Hotline After Dark -- Murtha's "Crap" Storm

The election may be over but TV is enjoying cover the leadership races:

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) played "Hardball" last night:

MSNBC's Matthews: "[Bush] invites Steny Hoyer down to the White House with Nancy Pelosi. Were they trying to set up Steny, your opponent, for this leadership post by bringing him down with her, or is that just protocol?"

Murtha: "No, I think that's just protocol."

Murtha, on Abscam: "I'll put this way. I had 24 percent unemployment, I was looking at investment. I told them I wanted an investment in my district, they put $50,000 out on the table. I said I'm not interested in that. I'm interested in investment. The Ethics Committee cleared me completely on a unanimous vote."

Asked why he didn't take the money: "What the hell, I'm not going to take cash from some Arab sheikhs. They weren't Arab sheikhs, they were FBI agents."

More: "They were the slimiest guys I've ever seen."

Asked why he didn't leave the room: "Well listen, they said they were going to invest in the district. We had 24 percent unemployment."

On his ethics comment: "I agree that we have to return a perception of honesty to the Congress. I agree with what Nancy's trying to do. The crap I'm talking about is the crap that people have violated the law, the kind of things that have happened with Abramoff. ... What I said was, it's total crap, the idea we have to deal with an issue like this, when ... we've got a war going on" (MSNBC, 11/15).

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), on Murtha's "total crap" ethics comment: "He doesn't like superficial stuff" ("Tucker," MSNBC, 11/15).

THE GOP RACE IS JUST AS EXCITING

Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) was in the "Situation Room":

Asked if he's supporting Pence in the min. leader race: "No, very careful about that. I said if we re-elect both of our existing leaders. I think that Mr. Boehner has probably the inside track. ... I think it is time for change. And if we're not going to change at the majority leader's level, to minority leader, then I think it is vital that we change at least one of the top two offices and tell the American people we got the message, we understand we lost focus on what they want us to be doing."

More: "I'm not supporting anybody in that race. I believe that race needs to be decided on its merits. I'm not running as a ticket with anybody on that race" (CNN, 11/15).

CNN's Crowley: "If Lott has neither forgiven nor forgotten, he's not talking. Comeback doesn't mean look back" ("Situation Room," 11/15).

FNC's Wilson: "During an earlier stint as whip and as majority leader, Lott was known as a gifted counter of noses and a talented maker of last minute political deals, gifts that could come in handy as the Republicans move from a game of offense to a defensive game where 41 unified Republican votes can essentially stop Democratic legislation cold" ("Special Report," 11/15).

LG Michael Steele (R-MD), on Lott: "I think, you know, again, that episode behind him. I think he asked for forgiveness and received it from the party and from the country. And I think he's going to make a good leader in the Senate."

Asked if he's forgiven him: "Absolutely. I mean, you know, you can't hold stuff like that against him. It was a birthday event, you know? The guy's sitting there in the chair. What are you going to say? You say nice things. You get caught up in the moment" ("Situation Room," CNN, 11/15).

NOT HOLDING BACK

Bill Maher, on his "LKL" interview: "Larry kept pressing me about this issue, about gays and names. And I thought that well, you know, I'm a political junkie, probably like you are. And so, you know, in my writer's room, this is anything but news. And by the way, I'm not a million percent sure it's true. I mean, I never dated the guy. But I don't feel especially bad about if this happened to a Republican who is very much part and parcel of this administration, which has used gay issues so divisively. It's hugely hypocritical" ("Nightline," ABC, 11/15).

James Carville, on the DNC: "The DNC had a credit line of $10 million. They only drew down $4 million. That's $6 million. ... It is a cult of the DNC, not the candidates. I think this party ought to be focused. It is the candidates whose hearts are broken out there. It is the candidates and their families and their staffs who have been let down, because we left them hanging out there. ... They exercise this kind of timidity, when we could have picked up another 10 seats. ... The highest person in the Democratic Party are these candidates that go out and risk everything, who work their hearts out, who try to get elected. And they deserve every bit of support, financial and otherwise, that they can get. They got it from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. They got it from the Democratic Senatorial campaign Committee. They did not get from it the DNC."

On Dean: "I want the change -- and, if it's him, if he stays, fine. I want him to say, we are not going to be talking about parties and state chairmen. We're going to talk about candidates. We're going to let these good people know, when they come out and run under the Democratic line, that we are going to do everything we can to fund them, to stand by them" ("Situation Room," CNN, 11/15). [EMILY GOODIN]