Boot Murtha: GOP newcomer Bill Russell’s campaign revs up
Momentum continues to build for GOP upstart Bill Russell, who is generating conservative grass-roots buzz and cash flow for his campaign to unseat entrenched, troop-smearing corruptocrat Jack Murtha. I told you last month about Russell’s impressive fund-raising feat in the second quarter–out-raising the pork king Murtha 6 to 1 despite being unable to actively campaign while on active-duty.
Russell revved up the race this past week after completing his military service and is now out and about on the campaign trail– on his Harley!
Internet activism is buoying the Boot Murtha movement. This is heartening news for the Right and this is a race for conservatives to get behind across the country. Fred Thompson already has:
Republican congressional candidate Bill Russell’s campaign is reporting it raised $400,000 in July alone as it continues its unexpected fundraising success in the 12th Congressional District.
The campaign has now raised $1.3 million in total, in large part from small, individual contributions, according to Campaign Manager Peg Luksik. She said three-fourths of Russell’s money comes from donations totalling less than $50.
The totals have stunned even Russell.
“The big thing has been watching the explosion of money coming into the campaign,” he said.
He also reported the campaign has raised $100,000 through its new Web site, which launched about two weeks ago.
Luksik said the money has come from all over the country as Russell’s race begins to receive more attention from the national media. The campaign this week also received a $2,000 contribution from former GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson, she said.
“This really has turned into a national race,” she said.
Indeed.
Turn it up and turn out to help:
Bill Russell knows how to make an entrance.
Now can he do the seemingly impossible?
Just past midnight Friday, the Republican congressional candidate literally roared into his first campaign event in three months, driving his motorcycle into the center of Uniontown with the help of the military veterans biker group “Rolling Thunder.”
After shaking hands with many of the 40 supporters gathered to greet him, Russell wasted little time taking aim at his opponent, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown). In a prepared 15-minute speech, the candidate said Murtha’s 30-year tenure in Washington had warped his values and put him “out of touch” with the 12th Congressional District.
“Americans throughout this district, and indeed throughout this nation, have joined me in saying that we want our country back from career Washington politicians who have lost touch with people back home,” Russell said. “Liberty was born in Pennsylvania. Let us join together and give it a rebirth, today.”
Join the Russell Brigade if you haven’t already.
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Go Bill Russell!
Why do I get the strong feeling that if Bill Russell wins his district, you won’t catch him playing “Let’s Make a Deal” with undercover F.B.I agents dressed up like Arab sheiks?
Oh yeah, because he has integrity.
What’s this? A proven leader running for Congress as opposed to some sycophantic chogie-boy or career politician? Godspeed, buddy.
While we’re at it, for those interested in deposing Dick Durbin, especially my fellow Illinoisans, here you go.
OMG Send_Me, I was signing on to ask what we could do to get rid of Durbin. You answered my question. Have you heard of the new impeachthegov.com site. A real movement to put helmethead in the cell next to Ryan. I did my part.
WOW -I picked a winner!!
Donated Oct. 2007 – right after you informed us about him—
Can we spread the word that conservatives are willing to put their $$$ where their mouths are ALA the candidate is a true PATRIOT!
Support candidates -NATIONWIDE- their votes -once in office-affect us all!!!
Go get ‘em Bill! Lord, I hope you win.
My money is behind Russell; I hope a little bit helps.
Kick butt, Bill!
BILL – BILL – BILL – BILL…
Glad i sent him something…and with fred behind him, that is a good sign. Lets see what happens
Not to rain on the fundraising parade, but this guy is a BMW Direct client. You know, the direct mail fundraising outfit that basically takes almost all the money they make for the client.
Kick his a$$, Bill !!!!!
Chap,
So, how much is our tax money?
Compare this to Murtha’s spending gone wild, please.
Soap,
I made no representations as to this guy and/or Murtha.
Frankly Murtha should have been kicked to the curb long ago, so good luck to your boy. But I have not seen anyone besides MM consider this race at all competative and the fundraising numbers she is holding up to bolster this impression are at best misleading.
God speed, and good hunting, Lt Col Russell. Hope you bag a Murtha!!
Murtha likely hasn’t yet called in his deep pocket lobbyist backers, so keep the $$$ coming. PA (I was born and raised there and have relatives in western PA) is still living in a time warp. The little towns are run by Democrat machines and unions who still think the good old days of the 50s and 60s will come back. When I go back to visit, it’s depressing. Good luck to Mr. Russell! Politics has a learning curve just like any new endeavor, so let us hope he’s got good advisors who get him away from any fund raisers who take most of his donations for their own efforts.
Chap,
I live in Florida so he is not my boy.
Murtha is scum. His remarks towards our men were unforgivable. His spending is out of control. His ego can only be compared to a god. He should be in jail.
Professional fund raisers are just that – professional. They get paid for their services. Part of that service is to get the word out. That takes a great deal of money.
We thought about a professional. We could raise more money for our organization but could not live with the idea of the percentage that was NOT going to our cause.
Again, I fail to see your point. If Bill raises $100 million to unseat this POS Murtha, how much should Bill be keeping? Should it not all be spent for his election?
I meant that in a conservative way.
And I am not saying that there is no need for professional fundraisers. But it is a bit disingenuous to say this guy is outraising Murtha 6-1 when all but a small amount of that is going to the cost of fundraising itself. And while I understand that there may be some intrinsic value to the direct mailings themselves to get Bill’s name out, as I understand it, these funds are raised from mailings sent out across the country, not just Murtha’s district, so that is limited somewhat.
It isn’t about “keeping” any money. Its about how much money is actually being spent on campaigning in your district rather than going to your fundraiser. Again, I have no issue with him using a professional fundraiser and maybe he is netting more than he would without one. My objection is to MM simply throwing that 6-1 ratio out there, making it seem like the guy is just awash with cash pouring in from every corner because of some groundswell of support.
But whatever. Go Bill Russell! You always were one of my favorite Celtics.
So if we send money directly to his campaign, does any of it go to the fundraisers? Or does all of it go toward his goal of beating Murtha?
As Send_Me pointed out earlier, here is another one we need to defeat.
While we’re at it, for those interested in deposing Dick Durbin, especially my fellow Illinoisans, here you go.
Check post #3 for links to defeating Durbin.
Looks like I need to check the household books to see if I can afford a meager donation toward unseating the corruptocrat Murtha with a man that has bet on this country with his life through his long military service in an organization that requires it leaders to lead from the front with courage, selflessness, and integrity.
I love this.
Didn’t you read that this fundraising run by a fraudulent organization?
That’s all lgm has to offer, more talking points memo garbage. I wonder who they stole that coin phrase from…
Mr. Russell Goes To Washington-
I’d like to see it happen. Unfortunately, he isn’t in my district. I’d gladly send a few bucks his way but I just refilled my gas tank!
alaskangrizzly,
You can say what you want about TPM, but they got the numbers directly from the FEC and therefore by extension directly from the candidate. If you can point out that TPM made up any of the numbers, please do so.
Haven’t you read about the Democrap’s voter registration methods? They use illegal aliens,pets,and dead people.
The use of illegal aliens for voter registration:
Link: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iic_immigrationissuecentersd70b
and:
Gotta give ‘em points for creativity, if not skill at subverting the law.
chapoutier
Thanks for the heads up on the fundraising angle. It is an important piece of info, especially for those of us who would prefer that our donations are used more efficiently to help our candidate.
However, it is still important to note that people are GIVING to Russel by a 6-1 margin. That is not lessened at all by your point.
Yes, a lot, maybe most, of this is from out of state, but then so is Murtha’s.
Then for god sakes make sure you don’t reply to a mailer, if you happen to get one, but rather send it directly to the candidate.
Has there been ANY polling on this that anyone knows about? Everything (else) I have read just puts this seat as Safe Democrat.
Although I hope that the 6-1 difference is more love for the conservative, it may also be another factor in play; People (or fundraisers for that matter) will work harder and earn more when they get to keep a bigger part of their efforts.
I’m looking at you Federal Government!
I have donated directly to Bill Russell’s
campaign from out of state.(not thru BMW) I know candidates need to use direct mail/call centers to raise funds, but grew very wary of how much of my money actually got to the candidate. So even if he ends up choosing to use my little 25$ to pay for direct mail that brings in 2,000$ after cost, so be it. Go Bill, kick Murtha’s a$$.
To Chap. I am curious about this BMW Direct Mail organization. So I have contacted them through their website and will let all know when and if they respond. It seems that their are some lefties out there….maybe even a few trolls..who are working overtime to suppress donations from conservatives. It does appear that most all of BMW’s client list was made up of Republican candidates and conservative causes (eg..Citizens United for Life.)
I sure hope Bill can use that Harley of his to hogtie the pork king and Russel up some money saving pork chops in Congress. He’d better watch his step, though, those porkers can be awfully slippery.
Call the County Party headquarters and ask. Actually http://www.bmwdirectmail.com/ is one of the better fund raisers. I prefer local, but that is getting harder as people get jaded. It is getting harder to find the volunteers.
ACORN, anyone? Now there is a down and dirty (read it Democrat) vote creating organization, with likely fraudulent use of federal funding.
And Obama worked for them! Imagine that!
Haven’t heard much on or from John “Abscam” Murtha since he lost all credibility when the surge worked.