You may have heard recently that one of the most notorious pork-barrellers in Congress, U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania,is hosting a swanky fundraising dinner with a bunch of earmark-seeking defense lobbyists at the Ritz Carlton in Arlington, Virginia, tomorrow night.

A couple of weeks ago our friends at RedState called for folks in the area to crash the party and now Americans for Prosperity is joining together with Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union to hold a taxpayer rally outside the event.  If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and take a stand against pork-barrel politics!  Full details below: 

MEDIA ADVISORY

Taxpayer Watchdog Groups Come Together to Rally Against Congressman Murtha’s Swanky Fundraiser with Pork-Seeking Defense Contractors  

WASHINGTON - Three major national taxpayer watchdog groups are banding together to hold a rally outside U.S. Rep. John Murtha’s swanky fundraising dinner with pork-barrel-seeking defense lobbyists on  Wednesday evening.  Taxpayers plan to gather outside the upscale Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pentagon City, Virginia, to display their displeasure with Representative Murtha “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”

Every year Congressman Murtha hosts what has been described as a fancy “payback dinner” for defense contractors who contribute to his campaign.  Roll Call reported on February 11 that “(e)very private entity that received a special project from the Pennsylvania Democrat in last year’s defense spending bill had given him political money at some point since 2005.” The taxpayer groups say that Americans are sick and tired of the wasteful and abusive spending of tax dollars, and that the time has come to shut down the Congressional favor factory.

The rally is scheduled to include Americans for Prosperity’s “Big Pig” (pictured) to highlight the wasteful pork-barrel spending that is likely to result from Wednesday’s dinner.

Who: Americans for Prosperity, Citizens Against Government Waste and National Taxpayers Union

What: The Murtha Bash – Pork Crash

When: Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Where: Top of the Pentagon City Metrorail station outside the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1250 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA