Murtha P.I. on Trail of Challenger Irey

Observer/Reporter (Pittsburgh suburbs) ^ | 7/20/06 | Barbara S. Miller

[Coop]

A private investigator working for the campaign of U.S. Rep. John Murtha has been collecting information about his opponent in the congressional race, Washington County Commissioner Diana L. Irey.

"Everybody's talking about it," Irey said Wednesday, adding that she became aware that an investigator hired by the Murtha campaign was checking up on her in a county outside Washington a couple of weeks ago.

About the same time, a woman arrived at the Washington County elections office requesting copies of Irey's campaign finance forms in her county commissioner races and information from a statewide database that would show how often she went to the polls.

The database shows Irey as a registered Republican who since at least 1986 regularly voted in both primaries and general elections, most recently in the May 16 primary.

"There's nothing sinister about checking public records on someone running for Congress, especially when that person is not well known," Murtha said through a spokeswoman.

Asked if the investigation goes beyond the public record, Irey said, "That's the rumor," and claimed that the Murtha campaign has previously looked into other opponents' pasts.

"It's been done before," said Irey, a three-term county commissioner. "I was told when I entered this race that he's done that to other candidates as well. I've been investigated before. I don't have anything to hide."

Although news releases from Irey's campaign sometimes refer to its "investigation" of Murtha, she said she uses the word in a different context, meaning an examination of Murtha's voting record in Congress.

"We have not hired a private investigator," Irey said.

The 12th Congressional District stretches from the West Virginia line to Cambria County, taking in all of Greene County and about half of Washington County. The Johnstown Democrat was first elected to Congress in 1974.

[Coop]

EX-Marine Murtha has spent a long time pretending Diana Irey doesn't exist. He's not doing that anymore. Perhaps her raising nearly a quarter million dollars got his attention. Or maybe there's some other reason.

Smells like fear to me. That streak on Cut 'n Run's back just grew a bit more yellow.

Defeat despicable Jackass Murtha. Support his worthy opponent - Commissioner Irey

[Coop]

Ping

Please FReepmail me if you'd like on or off the Irey/Murtha ping list.

[TommyDale]

I sure hope her background is clean. If so, this will backfire on Murtha BIG TIME!

[trumandogz]

Murtha is adopting Clintonian policies of Investigation of political opponents. How despicable and undemocratic.

[dighton]

Digging in the past to draw attention from Murtha’s squalid present.

[Coop]

For Diana's sake, I hope the private investigator looks something like this. :-)

[PGalt]

Diana Irey bump!

[RandallFlagg]

If nothing's there, he'll invent something.
Remember what kind of people we're dealing with.

[mkjessup]

I hope Ms. Irey is enrolled in one of those programs where you are alerted if anyone makes any inquiries into your credit history, because that will be where Murtha's goons go next, if they haven't been there already.

Cut N' Run Murtha has GOT to go. Cowardice has no place in our Congress.

[RedRover]

Rumor monger ping!

[tiredoflaundry]

Smells like fear to me.

Murtha is starting to "soil his shorts".

[johnny7]

God... I hope she can beat this seditious, old fool.

[HarleyLady27]

This guy took a leaf out of slime hitlery's book....I hope Irey doesn't fall for any of his tactics.....

And if he can't find something, he'll make something up, thats when we on here that support Diane Irey need to bomb blast the hell out of this guy....

[jazusamo]

"There's nothing sinister about checking public records on someone running for Congress, especially when that person is not well known," Murtha said through a spokeswoman.

I suppose Murtha is correct in saying that and I hope he realizes that there is nothing sinister about checking into FBI tapes that have been in the public arena showing a Congressman tabling a proposed bribe to a later date.

I believe Murtha has much to fear about bringing up past behavior whereas Ms. Irey has nothing to fear, but as she says, she hasn't stooped to hiring a PI to dig up dirt.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Lancey Howard]

This is a typical Democrat tactic, taken to extremes during the Clinton years with Terry Lenzner's Investigative Group International. There was never anything like the Clinton dirt machine, and I hope the Republicans learned a few things about going to war against the scumbags. That is, I hope the GOP has its own version of IGI.

[4yearlurker]

Just got off the phone with my brother-in-law. He was with Irey and about 25 other people up in Apollo,PA. Lots of rain! They split into groups and just knocked on doors to get the word out. He said the response was pretty much 50/50 toward the two candidates. One lady screamed at them that all Republicans are against the Bible! These people are Murtha's voter base. Bass ackwards morons!

[ExTexasRedhead]

Put a PI to work on Murtha's background; that would prove interesting. None of these Liberals are squeaky clean. Leftists attack everyone else to push the microscope away from themselves (Kennedy, Clintons, Pelosi, Boxer). The GOP has always been negligent in using the Leftists same tactics against them.

[tflabo]

It's all about the voter turnout. We just need the patriotic right thinking conservatives in Murtha's district to show up at the polls en masse to send the old coot packing. Plenty of fire from Murtha to get out the base for Irey....thanks to all who are working to get this goal accomplished. Be vigilant and push through the obstacles.

[4yearlurker]

The problem with people in this district is they just won't think past that Demorat lever. Their daddy voted Democrat and their dad's daddy voted demorat,etc...etc....I tell them to put down the Union News letter and back away. What a racket the rats have in this area. No matter what they do they can blame a past or current Republican and the news media will report it as such.