auh2orepublican knows his stuff and has the skinny:
"BTW, the district was created by the GOP legislature to be a safe district for the powerful Murtha but to be competitive in an open-seat situation later on in the decade (making the CD more Republican would have made it more difficult for the GOP to win in the PA-04 or PA-18), but Murtha's recent leftward tilt and irresponsible comments have made the district winnable right now."
Answers my question and Murtha does look beatable. Freepers of the PA-12th, help the country to see the LAST of Jack Murtha.
Not just from the PA-12th, but all around the country. We can all play a part in supporting Ms. Irey's campaign to retire Jack Murtha. Donations of money and time, sending out her URL and contact information to friends in/near western PA, writing letters to the editor, and bumping/pinging threads.