Murtha’s empty “threat.”

Conservatives are having a conniption fit over Rep. John Murtha’s (D-PA) admittedly rash statement to Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) that “you will not get any earmarks now and forever.” A fact virtually never mentioned in press accounts: it’s an empty threat. Murtha has no control over Roger’s earmarks.

Never mind that Murtha’s threat was hollow: By tacit agreement between the parties, Murtha controls only the Democratic earmarks and lets the ranking Republican on the committee, Bill Young of Florida, handle GOP earmarks. A seething Rogers returned to the House floor on Monday night to introduce a resolution declaring Murtha guilty of an ethics violation.