GOP targets Dems for ethics complaints

WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- Congressional Republicans are filing ethics complaints against Democrats in an effort to put pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., analysts say.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., has filed three resolutions calling for a House ethics committee investigation centering on the relationship between Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., and PMA Group, a lobbying organization raided last year by federal authorities, the Washington publication Politico reported Tuesday. The House defeated one of the resolutions last week and is set to vote on the re-filed resolution later this week.

Although they target Murtha on the issue of earmarks, political analysts say the complaints are actually aimed at Pelosi, who as minority leader personally filed 12 such resolutions calling for ethics probes regarding former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., and other Republicans, Politico said.

"We are just doing to them what they did to us," an unnamed House Republican aide told the publication. "If it was good enough then, it's good enough now."