion of the word “phat” in Random House’s 1996 Compact Unabridged Dictionary:

Scientists created crash helmets that stink when cracked and fruit flies to whom blue light smells delicious.

In Belize, a construction company bulldozed a 2,300-year-old Mayan temple to make road fill.
“This is the heart of the magic factory, the place where medicine is infused with the miracles of science, and I’ve come to see how it’s done.”