John Murtha: My constituents are RAAAACIST; Update: GOP opponent Bill Russell respond

[darrels joy]

John Murtha: My constituents are RAAAACIST; Update: GOP opponent Bill Russell responds

By Michelle Malkin • October 15, 2008 04:19 PM

Jack Murtha, the pork-stuffed corruptocrat infamous for libeling our troops, has now moved on to libeling voters in his own district.
He agrees with Barack Obama’s assessment that Pennsylvanians are nothing but a bunch of bitter, clingy, bigoted rednecks.
Why is this man still in office?

U.S. Rep. John Murtha said today he expects Democratic nominee Barack Obama to carry Pennsylvania in next month’s presidential election.

Mr. Murtha, a 17-term Democrat from Johnstown, told the Post-Gazette’s editorial writers he sees momentum building in
Mr. Obama’s campaign across the state for the general election after he lost his party’s April primary to Hillary Clinton. He thinks Republican John McCain’s efforts have been stymied by the country’s economic crisis.

“I think Obama is going to win, but I don’t think it’s going to be a runaway,” he said. “I think he wins Pennsylvania.”
Mr. Murtha said it has taken time for the state’s voters embrace a black presidential candidate.

“There’s no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area,” said Mr. Murtha, whose district stretches from Johnstown to Washington County. “The older population is more hesitant.”

(Link)
Reminder: Boot John Murtha. Support Bill Russell.
Join the Russell Brigade here.

***
Update:

Lt. Col. (ret), Bill Russell the Republican nominee in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, responded today to new comments from Rep. Jack Murtha calling Western Pennsylvania “a racist area.”

According to an article posted on Post-Gazette.com, Murtha made the following statements to reporters regarding Barack Obama’s prospects in the upcoming presidential contest:

“There’s no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area.”

Murtha would make similar comments to the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review saying, “Obama has got the problem of the racist issue in Western Pennsylvania.”

Russell responded saying, “Once again Mr. Murtha is using the prestige and platform of public office to make wild, reckless statements about the people he represents in Congress.” Adding, “Because the people of Western Pennsylvania aren’t embracing Barack Obama’s values and positions on issues like the right-to-life, taxes and the 2nd Amendment doesn’t makes us racist. That’s the cheapest of cheap shots.”

Russell said Murtha’s latest comments reveal a “strange, arrogant disconnect from the people who live and work in Western Pennsylvania. He forgets that this is a melting pot of hard-scrapping immigrants. My wife Kasia is a Polish immigrant; my neighbors in Johnstown trace their ancestry to all corners of the earth. He needs to apologize. He needs to set the record straight.”
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/15...are-raaaacist/

[darrels joy]

October 15th, 2008 6:00 PM Eastern
Moody to Murtha: What a Jagoff



I proudly hail from western Pennsylvania, a beautiful part of the United States. John Murtha, the Democratic congressman from Johnstown, Pa., just said something unforgivable about my home. He said, “There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area.”

The congressman was sliming his neighbors, and me, because he thinks Barack Obama would be even further ahead in Pennsylvania were it not for racial bias on the part of the state’s residents. Obama leads by 13 percent according to RealClearPolitics.com

I’m sure there are racists in Pennsylvania. They probably exist in all 50 states. Further, there are probably some who discriminate against others whose skin color is not like theirs in Harlem, south central LA, and downtown Philadelphia.

Congressman Murtha served his country honorably in the military; I did not. So I was hesitant to criticize him earlier when he maligned our troops in Iraq. But I’m just as much a Pennsylvanian as he is. And for making such ugly comments about a wonderful part of the country, he can go to hell. I don’t mean to be ungracious, but he started it.

We have a name for people like Jack Murtha: jagoff.

[SuperScout]

Now the Loudmouth from PA is backtracking, trying to recover from his latest gaffe. What a POS.

[darrels joy]

Only Blogosphere Currently Reporting on Jack Murtha Cancelling His Debate

By P.J. Gladnick (Bio | Archive)
October 16, 2008 - 23:09 ET

• 
• 

Hot on the heels of Congressman Jack Murtha charging the voters of western Pennsyvania as being racists who will probably hurt Barack Obama in that state comes the breaking news this evening that Murtha has cancelled a scheduled debate set for tonight with his election opponent. Pretty big news but guess what? Your humble correspondent is currently unable to find this stunning information in any mainstream news outlet. All reports of this debate cancellation by Murtha has come entirely from the Blogosphere which the MSM has derided for years as being an "unreliable source" for information. Unreliable source? How about the only source? Since the MSM has once again fallen down on their news reporting job, here are the reports of this Murtha debate cancellation flooding in from the Blogosphere starting with PA Water Cooler:

On the heels of calling his constituents racists, Congressman Jack Murtha (D-Porksylvania) has cancelled his debate with Bill Russell.
Email from Peg Luksik, campaign manager for Bill Russell.

SURPRISE!! SURPRISE!!
tonight’s debate has been cancelled. Apparently, Mr. Murtha does not want to face his constituents, but is okay with calling them racists.
Feel free to call EVERY news outlet/talk show/ blog you can think of and scream about this latest example of his unwillingness to even pay attention to his constituents.

Somehow that calling every news outlet thing hasn't quite worked out but many blogs are now carrying the story such as Ace of Spades HQ which included this rather humorous remark:

He didn't run away... he just redeployed to Okinawa.

And, of course, this story was also covered at that go-to place for all things Pennsylvania, GrassrootsPA, which was created and edited by Chris Lilik, that "twenty-something blond-haired Polish/Ukrainian kid and fellow Pennsylvania political news junkie." GrassrootsPA also had some great comments from readers about Murtha's incendiary remarks:

Wait a minute here…He’s sorry for speaking what he truly believes about race and the people in his district.
*BUT*
He’s not sorry for slandering Marines and forcing them to go through months of public humiliation, only to be proven not guilty?
I have to wonder if this is a concerted demorcartic effort to make undecideds think that if they choose not to vote for Obama they are racist. They have been dropping this line about all sorts of things lately and I just don’t get it. If the polls were reveresed I would understand but he is winning, unless his internal polls are showing weakness along the race lines, which I have said on here before would not suprise me. After all I belive he is still losing in Allegheny County.

The MSM will eventually get around to reporting on the debate cancellation by Murtha but as of right now one has to rely on the "unreliable" blogosphere for reports on this story. And this is happening on many stories with increasing frequency. All too often, the MSM follows where the Blogosphere leads.

—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.

[darrels joy]

Murtha Calls Western Pa. 'Redneck'

Congressman Says Western Pa. Was 'Really Redneck'


CHARLEROI, Pa. -- U.S. Rep. John Murtha is calling many of the people who put him in office "rednecks."


The news comes one week after Murtha claimed the area is racist, then apologized for that comment.


In explaining his comments about racism, Murtha told WTAE it's difficult for many in the area to change. Murtha said that just five to 10 years ago the entire area was "redneck."


Now Murtha said only certain segments of the population are holding on to those racist feelings.


Just days after classifying western Pennsylvania as racist, Murtha took a step back from those comments, albeit a small one.


"What I said, that indicted everybody, that's not what I meant at all. What I mean is there's still folks that have a problem voting for someone
because they are black," Murtha said.

Murtha said the history of southwestern Pennsylvania is rife with racism.


"This whole area, years ago, was really redneck," Murtha told Channel 4 Action News.


Murtha believes there is one segment of the population which is holding on to its racist beliefs and he said it's difficult for them to change. Murtha said it may be even more difficult for them to vote for Barack Obama.


"Particularly older people. They want change but they don't want to see things go too far," Murtha said.


Throughout the Mon Valley there is a mixed reaction to Murtha's claims.


"I think he made a big mistake. This valley is not racist. Not at all," said Robert Gray, of Charleroi.


Maurice Taylor, also of Charleroi, disagrees.


"I think it probably is, couple people here and there. Like not everybody, but some of them definitely. Older people mostly," Taylor said.


Murtha said he was not surprised to see Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton win the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania and he said he didn't think Obama had a chance to win the presidency after that. But since then, he claims many western Pennsylvania voters have come around and he believes many voters have left their racist beliefs behind.


"It's better than it was a few weeks ago. It's better than it was a few months ago," Murtha said.


Murtha said he has taken a new approach to dealing with voters who are factoring race into the equation. He said he asks them if they agree with John McCain's healthcare policy or with his desire to privatize social security.


"I'm saying to them 'let's not vote on whether he's black or white,' Let's vote on what the issues are," said Murtha.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/...s=pit&psp=news

[Packo]

the Redneck Racists will vote his slanderous ass out of Washington. Then, I hope all the real Marines he slandered will all file suit on his fat ass and bankrupt him. Oh, never mind, he'll probably get some of the 800 billion to pay for it. POS is a kind term for this type of idiot.

Pack

[darrels joy]

Some Good News...Murtha Way Behind



Ahhh, I love this.

According to the polls,Code Pink poster boy and abscam crook Jack Murtha is trailing badly in the polls against the challenger for his House seat, ex-Lt. Colonel Bill Russel.

One poll shows Russel ahead 48-45, another more recent one shows him ahead 48-35.

It would be poetic justice for this creep to get beaten like a junkyard dog..and then have to defend himself against the suits filed against him by the 7 acquitted Haditha Marines he libeled on national TV.

For that alone, Fat Jack oughta be put in a cage on wheels and towed through his district while those bitter redneck racists toss garbage at him through the bars.

If any of you have a few shekels laying around, you can donate to the Russell Brigade, help take Fat Jack down and put a fine conservative congressman in office.

And, need I mention that if Murtha goes down, it has implications for Obama's chances in Pennsylvania?
http://joshuapundit.blogspot.com/200...ay-behind.html

[darrels joy]

Boot Murtha: The change America deserves
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2008

A real referendum on Hope and Change is taking place in western Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. If the change agent in the race were a Democrat and the status quo defender were a Republican, this battle would be all over the nightly news. The challenger would be heralded as a maverick and photographed with halo effect and angel wings. Instead, the national media has ignored him.

The Democrat candidate in this race has devoted his public career to back-scratching, log-rolling, and self-aggrandizing Beltway politics as usual. The Republican candidate is a fresh-faced newcomer and decorated combat veteran fighting to topple the arrogant old crony. The Democrat candidate supports the pork-stuffed, debt-exploding government bailout for the banking industry. The Republican candidate opposes it. The Democrat candidate supports a raft of illegal alien amnesty measures. The Republican candidate opposes them. The Democrat candidate supports race-baiting campaign rhetoric and contemptuous smears against both American troops and gun-owning, Bible-respecting citizens. The Republican candidate opposes those divisive tactics and reckless slander.

The symbol of everything wrong with Washington is 18-term Democrat Rep. John Murtha, king of congressional pork and infamous Abscam sting target who was videotaped entertaining a $50,000 bribe from undercover FBI agents posing as emissaries for Arab sheiks trying to enter our country illegally in the 1980s. Most recently, the Democrat porkmeister was caught intervening in June on behalf of a law-breaking Pennsylvania company convicted of selling military equiment parts illegally overseas and knowingly violating national security rules.

The champion for Hope and Change is GOP challenger Bill Russell, a Desert Storm veteran, former Army lieutenant colonel and Army reservist who survived the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

I reported to you in this column on July 23 that Russell is “the man who could topple John Murtha.” (His campaign website is russellbrigade.com.) Victory seemed like a nearly impossible miracle three months ago. Now, Murtha is on the ropes and finally feeling the heat. On Thursday, a new poll by Dane and Associates put Russell ahead of Murtha by 48-35. A separate Susquehanna poll released Wednesday put entrenched incumbent Murtha up by just a little more than 4 percentage points over Russell. That’s within the poll’s 4.9-point margin of error. Murtha’s in so much trouble he decided to cut and run from a scheduled debate with Russell last week.

Lesson: Slander has consequences. Last week, Murtha derided his own constituents as racial bigots. He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “There’s no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area.” It’s a sentiment Murtha’s man Barack Obama infamously voiced at a San Francisco fund-raiser in April, when he said small-town Pennsylvanians were “bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” After initially backing away from his Obama-inspired trashing of Pennsylvania voters, Murtha dug a deeper hole — telling a Pittsburgh television station that “This whole area, years ago, was really redneck.”

Bull. As Pennsylvania political analyst Ryan Shafik at the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research points out, rural central and western Pennyslvania voters turned out in droves to support black GOP gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann in 2006. In fact, Shafik reminds Democrat race-baiters, “the areas populated by conservative whites voted for Lynn Swann. It was the areas filled with moderate-to-liberal whites and large black populations that voted overwhelmingly against Lynn Swann.”

Of course, black Republicans aren’t really black in the eyes of the intolerant Left. Which speaks volumes about the unrepentant prejudices of the race card-players. In the Democrat party, diversity is and always will be only skin deep.

Thanks to word of mouth and grass-roots Internet activism, Russell’s conservative counterinsurgent campaign has succeeded in keeping pace with Murtha’s fundraising. This despite Murtha’s massive advantage in PAC donations, national name recognition, and incumbency perks. Russell’s surge is all the more extraordinary because he was a write-in candidate on active duty until August 1 of this year and unable to actively campaign while completing his military service. Russell jumped into the race after hearing Murtha’s slanderous 2006 accusations that Marines in Haditha “overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” As I’ve noted previously, seven Marines have been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident Murtha recklessly adjudicated in the court of public opinion — with willing mainstream accomplices at The New York Times, MSNBC, and in the world press swinging their nooses to Murtha’s beat.

No wonder the news hounds prefer to keep this race out of the headlines.
Republicans face tough odds across the country. A Russell upset over the nation’s dirtiest Democrat promises a silver lining. Murtha’s constituents are ready to throw the bum out. And not a moment too soon.

[Seascamp]

Quite possibly this is a lesson in the probability of teaching old corrupt dogs new corruption tricks. It is probably a bit late to bring in ACORN to null out the western Penn. vote, so the Party toady Murtha will just have to live with the legitimate vote and go on to insult his constituency all he cares too, but possibly from a different perch.

Scamp

[Advisor]

I spent my first 21 years in western PA. I remember hearing my elders talk about good Negroes and uppity Negroes. Good Negroes did not make waves & stayed the h*ll out of sight. Uppity ones bucked the system & tried to be more than they rightfully should be. We didn't have the 'colored only' mentality but it was racist nevertheless. What it's like today..I haven't been back in 15 years, but I'm willing to bet it is still pretty strong amoung long time residents.