Free Republic

Russell team takes aim at Murtha’s House seat BY MIKE FAHERThe Tribune-Democrat August 09, 2008 11:39 pm — While Republican congressional candidate William Russell gave a television interview in an Upper Yoder Township backyard, campaign manager Peg Luksik worked a crowd of about 15 on a nearby porch.Her high-energy pitch included showing off several varieties of Russell T-shirts and urging supporters to each take two bumper stickers to better advertise the candidate while driving.“This really is a little-guy campaign,” she said. “Anything you can do, we certainly appreciate it. It does make a difference.”The campaign event last week, complete...

Two years after Congressman John Murtha ambushed brother Marines for reportedly slaughtering cowering Iraqi civilians at Haditha, Iraq he is embroiled in another battle--this one for his political life. His unlikely opponent in Pennsylvania's 12th District is an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel named William T. Russell, 47, a Desert Storm and Iraq war veteran who is barred by the Hatch Act from stumping until August 1 when his active duty stint ends. A Cinderella candidate running against the tide of Democratic hopefuls elsewhere, Russell is garnering national attention for his improbable early success. Speaking for Russell until he is free...

Return to the Article June 23, 2008The Real Command InfluenceRuss Vaughn In dismissing the very dubious war crimes charges against Marine LTC Jeffrey Chessani, his trial judge, COL Steven Folsom, said this: "Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," COL Folsom was referring to influence within the Marine Corps command structure, specifically involving two officers of general rank. We should all applaud the colonel's decision as it would make no sense whatsoever for the Marines to try an officer for failing to investigate crimes that to this point several military courts have failed to establish ever...

Who’s too old now, Jack? The Tribune-Democrat Fri, May 02 2008 — Visitors to The Tribune-Democrat’s Web site were asked in a poll last week: “Is John McCain, 71, too old to serve as president of the United States, as Congressman John Murtha says?” With 556 votes cast during two days, the results were: No, 64.6 percent; Yes, 34.7 percent; and I don’t know: 0.7 percent.Murtha wasn’t the first person to weigh in on the John McCain age issue. He won’t be the last. But we wonder whether one day he’ll wish he hadn’t.“This one guy running is about...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday that Republican Sen. John McCain is too old to be president. Murtha is 75, four years older than McCain. He says they are nearly the same age, and the rigors and stress of running the country is too much for guys their age. "I've served with seven presidents," Murtha told a union audience. "When they come in, they all make mistakes. They all get older." "This one guy running is about as old as me," he said, drawing laughter and applause. "Let me tell you something, it's no old man's job."...

Tuesday, April 8th brought an onslaught of tan shirts to Capitol Hill. The Vets for Freedom Heroes tour stopped in DC to allow hundreds of Vets of Iraq and Afghanistan to visit with representatives. These Vets no strangers to missions, came with a new mission; Spread the great news of the progress made by our military in the Middle East. My personal hero, my husband was among the throng of those who had served overseas. After inspiring speeches by the likes of McCain, and a host of congressional representatives and Vets, [barely covered by the press] the tan shirts spread...

U.S. Rep. John Murtha today announced his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “I’ve known Senator Clinton for 15 years,” the Johnstown Democrat said in a statement released by his campaign committee. “I know that she continually reaches out for opinions and ideas, not just from our nation’s leaders, but from all Americans.” Murtha is one of the most powerful Democrats in the House. But his backing carries added importance this year because he also is a “superdelegate” – an official who is free to support any candidate at the party’s national convention in August. Because the race between...

The Murtha Bash - Pork Crash February 26, 2008 Ed Frank You may have heard recently that one of the most notorious pork-barrellers in Congress, U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania,is hosting a swanky fundraising dinner with a bunch of earmark-seeking defense lobbyists at the Ritz Carlton in Arlington, Virginia, tomorrow night. A couple of weeks ago our friends at RedState called for folks in the area to crash the party and now Americans for Prosperity is joining together with Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union to hold a taxpayer rally outside the event. If you're in...

For Immediate Release Contact: Leslie K.Paige 202-467-5334 Alexa Moutevelis 202-467-5318 February 20, 2008 CAGW Names Rep. John Murtha Porker of the Year Taxpayers Are Not in His “Corner” Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today announced the final results of its online poll for the 2007 Porker of the Year. Rep. John “Jack” Murtha (D-Pa.) won in a landslide victory, receiving 63.4 percent of the vote. A distant second, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) received 10.6 percent, while Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) came in with 9.9 percent, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) had 6.7 percent, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)...

Murtha prepares war spending bill, with conditions Associated Press WASHINGTON - A top Democrat said Thursday he is preparing legislation that would give President Bush the war funding he wants this year, but on the condition that troops leave Iraq by the end of the year. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, said he'll propose that the House vote this March on the spending measure. In addition to the troop withdrawal, he said he'll ask for other conditions such as that all deploying troops must be fully trained and equipped. Similar bills scraped by on...

Evidence exonerated Sharratt January 17,2008 This is in reply to the letter from Joe Farrell about Rep. John Murtha and my son, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt. Justin was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps. Justin was and always will be a Marine, not an ex-Marine. Justin was exonerated of all charges involving the Haditha incident in a military Article 32 hearing (the civilian equivalent of a grand jury.) The evidence exonerated my son, and the general officially dismissed the charges because the evidence showed him innocent. Full disclosure of this evidence and the Article 32 testimony appears on the...

Do survivors of Haditha get apology?The O-R has joined critics of Congressman Murtha in demanding that he apologize to ex-Marine Michael Sharrat for saying that Marines killed innocent civilians at Haditha, Iraq, though Murtha did not name Sharrat or anyone else. Fine. And who will apologize to the families, friends and neighbors of the 15 or more civilians, including women and children, who were killed there? Or is that a concern here? Sharrat feels that his good name will remain in question, in spite of his commanding general's decision to drop the murder charges against him. Actually, he could request...

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have helped push US military spending to record levels.But as the nation's defence budget soars, there has been a series of procurement and political scandals surrounding multi-billion dollar contracts. There is mounting concern about the relationship between the Pentagon, the politicians setting the budgets and defence contractors - sometimes known as the iron triangle. Congressman Henry Waxman, a Democrat, who chairs the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, argues for urgent reform. "We need to restore transparency, efficiency and accountability to government contracting and nowhere is that more important than in defence." His committee...

Murtha should have apologizedA few months ago, we expressed the opinion that it was time for Rep. John Murtha to apologize to Justin Sharratt. As our story Sunday mentioned, though, neither Sharratt nor his parents, who live in Canonsburg, has heard anything from the congressman. Sharratt was one of a group of Marines whom Murtha accused of having "killed innocent civilians in cold blood" in the Iraqi city of Haditha. The congressman's office later put out a news release that said the Marines had been charged with murder when in fact no charges had yet been brought at the time....

The defense for a Marine accused in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians said Wednesday it wants to depose a Pennsylvania congressman to determine whether a general told him that the accused and his squad killed in cold blood. Jack Zimmermann, an attorney for Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum, told judge Lt. Col. Eugene Robinson that he also wants a deposition from Gen. Michael Hagee, former commandant of the Marine Corps now retired, to find out what he may have said to Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., and to Marines serving in Iraq. Zimmermann said outside a Camp Pendleton courtroom that...

If they did say this, does anyone have a source?

As a young U.S. Marine deployed in Iraq, Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt fought for his country. Now he's fighting for his name. The 23-year-old Sharratt is visiting his parents in Washington County during the holidays and preparing to move forward with his life. He served two eight-month tours in Iraq and was engaged in battles to clear insurgents from Iraqi cities. But an incident two years ago in Haditha that left 24 Iraqis dead and the ensuing military investigation have overshadowed his service, even though he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Murder charges were brought against Sharratt last December, and...

It's (Past) Time for Murtha to Resign By FrontPage Magazine FrontPageMagazine.com | 12/3/2007 With one comment late last week, John Murtha argued eloquently for his own resignation. In a video teleconference last Thursday, Murtha told his constituents, “I think the ‘surge’ is working.” Jack Murtha is remembered as the main opponent of American involvement in Iraq, who argued not merely against the surge but for an immediate withdrawal while al-Zarqawi still treated Anbar province as the beachhead of a new, pan-Islamic Caliphate. The Abscam unindicted co-conspirator has demoralized the troops for years by claiming the war is “lost” and can...

Lawyers for Rep. John P. Murtha will appeal a recent ruling advancing a defamation lawsuit brought against the Pennsylvania Democrat by a U.S. Marine under investigation for killing Iraqi civilians. Justice Department lawyers representing Murtha on Nov. 16 filed notice that they planned to appeal a federal district court judge’s Sept. 28 ruling allowing the lawsuit to proceed and ordering Murtha to give sworn testimony in the case. Marine Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich sued Murtha in August 2006, accusing the 17-term congressman of defaming him during a news conference last year on the Nov. 19, 2005 killings of Iraqi civilians...

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A career Army member left the service two years short of retirement to move here and try his hand at politics by challenging longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha. First-time candidate William T. Russell, 45, a Republican, acknowledged that taking on a popular, 18-term congressman in the 2008 election will be "an uphill battle." "But it's one that must be fought," Russell told the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown.