Posted on 07/26/2006 1:07:44 PM PDT by WeDontKnowJack
Because We Don't Know, Jack ... *
This morning's edition of the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill contains an article entitled, "To Raise Profile, Murtha Will Stump for 41 Democrats." According to the article, U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha plans to spend a large portion of the next 100 days campaigning "in 41 races around the country where he said party leaders believe he can be helpful."
And why is Jack Murtha planning to forsake his own constituents at just the time when they're used to seeing him (to wit, right before Election Day)? Apparently because, according to the article, "Helping Democratic candidates could pay dividends in a race for Majority Leader against Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer."
"In 41 seats they think I can help," Murtha said. "They've got it narrowed … I'm going to where Nancy sends me," referring to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Oh.
There are so many possible questions raised by this article that the mind spins at the very thought of trying to order them.
In no particular order: Does Jack Murtha not believe his profile is high enough already? Who are the 41 Democratic candidates whom House Democratic strategists believe can be helped by a visit from Jack Murtha? Did each of the 41 ask for the visit themselves, or have they been informed that if they'd like help from the national party committees, they'd better be willing to accept a visit from Jack Murtha? Perhaps more interestingly, who are the roughly 350 Democratic candidates who are smart enough NOT to be willing to accept a visit from Jack Murtha? And who is the "centrist Democratic candidate who requested anonymity to protect his relationships with Murtha allies" who "turned down an offer for Murtha to come to his district"?
Will Democratic candidates in 41 races be prepared to answer reporters' questions such as "Candidate Brown, do you agree with Congressman Murtha's statements that 'we cannot win militarily' in Iraq, and that Marines at Haditha 'killed innocent civilians in cold blood,' before any charges have been brought, before any courts-martial have been convened, before any soldiers have been convicted?" and "Candidate Smith, in this year when Democrats are attacking Republicans on ethics issues, do you not see any hypocrisy in asking help from a man who was an unindicted co-conspirator in Abscam, the biggest congressional corruption scandal in history?" and "Candidate Jones, you've made the so-called 'culture of corruption' a central feature of your campaign. Would you care to comment on the fact that your guest's brother is a lobbyist, at least ten of whose clients got major government contracts in the FY 2005 Defense Appropriations bill that was largely written by your guest?"
Today's question for Jack Murtha:
Is it really the case that the votes you might receive from your House Democratic colleagues in a possible race for Majority Leader are more important to you than the votes you might receive from your own constituents in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district?
*An ongoing investigation of Jack Murtha, brought to you by Diana Irey for Congress.
Paid for by Diana Irey for Congress www.irey.com
I heard from a source in the campaign that the two of them did a debate on the radio this morning. It didn't make any sense to me, though; Murtha wouldn't be idiotic enough to debate her at all, let alone now. Would he?
Oh, I definitely think Jack Murtha should campaign for his fellow Democrats. What a gift to their Republican opponents!
I think she already is!
Are there any recent polls from that district? I know Irey has a tough road ahead of her and the fact that Jack is off campaigning for others seems to indicate he's dismissing her campaign. Hopefully he's in for a shock in Nov. Even if he wins in his district I wonder what makes him think the Dems are going to take the house?
Hoyer must be laughing his butt off.
I like Jack.
Bauer, not Murtha.
Well put. I hope Irey spends that same 100 days blanketing the district with rallies, speeches, phone canvassing, signs and door hangings that say "Where's Jack?"
What about the accusation that Murtha's medals were phonied up
Mitch McConnell won his 1984 race for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky by doing almost exactly that against his Democratic opponent, incumbent U.S. Senator Dee Huddleston. The only ads anyone remembers from that race were McConnell ads that featured a guy being dragged all over the place by a pack of bloodhounds, while the narrator intoned on and on "Where's Dee? He's not here in Kentucky. Maybe we'll find him in his office in the Senate. (Cut to shot of bloodhounds dragging guy down the street in front of the Capitol.) Nope. Not here. Maybe here in Florida, where he attended a lobbyists' conference where they gave him umpty-ump thousands of dollars for a 20-minute speech? (Cut to shot of bloodhounds dragging guy all over a beach.) Nope. Maybe here in Aspen, where he went to another resort as a guest of a special interest lobbyist? (Cut to shot of bloodhounds dragging guy across a snow-covered landscape.)" etc. etc. etc.
Meanwhile, is Diana Irey doing anything to get her own qualfications, positions, etc., out there...or is she just going to continue to run *against* Murtha?
LOL, that's great. Irey ought to totally plagarize that!
Being one of the older generation, I remember well the words of one Tom Lehrer:
Plagiarize
Let no one else's work evade your eyes
Remember why the Good Lord made your eyes
So don't shade your eyes, but
Plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize!
Only, please be sure to call it ... "research"
LOL
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