Murtha surprised by unhappy voters in 12th Congressional District

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 11/2/08 | Dennis B. Roddy, VWH Campbell Jr.

[randita]

Murtha surprised by unhappy voters in 12th Congressional District

'Racist' comment, anti-war stand, new district boundaries open door for challenger

Sunday, November 02, 2008 By Dennis B. Roddy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette VWH Campbell Jr./Post-Gazette

There are two 12th Congressional Districts, and at the moment each is a bit cross with John P. Murtha.

One is the old 12th, centered in Cambria and stretching into bituminous reaches of Somerset, Armstrong and Indiana counties. It's the place that sent Mr. Murtha, D-Johnstown, to Congress by a pencil-thin margin in a special election almost 35 years ago.

Enchanted by his youth, vigor and capacity to steer grants, plants and gifts to his hometown, they returned him to office in 17 subsequent elections.

The other is the new 12th -- an inheritance of reapportionment, stretching through a swatch of Westmoreland, a sliver of Allegheny, chunks of Washington and Fayette and all of Greene counties.

The farther west you go, the deeper the puzzlement at the congressman who called Western Pennsylvania "racist" in an interview with the Post-Gazette editorial board and then apologized by substituting "redneck" in a television interview.

Mr Murtha already had irked veterans and social conservatives in the area by calling for a U.S pullout from Iraq and accusing eight Marines of atrocities in the town of Haditha.

Back home, the "racist" remark is viewed as Mr. Murtha -- who is as famous for his plain speech as for his capacity for handing out federal moolah -- speaking more bluntly than clearly. Yet, in much of the new district, well to the west of Johnstown, there is puzzlement verging on anger.

In many ways, this congressional election is a referendum on Jack Murtha -- Prince of Pork or High Priest of Hubris depending on one's ideology or, more likely, familiarity.

[peeps36]

Politicians like Murtha think they are above the law and untouchable. He is an arrogant pig who should be kicked back out into the real world where he can't hurt the country with his stupidity. We need to throw a lot of these bums out of office.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“...and he didn’t know those Americans could read.... or afford radios... and TVS.”

And if he wins, we will know he was right.

[Chairman of the Bard]

I can't think of a more apt label than “traitor”.

I've seen and listened to interviews with Col. Russell, a number of times with Mark Levin. Very, very impressive, and I doubt he trashes his constituents and accuses our brave troops of cold-blooded murder.

Did you see when the Fox News interviewer tried to corner Murtha? He wanted to now if the traitor was going to apologize to the accused troops, since they were about to be exonerated. Before Murtha ducked into an elevator, he stood there for a minute, dumbfounded, and said that the verdicts hadn't come back yet.

So, in other words, traitor, there's still a glimmer of hope for conviction, yes!!

[I_Like_Spam]

I’m not in the 12th CD, but watching TV this afternoon, Murtha is really spending a lot on TV time as well as the DNC. The ads from the Murtha campaign and the DNC were running back to back.

He’s definitely in trouble.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"Still cannot figure out why Murtha thinks his constituents should vote for him."

As smug as he always appears, I would guess that, after 17 elections, he is entitled to his job and the voting booths are just a formality really. He is the worst kind of politician.

[Common Tator]

What the media does not tell us is that MURTHA was in bad trouble before he made those remarks. What those white working class democrats fear if Affirmative action. They have been the recipients of reverse discrimination for decades.

And their experince is blacks take care of blacks.. Be he the black foreman that got his job because he is black or a President of the USA.

Here is the way white working class democrats explain it to me. Bad economies always end. Wars always end. But once Afirmative Action takes hold it lasts a lifetime or more.

The so called Racists are just the recipients of reverse discrimination. And they will not vote for a Black for President. And they are mad as hell at the Party that nominated him. They voted for Hilary In PA to no avail. Now they are going to teach the Democratic party a lesson.

Murtha saw the polls. He was in as much trouble as Obama and he knew what he faces. He chose to blame the redneck racists voters rather than the party that nominted Obama.

We may find that in areas where there are lots of white working class Democrats that many Demorats pay the price of nominating Obama.

[hoosiermama]

Absolutely...right on. IMO The same is true for Michigan, parts of Indiana and Ohio.

[pray4liberty]

Unhappy? Methinks they are mad as hell.

[penowa]

"Still cannot figure out why Murtha thinks his constituents should vote for him. He disses them every chance he gets."

But they don't care what kind of abuse he heaps on them just as long as they can keep feeding at the federal trough which Murtha has provided. They're just like federal employees; without that tax $ from the rest of the country to support them, they'd have to find real jobs.

[1st-P-In-The-Pod]

Hi there! I can only do my best, as I am an ignorant dolt from SW PA.

Until today there was only 1(one) sign up in all of our little backwoods, redneck, embittered town of 9,000. Today 6 more showed up on a cloverleaf leading to Rt.30, and 6 in front of a union shop.

We are pro-life, mostly Christian, gun owners and hunters. If we are bitter over anything it's John Murtha. IMHO our area of Westmoreland will go big time for Russell.

Murtha isn't all there. For what it's worth we are 2 or 3 to 1 registered D to R. We can't wait for Tuesday!

I think we can safely say so long to Mr. Creepy.

[VeniVidiVici]

The author, Dennis Roddy, is snuggling with Murtha and whispering sweet nothings. All he has left to do is hand Murtha a cigarette.

What a love fest for Murtha in this piece.

[1st-P-In-The-Pod]

This has been a depressed area for many years.

Murtha stood up for our military until recently. He was pro-life. He is gun friendly.

It’s not about welfare, as some who are ignorant of our situation may think. Our kids have found work in other areas of the country, our population is aging big time, and unions put everything else on the brink of bankruptcy.

We’ve had it hard for years here, and my good neighbors and do not deserve crap thrown at them. Most of us have never drawn a day of welfare. We haven’t, that’s for sure.

Stick to what you know to be true, you will sound more intelligent.

[EagleandLiberty]

Bye Murtha, you insulted the people of PA long enough!!

[penowa]

"Stick to what you know to be true, you will sound more intelligent."

I LIVE in W PA, sandwiched between Murtha's district and his sleazy pork buddy Mollahan in WV. I used to have Mascara as my Congressman, the other end of the district that Murtha inherited. My roommates from college lived in Johnstown, and at one time I was engaged to someone who lived there - spent a LOT of time there when Johnstown was seeing better days.

I KNOW exactly what I'm talking about and find it very odd that a conservative would be sticking up for someone who trashes the military like "Code Pink Murtha" and is the kind of Congressman who provides for his constituents by picking the pockets of other taxpayers. If you're voting for Murtha, you're WORSE than the people who have kept another senile old fool like Byrd of WV in power because he "brings home the bacon" by stealing from the rest of us.