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Defend Our Marines main page THE MURTHA-RUSSELL DEBATETranscript by Rusty Howell THE MURTHA-RUSSELL DEBATE  | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2008 | pdf Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Uniontown in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District for the first and only scheduled debate between Congressman John Murtha, a Democrat; and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Bill Russell, a Republican. Both men are from Johnstown. I'm Brit Brokaw of the Uniontown Tribune and I will be moderating tonight's debate. I will be asking each one of these gentlemen the same questions so that they may express their views on issues...

Security and stabilization efforts in three southern Iraqi provinces are going well, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. The 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team is responsible for an area that includes Muthanna, Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces in southern Iraq, Army Col. Philip Battaglia, 4th brigade commander, said during a satellite-carried news conference with Pentagon reporters. “We’ve seen the security in this area improve significantly since our arrival in July,” Battaglia said. “The provinces are overall very stable, with occasional attacks by special groups and other criminal elements.” “Special groups” is the term military...

MURTHA STICKS TO HADITHA SLANDER, DENIES FACTS IN EXONERATIONSCredits self as caring and wiseCongressman John Murtha (D-PA) sat down with the editors of the Uniontown Herald-Standard yesterday and was asked about the defamation lawsuit filed against by former Marine lance corporal, Justin Sharratt. In Haditha, Sharratt and SSgt Frank Wuterich faced armed insurgents in a dwelling labeled house 4 by investigators. The dead Iraqis in house 4 were all military-aged males. AK-47s along with Jordanian passports were recovered from the room. Forensic evidence disputed allegations that the four dead men had be executed. Sharratt had been falsely accused, and was...

Road to Victory Rally Saturday October 11th in Johnstown, PA Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Johnstown, PA on Saturday October 11th.

This morning the House of Representatives begins debate on the Senate version of the Wall Street bailout plan. News outlets are reporting the last minute addition of multi-million dollar “sweetners” for House and Senate members to ensure passage. Once again, the disappointing way Washington does business—buy, sell, trade and giveaway.After the failure of the original $700B plan, Congressman Murtha told reporters constituents were calling “50 to 1” against the bailout measure, but voted “yes” anyway. He apparently knew better.So here’s my recommendation to Mr. Murtha. Instead of piling on another layer of taxpayer-funded promises to win a re-vote, Mr....

Veteran area Congressman John He said he is confident that, with a few changes, the Wall Street bailout plan will pass significantly later this week. Murtha voted for the financial rescue plan on Monday, and on Tuesday he held a news conference to weigh in on the crisis. Via videoconference with local media and district offices, Murtha said he will stay in Washington, D.C., in case he's needed. Murtha said his office has been deluged with phone calls about the issue, 50 to one against what his constituents call a bailout for Wall Street. He said the plane goes way...

...Rep. John Murtha, who represents the 12th District, and 5th District Rep. John Peterson voted in support of the [bailout] plan. Congressman Bill Shuster, of the 9th District, voted against it. In a written statement, Shuster said his "primary responsibility has always been to protect the interests of the people who entrust me to represent them in Congress..." Murtha did not immediately issue a statement and said he would not do so until "we figure out what's going on right now."

Sharratt suit seeks 'justice' By Michael Jones, Staff writermjones@observer-reporter.com PITTSBURGH - Hours after filing a federal slander lawsuit against Congressman John Murtha, 24-year-old Justin Sharratt coolly described in one word what he wants from the man who said he and his fellow Marines killed "innocent civilians in cold blood." "Justice," Sharratt said without flinching. "Basically, just showing America that a congressman can't get on TV and say anything he wants." Sharratt, of Canonsburg, was charged in 2006 with three counts of unpremeditated murder after a battle on Nov. 19, 2005, in Haditha that left 24 Iraqis dead. The charges were...

Last modified: Friday, September 26, 2008 6:02 AM EDT In this photo taken from his official Web site, Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, waits for his trial to begin. He is suing U.S. Rep. John Murtha for slander, saying the Johnstown congressman presumed him guilty before he had his day in court. (Submitted photo) Marine sues Murtha for slander By MICHELLE GANASSIDaily American Staff WriterA Marine exonerated on murder charges in the Haditha encounter is suing U.S. Rep. John Murtha for convicting him in the media before his day in court. Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt,...

While congressional leaders wrangled over the details of a federal bailout for Wall Street that could cost taxpayers an extraordinary $700 billion, the U.S House quietly passed an omnibus-spending bill for nearly the same amount Wednesday. The Senate is expected to pass the $630 billion measure by week’s end. Senate leaders wringing their hands over where to find $700 billion for the Wall Street bailout might start with the fine print of the omnibus bill: The measure includes more than $6.6 billion in pork-barrel spending. The 2,000-plus earmarks fill 752 pages attached to the 357-page spending bill. Sen. Ted Stevens,...

WASHINGTON – As Congress tried to cobble together a plan to spend huge sums on a financial bailout, lawmakers also moved yesterday toward final approval of an omnibus spending bill with more than 2,300 pet projects, including a $2 million study of animal hibernation. Many lawmakers had promised to go on a diet, but their appetite for the pet projects, known as earmarks, has returned as Congress finishes its work for the year and Election Day looms less than six weeks away. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog group, calculates that earmarks account for $6.6 billion of the omnibus...

A former Marine lance corporal exonerated in the investigation into the killing of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, has filed a slander suit against Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) for allegedly saying that the Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Lawyers for Justin Sharratt, 24, filed the lawsuit today in federal court in Pittsburgh. Sharratt's family lives in Murtha's district. Murtha, a former Marine and vocal opponent of the Iraq war, made his comments at a news conference in 2006, before Sharratt and seven other Marines were charged for the November 2005 killings. After a preliminary hearing at Camp...

First of all, here were the accusations from Congressman Murtha:

A Marine from Washington County today plans to sue U.S. Rep. John Murtha for publicly claiming his unit slaughtered innocent Iraqi civilians, according to the man's attorney. A lawyer for Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg on Wednesday announced plans to sue Murtha, D-Johnstown, for comments he made to news outlets concerning the November 2005 killing of about two dozen people in Haditha. Murtha repeatedly said Sharratt and seven fellow Marines "committed cold-blooded murder of innocent women and children," according to lawyer Noah Geary, who scheduled a news conference for 1:30 p.m. today to announce the lawsuit.

<p>One of the Marines cleared in the killings of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha plans to sue his congressman today for statements he says defamed him and other members of his squad.</p> <p>Former Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, will file a civil lawsuit against U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, who was widely quoted two years ago saying that eight Marines carried out a cold-blooded killing of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town on Nov. 19, 2005.</p>

One of the Marines cleared in the killings of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha plans to sue his congressman today for statements he says defamed him and other members of his squad. Former Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, will file a civil lawsuit against U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, who was widely quoted two years ago saying that eight Marines carried out a cold-blooded killing of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town on Nov. 19, 2005.

Former Marine lance corporal, Justin Sharratt, files suit against Congressman John MurthaSecond defamation suit to be filed by a Marine who Murtha said "murdered innocent civilians in cold-blood". Sharratt is a constituent of Murtha in Pennsylvania's 12th District. Press conferences tomorrow. Developing. Story to follow.

Defend Our Heros (William Russell for Congress) Please help fight Jack Murtha join the Russell Brigade and keep this ad running in PA! http://russellbrigade.com/defend-our-heroes/

Important interview, since Q&R's home-base station covers much of the 12th district.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting the result to be different. One might apply that definition to this year's elections. Every candidate at every level is running on a platform that somehow involves making things in government different. If the candidate promising to make things different is a challenger, that position makes perfect sense - that is why the person is running in the first place. But when the incumbent starts talking about needing to be re-elected to do things differently, anyone with a modicum of common sense should respond with a...

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Lt. Col. Bill Russell was in the Pentagon when it was attacked on September 11th. "The office I was in was actually one floor up and about 150 feet from where the cockpit ended," says Russell. That experience and his military service in Iraq shaped Russell's strong support for the Iraq war and his political challenge to long-time Democratic Congressman John Murtha. "People can disagree about whether we should be there, but the fact of the matter is that we are there -- and we have no choice but to win and achieve victory," says the Republican...

Retired U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Bill Russell of Johnstown will challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, in the upcoming general election. The Republican candidate retired July 31 from the U.S. military. He and his family moved to Johnstown earlier in the year. "It is a beautiful area; the people are friendly and my wife and I thought it would be a good place to raise our kids," he said, adding that region had caught his interest while serving as a Reservist. The son of a military career officer, Russell attended West Point and then earned his undergraduate degree...

House subcommittee says funding will keep command at current levelJust weeks away from standing up as the Defense Department’s newest combatant command, Africa Command is facing a serious budget shortfall. For fiscal 2009, President Bush had requested $389 million for AFRICOM, which is expected to become fully operational on Oct. 1 at its Stuttgart, Germany, headquarters. But last week, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on defense recommended providing only $80.6 million in funding — 80 percent less than was requested, according to Matthew Mazonkey, communications director for Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the subcommittee chairman. "The subcommittee has provided $80.6 million to...

Rep. Jack Murtha’s (D-Johnstown) opponent in this year’s congressional race -- Lt. Col. William Russell, a decorated Iraq war veteran who was in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 -- has just released an ad titled “In Cold Blood.” So far, it is one of the most powerful campaign spots to hit the airwaves in the down- ballot races this cycle in the Keystone State.

Published on CREW's Most Corrupt Members of Congress (http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org) Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) is an 18th-term member of Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district.  Rep. Murtha chairs the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.  Rep. Murtha’s ethics violations stem from abuse of his position on the subcommittee to benefit the lobbying firm of a former long-term staffer and from threatening to block earmarks of other members for political purposes.  Rep. Murtha was included as a member to watch in CREW’s 2006 and 2007 reports on congressional corruption.PMA GroupPaul Magliocchetti worked with...

Defend Our Marines main page  Who’s Behind the Government’s Delay in Bringing the Haditha Case to a Close? Defend Our Marines | Rusty Howell and David Allender [pdf] September 11, 2008 -- It’s fitting that the last remaining defendant in the Haditha case is the squad leader, SSgt Frank Wuterich. Real leaders take responsibility, and SSgt Wuterich has taken full responsibility for the actions of his squad in Haditha. He has also expressed deep remorse for any civilians who were killed as a result of those actions. Over the past 18 months, Wuterich, still waiting to clear his name,...

No matter how proud their tradition, every military organization has its embarrassments. The U.S. Marine Corps has John Murtha – currently a Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania. During Vietnam, Murtha gave signs of being quite patriotic. However, something has changed him and many who once respected him wonder if Murtha’s ambitions for leadership in a political party that has a 40 year tradition of trashing the military led to his incredible behavior. Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., slandered those along with whom he claimed to have fought in Vietnam in a hate-filled tirade before a Senate committee in which he compared U.S....

The Kremlin has been dusting off old Bolshevik intimidation techniques since the U.S. signed a missile defense partnership with Poland last month. The Russian foreign ministry promised that its response "would go beyond diplomacy," and a Russian general mused that this meant its nuclear missiles would have to target Poland. Who would have thought such talk would find an accommodating ear in the U.S. Congress? That will be the question when Illinois Republican Representative Mark Kirk offers an amendment in the coming days to the Defense Appropriations bill to restore funding for missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech...

**MANAGER’S UPDATE** Great news. Your response to Bill’s $200,000 by 9.11.08 appeal has been incredible! We’re still counting, but by Monday afternoon, we had raised just over $100,000 - over half way to our goal. Thank you. If you haven’t seen the TV spot, “Defend our Heroes,” watch it here As you might expect, since the acquittal of the majority of the Haditha Marines, there has been little or no mainstream coverage. Mr. Murtha’s original “cold blooded killer” characterization still stands in the minds of many in the public. Will you help Bill set the record straight? Will you help...

The Russell campaign has released this devastating add documenting Jack Murtha's despicable condemnations of innocent heroes. Nothing tells the truth like video. Watch and see the new definition of low. Work to take back the House folks, and start with cleaning out the intolerable Jerk Murtha.

WASHINGTON – Republican Rep. Terry Everett of Alabama unleashed an unusually harsh attack on a House colleague, calling decorated Vietnam War veteran John Murtha, D-Pa., a cut-and-run idiot.

Republican Rep. Terry Everett of Alabama unleashed an unusually harsh attack on a House colleague, calling decorated Vietnam War veteran John Murtha, D-Pa., a cut-and-run idiot. "Don't talk to me about defense," Everett, who is retiring at the end of this term, said during a radio interview this week. "Cut-and-run John Murtha is in charge of the appropriations committee for defense and he is certainly no friend of the military.

The Murtha Rules: A simple system to win federal money By Ken Silverstein and Sebastian Jones Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania has long been one of the biggest porkbarrelers in Congress, and as the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee he is also one of the biggest recipients of lobbyists’ campaign donations. Which is no coincidence. When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged that porkbarreling would be severely curtailed. But that hasn’t come to pass–no surprise given that old-time hacks like Murtha hold such powerful positions on the Appropriations committees. Murtha basically...

Foot Soldiers and Generals PART ONE: The Foot Soldiers Well, you did it. A few weeks ago, we reported the incredible 2nd Quarter grassroots contributions totaling $637,137 compared to Congressman Murtha’s $113,155. A fluke? A few months of accidental luck? Well, the July totals tell a different story. Because of your continued vigilance and sacrificial support, we’ve now raised an additional $400,000 in the month of July! That’s right, $400,000 in July alone. Here’s the quick math. The first and second quarter totals combined shattered the $900,000 mark. When you add in July’s contributions, the new total is $1.3 million...

Murtha opponent visits Avonmore By Tom Yerace VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Friday, August 15, 2008 Sitting at a circular table with a group of fellow senior citizens, Margie Smith eyed the man in the tan polo shirt standing across from her. "What was your name again?" Smith demanded. "Bill Russell," the man replied. Smith quickly followed by asking, "What are you running for again?" "Congress," a smiling Russell said. The 12th Congressional District seat to be exact, which means Russell, a Republican, will be answering those two questions a lot from now until Election Day. He's hoping that enough people will...

Congressman Urges State Dept. to Meet With Pennsylvania Firm, Saying Sanctions Could Sink ItRep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat known for delivering federal money to defense contractors in his district, is now going to bat for a constituent's company that was convicted last year of illegally exporting components of military equipment. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, wrote State Department officials in late June urging them to meet with the president of Electro-Glass Products, a 50-employee company that was convicted in April 2007 of illegally exporting components of night-vision goggles to a company in India. The Mammoth,...

Russell talks energy during visit to county By Linda M. Ritzer, Staff writerlritzer@observer-reporter.com While his opponent was on one side of Washington County, Bill Russell was on the other side Tuesday, stumping for votes and explaining his views. Russell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who is taking on longtime Democrat John Murtha for the 12th District congressional seat, is making a two-day stop in the county to visit the Pony League World Series, Washington County Fair and speak to several groups. Russell, 46, a Republican from Johnstown, earned the nomination on write-in votes in the primary, after his nominating...

For Russell, 'change' means new thinking, not just new congressman By Jon Stevens, Staff writerjstevens@observer-reporter.com WAYNESBURG - When William Russell decided to run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 12th District, he knew it would be a difficult task to unseat an entrenched Democratic incumbent like John Murtha, D-Johnstown. But what the 46-year-old retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel is finding on his campaign stumps through the sprawling district is that many people think Murtha has lost touch and it's time for a change. "We are hearing a lot about change, especially in the presidential race," Russell said during a stop Thursday in...

The host of MSNBC's nightly talk show, "Hardball," had to cancel his appearance yesterday at the Mon Valley YMCA due to a bout with pneumonia. But even a canceled appearance keeps alive the question of whether Chris Matthews plans to run in Pennsylvania for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate and challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010. During his lunchtime address at the YMCA in Carroll, Washington County, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, offered only a vague hint about Mr. Matthews' intentions. He said Mr. Matthews has Type 2 diabetes, and he had hoped the Philadelphia-area native...

by Nathaniel R. Helms | August 12, 2008 | See the original article in The Hill at the link.Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha’s press secretary Matt Mazonkey may not have much to say about his boss slandering Marines who fought at Haditha, but he sure is cute, according to a political newspaper that put him on its annual 50 Most Beautiful list. The newspaper, The Hill, named Mazonkey a runner-up in its annual beauty contest. Until his recent honor, Mazonkey was best known for refusing to answer any questions about Rep. Murtha’s inflammatory comments that led to the prosecution of eight...

Russell team takes aim at Murtha’s House seat BY MIKE FAHERThe Tribune-Democrat August 09, 2008 11:39 pm — While Republican congressional candidate William Russell gave a television interview in an Upper Yoder Township backyard, campaign manager Peg Luksik worked a crowd of about 15 on a nearby porch.Her high-energy pitch included showing off several varieties of Russell T-shirts and urging supporters to each take two bumper stickers to better advertise the candidate while driving.“This really is a little-guy campaign,” she said. “Anything you can do, we certainly appreciate it. It does make a difference.”The campaign event last week, complete...

WASHINGTON, August 8 - Panelists and the moderator of a panel at the Young America’s Foundation national conservative student conference on Thursday decried the old media’s reluctance to continue to keep Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., and Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., under the microscope for alleged ethical lapses. Moderator Jason Mattera, of Young America’s Foundation, and panelists Kathryn Lopez of National Review Online, Mary Katherine Ham of Washington Examiner, and A.J. Rice of Talk Radio Network decried what they view as mainstream liberal bias for not giving adequate press coverage of Murtha and Jefferson. They were speaking on a panel, “Promoting...

William Russell is back on the campaign trail. The 12th Congressional District Republican candidate, who is attempting to unseat longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha, held his first Cambria County campaign event Wednesday. It was a modest affair on a back porch in Upper Yoder Township. But Russell said he is gaining momentum. “This campaign has heard from thousands of people over the past few weeks,” he said. Russell, who spent his career in the military and served in both Iraq wars, nearly saw his campaign end in February when a judge ruled that he had not gathered enough valid...

This @%&# door won't close, it needs more &^%$#*!@ pork grease!!

August 04, 2008 Murtha's reckoning Thomas Lifson Rep. John Murtha's disgrace in denouncing the Marines of the Haditha incident is not going to fade away gently into the night. William Russell, has returned from a tour of duty in the military and is running against him. His campaign has produced this video featuring Darryl Sharratt, the father of one of the Marines accused by Murtha of being a "cold-blooded killer." His son Justin Sharratt has subsequently been fully vindicated, and all charges dropped. Darryl Sharratt's video does not have the produiction values of a normal campaign commercial, but in his...

Moments after Army Lt. Col. William Russell ended his 28-year military career, the Iraq war veteran revved up his Harley-Davidson and set out on an improbable journey. In his first political outing, Russell is trying to topple a political giant. The 45-year-old Republican this weekend kicked off his campaign against U.S. Rep. John Murtha, 76, of Johnstown, a powerful Democrat and decorated Vietnam War veteran seeking a 19th term. "Murtha has a lot of issues on his hands, in terms of keeping his seat this November. There are chinks in the armor," contended Russell, who rode a motorcycle to greet...

He’s a 17-term incumbent who’s bloated his district with so much pork that the Journal once described him as having practically built the town himself. Nothing’s going to dislodge him unless he commits a major felony — and even then, per Abscam, I wouldn’t be so sure — but if there’s any justice this clip will put Bill Russell within single digits. Russell’s active military duty ended just two days ago so presumbly this signals the start of his campaign in earnest. I can’t find any polls online, but follow the last link to MM’s post and you’ll see that...

August 1, 2008 - 9:21am After retiring from the military, Russell joins his own campaign By Alex Roarty UNIONTOWN -- Bill Russell knows how to make an entrance. Now can he do the seemingly impossible? Just past midnight Friday, the Republican congressional candidate literally roared into his first campaign event in three months, driving his motorcycle into the center of Uniontown with the help of the military veterans biker group "Rolling Thunder." After shaking hands with many of the 40 supporters gathered to greet him, Russell wasted little time taking aim at his opponent, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown). In...

Lt. Col. William Russell returns to Freedom Radio after his stint of active duty. We are overjoyed to speak with him LIVE for an update on the campaign. It is vital that we take back the House folks. It is the grassroots that will return Conservative thought to DC, not from the top down. Join us on Freedom Radio at 8pm est, Sunday August 3 and give this wonderful guy your support.

Two years after Congressman John Murtha ambushed brother Marines for reportedly slaughtering cowering Iraqi civilians at Haditha, Iraq he is embroiled in another battle--this one for his political life. His unlikely opponent in Pennsylvania's 12th District is an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel named William T. Russell, 47, a Desert Storm and Iraq war veteran who is barred by the Hatch Act from stumping until August 1 when his active duty stint ends. A Cinderella candidate running against the tide of Democratic hopefuls elsewhere, Russell is garnering national attention for his improbable early success. Speaking for Russell until he is free...