The Daily Muck

Representative Murtha is batting 1.000 but he is not alone. Murtha has received campaign cash from every private entity that he favored with an earmark in the most recent defense bill. Murtha’s war chest (sub. req.) was augmented by $413,250 just since the beginning of 2005 and a stunning $100,750 flowed into his coffers in the two weeks leading up to March 16, the original deadline for lawmakers to file their earmark requests. Murtha is joined by Defense Subcommittee. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), who also received campaign cash from all of the entities that he helped. (Roll Call)

Representative Jerry Weller (R-IL) boasts the largest foreign land holdings of any member of Congress. But Weller, who failed to disclose land transactions in Nicaragua, is now dogged by ethics questions and will probably be resigning as early as Thursday. (Chicago Tribune)

Norman Hsu may be a savvy businessman, but the guy just doesn’t understand mass transit. Hsu’s lawyers maintain that their client intended to board a California commuter rail, but accidentally got on the wrong train… headed to Chicago. (WSJ’s Washington Wire)

Hillary’s donation problems don’t stop with Norman Hsu. Yesterday, her campaign announced (sub. req.) that it would return some funds associated with the bundler William Danielczyk. Danielczyk’s employees made contributions to Clinton–even though they were Republican–because the donations were a “corporate contribution.” That is, Danielczyk paid them back for their gifts. (Wall Street Journal)

Several of the “bundlers” who were involved in the 1990s Democratic fund raising scandal that hit Bill Clinton are now cozy with Hillary. The list includes an Oklahoma oilman who once testified that his firm attempted to influence Clinton by providing payments and a golf club membership to a Cabinet secretary’s son. Edwards’ bundlers are also being scrutinized after well-known fellow trial lawyer William S. Lerach, who raked in $80,000 for Edwards from family and law firm partners, pleaded guilty this week to a conspiracy charge. (Washington Post)

The EPA has approved a new coal firing plant that ignores Clean Air Act requirements that the plant regulate its carbon dioxide emissions. Now, Rep. Waxman (D-CA) wants to know why the EPA feels it is okay to ignore both the law and the recent Supreme Court decision explicitly upholding this aspect of the law. (Oversight Committee)

Just 12 weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice Department launched an investigation into alleged corruption in Saudi weapons purchases from BAE Systems, the Saudis have ordered over $8 billion in Eurofighter aircraft from England and BAE will be assembling the planes. (Bloomberg)

An Edwards’ state campaign director has resigned after his disparaging emails about specific Obama supporters were leaked to the Associated Press. The Edwards’ campaign, in a sign that they will not tolerate such crass behavior unless it is kept a secret, is seeking a criminal investigation to find out who leaked the emails. (AP)

After Hurricane Katrina, Countrywide Home Loans made the kind gesture of allowing victims to suspend their mortgage payments for 3-6 months. Unfortunately, those same people found out three months later that Countrywide was holding them in default. Now Countryside is being sued by the same people it tried to evict. (ABC’s The Blotter)

Has the U.S. Attorney scandal hit Puerto Rico? Some questions are being asked about a 32-month investigation by the nominated U.S. Attorney, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez, into the Democratic governor, whose office has done a good job of consistently leaking grand jury information to the press. Critics are worried that Rodriguez-Velez has made a name for herself by prosecuting Democrats, something this administration looks upon quite favorably. (The Hill)