February 8, 2010

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Congressman John Murtha has died.

The Pennsylvania Democrat was the first combat veteran of the Vietnam War to be elected to Congress. He wielded considerable clout for two decades when he served as the ranking Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees the Pentagon.

Murtha was considered one of the most hawkish Democrats in Congress, and voted to authorize the use of military force in Iraq in 2002. But three years later, he'd grown frustrated with the Bush administration's handling of the war, calling it "a flawed policy wrapped in illusion." His call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops rattled Washington, where he'd won the respect of colleagues from both parties for his work on military issues.

Ethics questions shadowed Murtha's congressional career. He defended the practice of earmarks, saying the special projects money benefited his constituents.

Murtha had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery and died at a Washington-area hospital today. He was 77.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)