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John Murtha dies, special election looms (McCain carried PA-12)
The Washington Post ^ | February 8, 2010; 3:50 PM ET | Chris Cillizza

Posted on 02/08/2010 2:24:03 PM PST by Smogger

The death of longtime Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha (D) this afternoon will set off a special election in his very competitive western Pennsylvania 12th district.

According to state law, the governor has ten days once the vacancy is officially declared to decide on the date for the special election, which can come no sooner than 60 days following that proclamation.

That likely means the special election will be held on May 18, which is the date already set for federal primaries around the state. (Special elections costs the state huge sums of money and it's likely that Gov. Ed Rendell will choose to go with an already established election day to save some cash.)

Murtha's passing comes at a tenuous time for House Democrats as they seek to convince some of their older members to re-up for another term in the face of what looks to be a difficult national political environment for the party.

To date, 12 Democrats -- including long-serving Members like John Tanner and Bart Gordon (both of Tennessee) -- are calling it quits at the end of the year. Sixteen Republicans are retiring at the end of the 111th Congress although just four of them are leaving office entirely; the other dozen are running for higher offices like Senate or governor.

Murtha, 77, had held his seat with ease since 1974 even as it became increasingly more competitive between the two parties. The only semi-serious challenge to him in recent years came in a redistricting-forced primary race against then Rep. Frank Mascara in 2002, which Murtha won easily.

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 111th; elections; government; johnmurtha; murtha; obama; pa12; pa2010; pennsylvania; politics; specialelection
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To: whatisthetruth

Not celebrating, but no sorrow either.


81 posted on 02/08/2010 3:53:28 PM PST by dynachrome (Barack Hussein Obama yunikku khinaaziir!)
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
...in his very competitive western Pennsylvania 12th district. According to state law, the governor has ten days once the vacancy is officially declared to decide on the date for the special election, which can come no sooner than 60 days following that proclamation. That likely means the special election will be held on May 18, which is the date already set for federal primaries around the state. (Special elections costs the state huge sums of money and it's likely that Gov. Ed Rendell will choose to go with an already established election day to save some cash.) ...To date, 12 Democrats -- including long-serving Members like John Tanner and Bart Gordon (both of Tennessee) -- are calling it quits at the end of the year. Sixteen Republicans are retiring at the end of the 111th Congress although just four of them are leaving office entirely; the other dozen are running for higher offices like Senate or governor.

82 posted on 02/08/2010 3:57:15 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2446940/posts


83 posted on 02/08/2010 3:57:27 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2447041/posts


84 posted on 02/08/2010 3:57:39 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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To: dynachrome
I'm not exactly celebrating, too much more evil still in our midst affecting us, but I'm feeling awfully good in my heart for the good people of our country and for our much maligned troops that suffered at the hands of this wicked, wicked individual.

When evil dies the good people thrive.

85 posted on 02/08/2010 3:59:55 PM PST by whatisthetruth
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To: Smogger

Does this mean his private airport must now return its corrupt funding back to the taxpayers?

I vote: YES!


86 posted on 02/08/2010 4:00:31 PM PST by patlin (1st SCOTUS of USA: "Human life, from its commencement to its close, is protected by the common law.")
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To: traumer

One LTC in, another in May (Russell), and another in November (firebrand Allen West, FLA). I’ve had a premonition that returning Iraq/Afghanistan vets will reshape the political landscape. I hope this is just the beginning.


87 posted on 02/08/2010 4:02:43 PM PST by ArmyTeach ( ...speak true, right the wrong, follow the King Tennyson)
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To: Smogger; All
A little off subject, but the tie-in is pork and corruption....

We got the NY Gov. potentially about to resign and Murtha was the king of pork, but we ain't done.

Go here:

http://detnews.com/article/20100207/OPINION03/2070303/Commentary--What-did-John-Conyers-know

With his wife a convicted felon waiting for sentencing, it is being asked in the press, but people in MI have been asking, what did John Conyers know and when did he know it, i.e. about his wife's bribery and was he involved.

We got a ranking Democrat head of the Judicary who's wife is a perp...

What if something breaks and he is charged?

What if it happens let's say in August, September or Late October? At that point the Democratic Party gets their head handed to them even worse then they are going to get now.

People are going to get even sicker of politicans such as Murtha and Conyers and Patterson as more and more corrupt dirt comes to the surface.

It will be the year of vote the incumbent bums out....

88 posted on 02/08/2010 4:03:47 PM PST by taildragger (Palin/Mulally 2012)
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To: ichabod1

I don’t disagree. While I exhult quietly I give the family their space.
Contribute to Russell’s campaign!


89 posted on 02/08/2010 4:11:58 PM PST by ArmyTeach ( ...speak true, right the wrong, follow the King Tennyson)
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To: Smogger

I’m glad he’s gone.


90 posted on 02/08/2010 4:14:59 PM PST by novemberslady
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To: pissant

LOL!

You wrote- “They need to honor the Fat Traitor like they honored teh Fat Swimmer after he croaked.”


91 posted on 02/08/2010 4:21:10 PM PST by real_patriotic_american
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To: Smogger

Murtha is a story of two men. One is a patriotic Marine that supported tough military policies. The other is of a corrupt egomaniac who did everything possible to destroy the morale of the personnel fighting in Iraq and Afganistan. For the patriotic Marine, I have nothing but praise, but for the Quisling, I nothing but contempt. May God be merciful.


92 posted on 02/08/2010 4:26:54 PM PST by Nosterrex
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To: pissant

I’m sure he’s going to Arlington with much fanfare.


93 posted on 02/08/2010 4:27:31 PM PST by rabidralph ("Precedenting" is a lot tougher than community organizing.)
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To: rabidralph

I meant Pennsylvania honor him like the voters of MA ‘honored’ Mary Jo’s killer.


94 posted on 02/08/2010 4:29:32 PM PST by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: B-Chan

You and me both. I despise the ‘rats, but that’s too much.


95 posted on 02/08/2010 4:38:07 PM PST by patriot08 (TEXAS GAL- born and bred and proud of it!)
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To: tobyhill
We need a candidate that will stand there and honor the troops, not accuse them of war crimes -- FOR PURELY PARTISAN POLITCAL PURPOSES -- like Murtha did.

I've taken the liberty of adding to your post.

96 posted on 02/08/2010 4:38:43 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham (It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government -- Thomas Payne)
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To: whatisthetruth
An evil man has been removed from our midst, what are good people supposed to do, cry?

You can hate a man's acts and love the man. In this case, I hate both.

97 posted on 02/08/2010 4:43:25 PM PST by Mad_Tom_Rackham (It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government -- Thomas Payne)
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham

No problem.


98 posted on 02/08/2010 4:45:19 PM PST by tobyhill
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To: Smogger
This was another great Murtha moment,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywgUCdefSW8

99 posted on 02/08/2010 4:49:12 PM PST by factmart
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To: taildragger
The demise (if it happens) of Paterson & Conyers don't mean much for the GOP in those specific races.

Paterson is being dumped to clear the field for Little Andy C., who will easily defeat any Republican.

We can "never say never" after a felonious democRat was defeated in the cesspool of the New Orleans ghetto, but N.O. is a paradise compared to Conyers' ghetto district in Detroit. Conyers may go down (as may Harlem Charlie), but it's highly unlikely to say the least that either one would be replaced by a Republican.

Their scandals do serve to highlight the Rats' Culture of Corruption and will be useful to the GOP in that respect, not that the Rahm-controlled media will give those stories any play whatsoever.

100 posted on 02/08/2010 4:53:13 PM PST by PermaRag (the stock market will stop bleeding when those who manipulate it START bleeding)
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