A new Murtha challenger
Give props to Diana Irey for giving it the old college try in 2006 to unseat the lying windbag from Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, she was trounced in the general election by the slandering congressman. This time, however, Murtha may have his hands full:
A career Army member left the service two years short of retirement to move here and try his hand at politics by challenging longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha.
First-time candidate William T. Russell, 45, a Republican, acknowledged that taking on a popular, 18-term congressman in the 2008 election will be "an uphill battle."
"But it's one that must be fought," Russell told the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown.
Russell plans to formally announce his candidacy within weeks. Murtha has declined comment on the challenge.
Murtha, 75, has served in the House since 1974 and is known for bringing money and jobs — especially in the defense industries — to his district in rural Pennsylvania. A decorated Vietnam veteran and Marine Reserves colonel who previously had been hawkish on war issues, Murtha has criticized the Iraq war and pushed for the troops to be brought home. He became chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee last year.
Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey ran against Murtha last year, trying to capitalize on the backlash against Murtha's views among conservatives. She was soundly beaten in the general election.
Russell, who moved from the Washington, D.C., area to Murtha's district specifically to take on the congressman, has a long Army and Army Reserve career that includes tours of duty in the Balkans and both Iraq wars. He and his wife, Kasia, were in the Pentagon when a hijacked airliner slammed into the building on Sept. 11, 2001. Both escaped unhurt.
Murtha's call for troop withdrawal from Iraq "is just flat-out wrong," Russell said. Like Irey, Russell also criticized Murtha's public allegations that unnamed U.S. soldiers committed "cold-blooded murder and war crimes" against innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.
A small-business owner, Russell said he wants a local economy dependent on the free market. But he acknowledges some jobs may be lost if government contracts disappear.
While Mr. Russell will have a serious fight on his hands, he's not shrinking from the challenge. He knows that Murtha shouldn't be serving in the House after his appalling comments regarding the Haditha Marines, and despite their exoneration, his flat-out refusal to apologize. (Which if he had done so, he'd avoid the defamation lawsuit that's been filed against him.)
Here is Lt. Col. Russell's campaign site. If you're as amped as we are, and serious about getting rid of John Murtha from the hallowed halls of the House, then please contribute to his campaign, and support him.
HT: Michelle Malkin who also has Lt. Col. Russell's "What I Believe" statement on her site. Powerful, to say the least, and all our hopes go behind this man to help the GOP get rid of the nuts in the asylum.
Publius II
A career Army member left the service two years short of retirement to move here and try his hand at politics by challenging longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha.
First-time candidate William T. Russell, 45, a Republican, acknowledged that taking on a popular, 18-term congressman in the 2008 election will be "an uphill battle."
"But it's one that must be fought," Russell told the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown.
Russell plans to formally announce his candidacy within weeks. Murtha has declined comment on the challenge.
Murtha, 75, has served in the House since 1974 and is known for bringing money and jobs — especially in the defense industries — to his district in rural Pennsylvania. A decorated Vietnam veteran and Marine Reserves colonel who previously had been hawkish on war issues, Murtha has criticized the Iraq war and pushed for the troops to be brought home. He became chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee last year.
Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey ran against Murtha last year, trying to capitalize on the backlash against Murtha's views among conservatives. She was soundly beaten in the general election.
Russell, who moved from the Washington, D.C., area to Murtha's district specifically to take on the congressman, has a long Army and Army Reserve career that includes tours of duty in the Balkans and both Iraq wars. He and his wife, Kasia, were in the Pentagon when a hijacked airliner slammed into the building on Sept. 11, 2001. Both escaped unhurt.
Murtha's call for troop withdrawal from Iraq "is just flat-out wrong," Russell said. Like Irey, Russell also criticized Murtha's public allegations that unnamed U.S. soldiers committed "cold-blooded murder and war crimes" against innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.
A small-business owner, Russell said he wants a local economy dependent on the free market. But he acknowledges some jobs may be lost if government contracts disappear.
While Mr. Russell will have a serious fight on his hands, he's not shrinking from the challenge. He knows that Murtha shouldn't be serving in the House after his appalling comments regarding the Haditha Marines, and despite their exoneration, his flat-out refusal to apologize. (Which if he had done so, he'd avoid the defamation lawsuit that's been filed against him.)
Here is Lt. Col. Russell's campaign site. If you're as amped as we are, and serious about getting rid of John Murtha from the hallowed halls of the House, then please contribute to his campaign, and support him.
HT: Michelle Malkin who also has Lt. Col. Russell's "What I Believe" statement on her site. Powerful, to say the least, and all our hopes go behind this man to help the GOP get rid of the nuts in the asylum.
Publius II
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 4:38 PM
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