Rep. Moran Regrets His Words, Again

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IN THE RUN-UP to last week's House leadership elections on Capitol Hill, comments made by local congressman Jim Moran — whose district covers Arlington, Alexandria and parts of Fairfax County — caused quite the stir as House Democrats were preparing to vote for House majority leader. Moran, an ally of Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, told The Hill newspaper that House Democrats "are entering an era where when the Speaker instructs you what to do, you do it." Moran was speaking of incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was making a last-minute push to get Murtha elected majority leader over Pelosi's long-time rival, Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, who had all the votes lined up and was overwhelmingly elected to the position on Thursday.

But Moran's words before the election were viewed as threatening to those fearing reprisals from the future speaker if they didn't bend her way. In the end, not only was Pelosi rebuffed by Hoyer's victory, but Moran's 128-94 whip count predicting a Murtha win proved to be way off. Hoyer won 149-86 in the secret ballot.

In an editorial that ran in Saturday's edition of The Post that scolded the outspoken Moran, the congressman had this response:

I'm hung up about this war and I naturally get very competitive. I wind up saying things that, upon reflection, I feel the tone isn't what I meant to convey. And then, when I calm down and reflect, I have a very different view of things. ... I can't argue with you that it comes off in a cruder way than I wish it did.

But it's not the first time Moran has tripped over his words or caused other trouble for himself. And it makes the former Alexandria mayor perhaps the area's most dynamic local members of Congress. But did the former boxer really punch a priest in church? On the jump, we'll separate Moran the myth, from Moran the man.

» Did Moran shove a fellow member of Congress off the House floor? Yes, Moran did. According to the Almanac of American Politics, "[h]e jousted — literally — with ... Republicans, shoving Californian Duke Cunningham off the floor and out of the House chamber doors in 1995 after Cunningham said that Moran had 'turned his back on Desert Storm.'"

» What did Moran say to a group of 450 people at the Arlington County Democratic Committee's annual Jefferson-Jackson Day in June about controversial appropriations earmarks? Moran said, according to the Sun Gazette: ”When I become chairman [of a House appropriations subcommittee], I'm going to earmark the sh** out of it."

» Did Moran punch Rev. Michael Dobbins of Alexandria's Blessed Sacrament church in 2003? Most likely not, but the details are disputed. Eyewitnesses to the heated encounter between Dobbins and Moran told Roll Call that Moran "was screaming and pointing his finger at him. ... He went ballistic," after Dobbins said that Democrats had abandoned Catholic voters. A Moran spokesman said Moran "was not the instigator. It was more of a mutual discussion."

» Under what circumstances did a "Jerry Springer" type of situation involving two women unfold in front of Moran's Arlington home in 2001? According to The Post's Reliable Source, two women — one blonde another a redhead — showed up at Moran's house to deliver birthday gifts to the divorced congressman, according to neighbors. But the two did not expect to see one another there and a shouting match unfolded about who should be forced to leave. Said a Moran chief of staff at the time: "It was just two very good friends who came to give him birthday presents and were surprised that the other one was there, as far as Jim is concerned."

» Did an 8-year-old boy try to carjack Moran? Yes, according to Moran. The 2000 incident happened outside an Alexandria recreation center where Moran led the child away in a chokehold. The boy says he was just admiring Moran's car.

The Post's Marc Fisher wrote a column in 2002 detailing Moran's "two categories of impropriety: personal aggression and financial misdeeds."

Photos by Gerald Martineau and Michael Williamson/The Washington Post

» "Pelosi 'Will Ensure' Murtha Win, Murtha Ally Says" [The Hill]
» "Murtha in Showdown With Maryland Congressman for House Majority Post" [Tribune-Democrat]
» "Rep. Moran's Mouth" [WaPo]
» "Moran: Democratic Majority Means More Money for 8th District" [Sun Gazette]
» "Bully Pulpit?" [Roll Call, subscription req'd]
» "Jim Moran's Birthday Nightmare" [Reliable Source/WaPo]
» "Moran's Conduct No Impediment to Incumbency" [WaPo]