Posted on 02/08/2010 2:24:03 PM PST by Smogger
The death of longtime Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha (D) this afternoon will set off a special election in his very competitive western Pennsylvania 12th district.
According to state law, the governor has ten days once the vacancy is officially declared to decide on the date for the special election, which can come no sooner than 60 days following that proclamation.
That likely means the special election will be held on May 18, which is the date already set for federal primaries around the state. (Special elections costs the state huge sums of money and it's likely that Gov. Ed Rendell will choose to go with an already established election day to save some cash.)
Murtha's passing comes at a tenuous time for House Democrats as they seek to convince some of their older members to re-up for another term in the face of what looks to be a difficult national political environment for the party.
To date, 12 Democrats -- including long-serving Members like John Tanner and Bart Gordon (both of Tennessee) -- are calling it quits at the end of the year. Sixteen Republicans are retiring at the end of the 111th Congress although just four of them are leaving office entirely; the other dozen are running for higher offices like Senate or governor.
Murtha, 77, had held his seat with ease since 1974 even as it became increasingly more competitive between the two parties. The only semi-serious challenge to him in recent years came in a redistricting-forced primary race against then Rep. Frank Mascara in 2002, which Murtha won easily.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
Celebrating the death of another human being is unseemly. You fellows go ahead and crow over his death if you want, but you can count me out.
Well, since Gov. Rendell was not in favor of the health care plan, I see this as a positive, or would, if he were appointing someone. Let’s hope Pennsylvania will second “the Scott heard round the world” and give us a common sense blue dog democrat at the very least and a good common sense conservative at best.
And Russell is ready for a rematch.
RIP Murtha...
Now....about that Congressional seat...
I won’t miss him. Traitor to his country, his people, and the Corps.
Just my .02
I have nothing nice to say about this man so I will leave it there..
Obama, Pelosi and Reid are no doubt working to stall the signing of the death certificate until after another vote on Obamacare.
It is hard for me to imagine a ‘man’ of his stature and dubious legislative past ever being a mud Marine. I have no clue as to his actual service or commendations but based on his following ‘service’ to this nation as a ‘Congressperson’ I’d have classified him as a REMF.
Picture states it clearly....shit comes from everywhere... Col doesn’t mean anything to me in terms of whether a real Marine or not.
“Plugs”Biden lived in Scranton for 10 years. I’d be more embarrased to mention that than Bill O’Reilly living there.
ALS, Hillary Rodham spent many a summer in the Scranton area as a child .
We counted you out. His passing is a wonderful event
I suppose Obama would refer to him as a corpse-man. He’d be right.
what makes me sick is this guy’s family will have a military funeral and the USMC will have to provide the honor guard - for the a$$hole that trashed marines at Haditha without having the facts.....how pathetic is that!
Nonsense. The governor(D) can appoint a lameduck Democrat to pass the Party legislation and not face the wrath of the voters (no intent to run for re-election).
He didn’t just trash the military. He engaged in treasonous agit prop.
REMF: John Kerry was just a MF.
Actually, that was Thumper's mother asking Thumper what his DAD used to always say. Thumper's answer was great, "eat all of your greens, not just the flowers only."
Just thought I'd toss that in there. I liked the movie a whole lot better than the subject of this thread.
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