Weasel Murtha turns to weasel Clinton

By Michelle Malkin  •  November 3, 2008 06:30 AM

I said it before. I’ll say it again. John Murtha is running scared. Truly a sign of desperation:

U.S. Rep John Murtha will be joined by former President BIll Clinton at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown Monday for a “Get out the Vote” rally.

Doors will be open to the public at 2:30 p.m. at the university’s sports center at 450 Schoolhouse Road. The event is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m.

The event will focus on Murtha’s leadership, experience and continued fight on behalf of the people of western Pennsylvania, according to a campaign press release.

“It’s the day before our country re-elect’s Jack Murtha and elects Barack Obama to represent them,” Matthew Mazonkey, Murtha’s spokesman said.

Clinton made stops in Johnstown and Somerset while his wife, Hillary, was running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. When Clinton ran for his first term in 1992, he visited the sports center.

“We’re excited he’s coming back to Johnstown, to the same location 16 years later,” Mazonkey said.

The event is open to the public. While tickets are not required, Murtha’s campaign asks people to RSVP by calling 1-866-831-8264.

Another sign of desperation. This is called projection:

Local business leaders rallied behind U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, on Sunday in response to recent statements made by his opponent about local workers’ skills and qualifications.

But a spokeswoman for Murtha’s opponent, Republican William Russell, said the 12th district candidate’s comments were taken out of context.

At a press conference held at Murtha’s office on Main Street, Murtha accused Russell of insulting hardworking western Pennsylvania workers.

In a story published Saturday in an Altoona newspaper, Russell accused Murtha of trying to make the region dependent on the veteran congressman for industry. Russell said jobs should be based on local, natural resources, not on earmarks from Washington.

Russell used Johnstown’s National Drug Intelligence Center as an example.

“Most of those jobs aren’t for people in the area,” Russell was quoted in the article. “When you look at the skill sets, they aren’t necessarily developed for the manufacturing base here.”

Murtha said Sunday that Russell’s statement bashed the quality of the local work force.

The king of congressional smear merchants has some nerve attacking anyone else over “insults.”

It’s still an uphill battle for Bill Russell, but things are looking bright, as I’ve been reporting. Russell is optimistic:

Republican Congressional candidate Bill Russell knows predicting victory will likely jinx his chances.

But because he said he already predicted victory to a supporter a few days ago, he figured it wouldn’t hurt if he did so again to PolitickerPA.com.

“We’re going to win by 4 points,” Russell said, shortly after his mid-day rally next to a Days Inn. “If that’s a jinxing move, it’s already happened.”

Predicting victory against 34-year incumbent U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) would have been met with laughs and eye-rolls two months ago, even from dedicated Republicans. Russell’s own campaign, although dedicated, knew toppling the western Pennsylvania institution would take a political miracle.

But perception of this race has changed dramatically the past month. A poll commissioned in late October by The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review showed the congressman leading by fewer than 5 points. A week earlier Murtha made his now in-famous remarks to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s editorial board, calling his western Pennsylvania district a “racist area.” He later called them “rednecks” during a botched apology.

Murtha’s comments were the first time it seemed he might not coast to his 15th term. The DCCC and NRCC both soon reacted — each has bought nearly a half-million dollars worth of ads in the 12th Congressional District.

But for Peg Luksik, Russell’s campaign manager, the realization came a month earlier. The campaign had commissioned an internal poll to see which issues Russell should focus on.

It showed Murtha’s support below 50 percent, a worrying sign for a long-term incumbent whose opponent was still barely known.

Boot Murtha.

Posted in: John Murtha

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  1. Obama, “Give Me the MONEY!” « Riggword Weblog
  2. Murtha: “No G–damned Way” | BigMouthFrog
  3. BAD NEWS FROM PA.: OBAMA SUPPORTER MURTHA MIGHT BE A LOSER. « EYE ON OBAMA
  4. This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here » Blog Archive » Heh. VFF member calls Murtha as he sees him.

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Comments


  1. #526235
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm, watershed said:

    396

    Yeah, she’s done. Swiftboating worked ONCE, and this campign season the sour taste of it has really kept everyone wary of similar attempts.

  2. #526239
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:29 pm, mistressjustice said:

    Yet again, the winky icon saves you from a banning.

    LOL. I think there’s an unsaid moratorium on banning here. Wait until tomorrow night when the results come in. You haven’t seen anything yet.

    Brit Hume:
    And in an actual shocker, it looks like Senator Obama has taken Georgia, wow.

    Remember this word tomorrow night: BOHICA.

  3. #526249
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    The event is open to the public. While tickets are not required..

    Well yeah – nobody’s coming.

  4. #526265
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm, sonofdy said:

    MISSTRESSJUSTICE, If mcCain wins, the winky icon may be all that saves alot of libs here. When the conservative armies come, you too will be saved if you put the winky icon above your door…

  5. #526267
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm, sonofdy said:

    watershed, no so much…

  6. #526293
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:45 pm, 30 pcs of silver said:

    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:36 pm, sonofdy said:

    Is it any surprise that he was threatened with physical violence before? He attributes that with his hiatus. I mean forget the part about this being an anonymous blog but the dude just brings out the worst in folks.

  7. #526306
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:50 pm, watershed said:

    #102

    There is a pervasive gun and violence lust on this board that has literally nothing to do with me. It reaches the level of sexual fetish.

    Speaking of, there’s also quite an obsession with homosexuality, but I’ve noticed those traits usually go hand in hand.

  8. #526321
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 12:56 pm, sonofdy said:

    I mean forget the part about this being an anonymous blog but the dude just brings out the worst in folks.

    The guy can be ignored or mocked, but thats about all he is good for. He has no grasp for any of the issues and clearly never even cracked a history book.

  9. #526460
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 2:06 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

    On November 3rd, 2008 at 9:14 am, watershed said:
    #42

    Naw, you don’t get it. I’m talking MODERATE Republicans,…

    I am a MODERATE Republican! My brother is way more conservative than I am. I only bought six cans of ammunition.

    ECS

  10. #526863
    On November 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Way OT:

    There is a pervasive gun and violence lust on this board that has literally nothing to do with me. It reaches the level of sexual fetish.

    That reminds me – is there some way we could get my two favorite Conservative women, Palin and Carfagna in the same picture with matching Kawasaki sunglasses and Beretta shotguns?

  11. #528865
    On November 4th, 2008 at 2:49 pm, Wildcatter1980 said:

    Good luck and Godspeed, Bill R.

  12. #530291
    On November 4th, 2008 at 10:46 pm, tpierce2 said:

    Winners—Sarah. Perhaps she can lead the Conservative movement back to where we need to be. Rush, Hannity, Laura and all the others that have a true sense of America.

    Losers—-Main Stream Media, Rino’s, America. I hope and wish we punish MSM substantially! Schumer is already talking about the “fairness doctrine.” We can’t let the first Amendment go under, or any other Amendment.

    This doesn’t look good but perhaps this will get Conservatives to pull together.

    Reid, Pelosi,—two disgusting people and BHO! God help this country.

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Squeal.


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