Posted on 03/24/2010 11:09:55 AM PDT by smoothsailing
by David Croyle
Harrisburg is talking about last night’s cable show in Kittanning where the Republican candidate for the 12th Congressional District accused the state Republican Party chairman of collusion.
Bill Russell ran two years ago against John Murtha in his last election in 2008, raising $3.6 million and earning an impressive 42 percent of the vote. Following his loss, Russell announced he would run against him again.
Since Murtha’s unexpected death on February 8, a special election will now be held simultaneously with the Primary on May 18. However, while Russell is already on the Republican ticket for the May primary, Republican insiders rejected him as their candidate to run against Murtha staffer Democrat Mark Critz of Johnstown in the special election. Although Russell already has a district-wide organization in place and excellent name recognition from his last campaign, the GOP conferees voted by a 2-1 margin for Tim Burns from Eighty Four, Pennsylvania in Washington County to run in the special election.
Russell, appearing on Family-Life TV’s Talk of the Town, criticized state Republican Chairman Rob Gleason.
“Unfortunately we’ve got a state Republican chairman who has a direct conflict of interest and really had no interest in, one, either defeating Jack Murtha when he was in Congress or, two, in taking that seat,” Russell said, referring to Gleason’s ownership of an insurance agency. “His direct personal interest is in keeping that the status quo. The direct financial interest is the fact that his insurance company writes the insurance policies for many of the companies Mr. Murtha used to bring in, and he has a vested interest in keeping the status quo for that. It is really unfortunate because, one, he has a vested financial interest in going against the Republican party, two, in a recent news interview, he attacked me for doing too well in the 2008 election because that caused Jack to bring out the Democratic forces including Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton for six robo calls,and Barack Obama. With the turnout of the Democratic electorate to save Mr. Murtha’s seat, he says that actually led him to lose a state legislature seat. So he was angry with me for doing too well against Mr. Murtha.”
D. Patrick Mahoney in The Washington Times yesterday also criticized Gleason and conferees, alleging Burns’ financial fortune that tops nine figures will enable him to self-fund his campaign and also contribute to other campaigns as well.
“It’s an unfortunate reality of what’s going on. As unhappy as people may be about what is going on in Washington, we can’t change things in Washington if we don’t first change the way we do things here in Pennsylvania. With the populist support I have had, I was 30 points ahead in the polls in the Republican running, I’m the largest non-incumbent fund raiser in the nation, but yet they chose somebody else with a 7% name recognition.”
Because the special election will be held at the same time as the state’s Primary election, it will be possible for Burns to actually win and occupy the seat from May until November while Russell wins the Republican nod in the Primary. If Russell wins the Primary and also the General election in November, he could still become the 12th Congressional District’s choice.
Russell, a retired 82nd Airborne officer and Iraq War veteran, seemed undaunted by the politics surrounding the special election.
“My focus right now is running in the Primary and winning the November election,” Russell said.
I am a conservative. I believe in the sovereignty and security of this one nation, under God. I believe in the sanctity of life and that life begins at conception. I believe in marriage between one man and one woman. I believe that all children in our school systems should be educated in English and taught the civic duties and responsibilities of citizenship and patriotism. I believe that we have the responsibility and obligation to control our borders and determine who is allowed to live and work in our country. I believe in private property rights and that the death tax should be killed. I believe government economic policies should reward those who build business or save and invest their money. I believe in the right to bear arms and the right of self defense. I believe in rugged individualism and that no one owes me anything just because I live and breathe. I believe we should all practice charity in some form or fashion, especially to those who are suffering and least fortunate. But charity must be voluntary and spring from a spirit of altruism and love for your neighbor. I believe that imposed systems of wealth redistribution destroy families, produce a culture of dependence and hurt everyone. Finally, I believe there is room to acknowledge the role of our Creator in public life as stated in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. ---Bill Russell in his own words .
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Its time to call out the Tea Party people and prevent the usual gang of idiots in the GOP from forming another circular firing squad.
Its time to call out the Tea Party people and prevent the usual gang of idiots in the GOP from forming another circular firing squad.
Didn’t Russell just play games with Pia Varma (young Conservative) to get her off the ballot there? (claiming she wasn’t a resident because she rented a room from someone else instead of owning her own home and also trying, and succeeding, in getting half her ballot petition signatures thrown out because a notary made a mistake on a date in her stamp?)
Russell is being railroaded by the GOP.
I’ve given to him and I encourage all of you too, as well. Also, call of the PA GOP and yell at them.
Yes Sir.
I’m in another part of the state..but that didn’t stop me from contributing to him before. And it won’t stop me now. We have to clean out all the houses but the cleaning starts at home.
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Contact me to be added to ping list.
I have no idea what you’re talking about, can you source your post?
PA-12 ping.
The party bosses still don’t have a clue. They might yet screw up the election and leave Democrats in the majority.
No, that was in the First District. Bill Russell had nothing to do with Pia Varma.
My bad, that’s what I get trying to do this from memory.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/88872042.html?cmpid=15585797
It was Bob Brady, not Bill Russell. One of his campaign workers was a real douche to her, cursing her out on her Facebook page and mocking her.
Still, good info for the Russell camp to know re how the party there plays games.
You are right, see 13.
No other Republican in Pennsylvania has the guts to do what Bill Russell is doing, just like no other Republican had the guts to run against Murtha in 2008.
Bill Russell is showing everyone in Pennsylvania what a conservative looks like, they’re an endangered species here.
Maybe Palin could set some time aside from supporting the RINO McCain and give Russell a boost.
Thanks, it’s easy to get confused, I do it often. :-)
S’OK! You really had me scratching my head! :)
This is a Pack Of Lies and some of the worst burn donw the house strategy by SORE LOSER Russell.
Burns is a TEA PARTY Conservative ACTIVIST and not a GOP insider and he is a true local resident .
he won the GOP based on PA state law for special election based on votes of a hundred of local delegates open to the public .
Russell is not even from PA but moved there to take on Murtha.
There are no Local primaries for a Special Election seat because PA state laws.
No state in the USA has a primary for special election this close to the Midterm primaries.
The counties can not afford to finance TWO primaries in
4 month period. A single primary costs over 100,000 or more and the midterm primary will be in a few months.
Russel and hi minions are trying to Prevent Burns from Winning because Russel would have to try to unseat an incumbent in three months !
this is pathetic dirty politics which is meant to get the dem elected .
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