This is all politics (Navy extending him this wholly unwarranted honor). Murtha sits on the Appropriations Committee, which means that they need his approval for funding. They’ll turn a blind eye to Murtha’s malevolent actions that were outright criminal - indicting, convicting, and sentencing the Haditha Marines in the court of public opinion without the slightest bit of evidence) because they’ve considered the importance of getting approvals.

The sad thing is that the Navy will end up getting screwed regardless because the Administration will find reason to cut Defense spending regardless of how much the Navy and the DoD in general tries to make its case.