Posted on 10/23/2008 7:49:39 AM PDT by BGHater
A new independent poll shows Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) leading his opponent by only five points, just a week after he suggested residents of western Pennsylvania are racist.
Forty-six percent of voters in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district said they supported Murtha, while 41 percent voiced support for his Republican challenger, retired Army Lt. Col. Bill Russell. Eight percent of voters said they were undecided, 4 percent said they preferred another candidate, and 1 percent refused to answer.
Murtha has found himself in hot water after telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that there is "no question" western Pennsylvania is racist. Murtha subsequently apologized, only to make another controversial statement about his constituents earlier this week.
“This whole area, years ago, was really redneck,” Murtha told a Pittsburgh television news affiliate earlier this week.
And his Republican competition is getting airtime as the result of Murtha’s comments.
“When you have folks that are of rural persuasions that live in these areas, I think it's a very unfair description of the people," Russell said Wednesday on Fox News’s “Hannity & Colmes.”
“Right now ... there’s one [poll] that shows us ahead, and there are some more that are coming out here that, I think, will shock you,” Russell said. “We’ve had a number of calls, people approaching saying they're just absolutely outraged, and they are fully intending to vote against Mr. Murtha.”
Russell reported having $2.2 million in the race, and had $330,000 in cash on hand at the beginning of October, respectable figures for a challenger to a longtime incumbent.
Murtha has spent under $1.9 million in the race, but reported over $500,000 in cash on hand through the middle of October. Murtha has represented the district since 1973, and won reelection in 2006 with 61 percent of the vote.
The poll, conducted Oct. 21 by Susquehanna Research for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, has a 4.9 percent margin of error.
ha ha
I guess we racist rednecks in Southwestern Pa. are about to show the door to “Haditha” Murtha. He can retire with his abscam buddies. Go Col. Russell!!
That would be hilarious if Murtha loses the election and McCain squeaks out a victory over Barry in PA ... all on the same night.
Eh...he’ll still win. Watch.
I hope and pray that the voters in Murtha’s district will vote him out of office!
GOOD!!!
As a born Pittsburgher, you’nz guys gotta get rid of this Scumbag Murtha. I’m in the People’s Republic of New York, and I got a bunch of my own problems I gotta get RID OF!!
This is proof that Murtha’s district is redneck. /sarc
“I hope and pray that the voters in Murtha’s district will vote him out of office”!
...maybe Murtha knows his constituents better than we think. They’ve been “stupid and dumb” enough to vote that blow-hard in repeatedly so far. Why change now? I pray it’s a Tom Daschle repeat.
He is still ahead and can deliver more pork than any replacement.
Defeating Haditha Murtha should have been a national effor much like the moonbats against Michelle Bachman.
Seems like a perfect storm is brewing in PA. “Joe the Plumber” and “Murtha the Racist” could be the catalysts that swing PA to McCain, and turn the election.
H
So all of the illegal votes for the Messiah will have to be “redone” with a check by Murthas name. What’s the big deal? You count them up, do the math and discover missing ballots! It worked in Wash. govs race a while back. And it works every time in Chicago. The only way Murtha will ever be challenged is if he should change parties, or become pro United States.
If I recall correctly he was the architect of the ‘Iraq is a failure’ mantra. It’s about time his big mouth began taking its toll.
I sent $50.00 to the Russell campaign. Anybody going against Murtha needs nationwide support. Its our civic duty to defeat Murtha.
Does this tell us anything more about Obama’s chances in PA?
My guess is the people in W PA should hopefully go McCain and Fast Eddie may crash Obama under Clinton orders. Frank Rizzo voters will probably not vote Obama.
HamiltonJay and others here think Obama will lose PA.
I am wondering if Murtha does not like Obama and is storring up the base to vote against Obama. Might be a code to them. If I live there it would piss me off and I would vote McCain.
I am in FL and I have been trying to help Lou Barletta with donations against another weasel Dem Paul Kaj who was in the top 7 for Fannie & Freddie money.
Lou is the mayor of Hazleton, PA and is being helped by Tom Tancredo’s PAC. I have also been doing McCain and RNC. When I mail my checks, I write in big letters NO AMNESTY!
Credit cards only now. Too late for checks. I could have bought two nice sets of golf clubs with this dough. :-(
For this guy to have been around has long as he has, that district must be packed with loons. And being from the district that elected Keith Ellison I know what a loony district looks like.
Murtha in trouble after calling constituents racists and Marines murderers.
They didn’t seem too upset when he falsely accused marines of slaughtering civilians in cold blood, but suddenly they’re so upset because he dared to falsely accuse them of racism? That district’s chickens were just coming home to roooooooost lol.
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