Murtha at a crossroads...

Will Jack Murtha finally do the right thing? That's the question put forth to him today by Diana Irey:

(MONONGAHELA, October 31) -- Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey -- responding to remarks by U.S. Senator John Kerry (the most recent presidential nominee of the political party to which Jack Murtha owes his allegiance), who yesterday declared before a gathering of students that, "You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq" -- today released this statement:

"Will Jack Murtha stand with the men and women of the American military and TODAY demand an apology on their behalf from his good friend Senator John Kerry? Or will Jack Murtha continue his cut-and-run campaign and refuse to take a stand on this matter of honor and respect?

"Senator Kerry's comments suggesting that only the less-educated and less-smart 'end up in Iraq' are insulting in the extreme to every man and woman who has worn our nation's colors in Iraq -- and, frankly, they are insulting in the extreme to every man and woman who has EVER worn our nation's colors, period.

Sad to say, exacting a repudiation of Kerry's latest "Freudian slip" from Murtha will no doubt like trying to extract blood from a rock. You see, Murtha and Kerry are ideological soulmates, and see nothing wrong with denegrating our troops and/or their mission with impunity, especially when they see political points to be gained. From John Kerry's seditiously false testimony in the Winter Soldier hearings, to Jack Murtha's pronouncement of guilt without due process for Marines fighting in Haditha, both show an opportunistic contempt for the institutions which they served, and for those who serve in those institutions, and both see nothing wrong with throwing their brethren under the bus for political gain.

So, with all due respect, Ms. Irey, if you're waiting for a repudiation of John Kerry by John Murtha, all I can say is, don't hold your breath.

A Conservative's Conservative Endorses Diana Irey

You just can't do better than that folks. Political junkies like me know that Pat Toomey is a conservative's conservative. He's the President and CEO of the Club for Growth, too. Those are pretty impeccable credentials. Now he's endorsing Diana Irey. Here's Toomey's statement officially endorsing Diana Irey:

"I am very impressed. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, when Diana Irey wins this race in nine days, it's a 'two-fer', we get two wins, because on the one hand, we get to put into permanent retirement a liberal, tax-and-spend politician. And that would be enough, in my book. But in addition to that, we get something else. I am convinced that we will have a new person in the U.S. House of Representatives, a new member of the Republican Conference, who will help bring the Party back to its commitment to the core ideas and values and principles that gave us a majority in the first place, the ideas that swept Ronald Reagan into office, that gave us majorities in 1994, and the ideas that unite us in this room, the reason we joined the Republican Party, because we believe in something.
"We believe in a set of ideas. We believe that the power of government should be limited, that freedom of the individual should be expanded, we believe in a free enterprise system, and lower spending and lower taxes, and we think that people know how to spend their own money much better than any government politician or bureaucrat ever will.
"We believe in the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of human life, and we believe in the traditional social and cultural values around which this great nation was built, and we believe in defending our nation, and staying in, even when the going gets tough, and defending our nation and sovereignty against any threats.
"Those are the ideas, and the principles, and the values that the Republican Party stands for when it's at its best. And unfortunately, in some instances, some Republicans have wandered away from those principles, and I will tell you, it's those Republicans who are in the most danger in a week and half, and we have an opportunity to hold onto the House, and to bring the Republican Party back to its roots, if we send Diana Irey to become a part of that.
"When I consider the extension of the Bush tax cuts, that gave us a very strong economic recovery; when I consider how very, very frightening and dangerous the threat that we face from the Islamic fascist terrorists; when I consider how important and how challenging these times are; and when I hear what Jack Murtha is saying, and when I see what he is supporting, and when I know, as I do, having served in the U.S. House, I can tell you, what's on Jack Murtha's mind right now is, how does he placate and satisfy a constituency that doesn't live in the 12th District of Pennsylvania?
"Jack Murtha's worried a lot about how the Charlie Rangels, and the Nancy Pelosis, and the John Conyers of the world, the most radical liberal Democrats in the entire House, he's worried a lot about what they think of Jack Murtha, because he wants to run for Majority Leader when he THINKS the Democrats take control of the House.
"Let me tell you, that creates an enormous disconnect, not that there isn't one already, but it aggravates and accentuates a huge disconnect between serving the constituents of southwestern Pennsylvania and placating the most radical liberals in America, from New York and San Francisco and the rest.
"This is why it's so important that you do everything you can. I'm so glad you're here today, and everything you can do for Diana's campaign, the contributions you make, the yard signs you put up, the phone calls, the door-to-door work, everything that you do comes together in these last few days.
"She has done a terrific job. She's got a terrific media plan that's going to carry her through Election Day.
"And now it's up to all of us, to do everything we can on the ground, to make sure that the next Congressperson from the 12th District represents the values of the 12th District, and not the values of San Francisco. Please join me in welcoming the next Congressperson from the 12th District, Diana Irey!"

I'd envy PA-12's conservatives 'options' this November if I hadn't been able to vote for Michele Bachmann, Diana Irey's ideological 'twin sister'. When the dust settles next Tuesday, liberals will have to contend with the 'Dynamic Duo' of Bachmann-Irey.

I definitely agreed with Mr. Toomey when he said this:

"...when Diana Irey wins this race in nine days, it's a 'two-fer', we get two wins, because on the one hand, we get to put into permanent retirement a liberal, tax-and-spend politician. And that would be enough, in my book. But in addition to that, we get something else. I am convinced that we will have a new person in the U.S. House of Representatives, a new member of the Republican Conference, who will help bring the Party back to its commitment to the core ideas and values and principles that gave us a majority in the first place, the ideas that swept Ronald Reagan into office, that gave us majorities in 1994, and the ideas that unite us in this room, the reason we joined the Republican Party, because we believe in something."

We do indeed get an old-fashioned Reaganesque conservative in Diana Irey. (Ditto with Michele Bachmann.) Getting rid of a looney lefty liberal like Murtha, who 'earned' Code Pink's Man of the Year Award, is just icing on the cake.

Technorati: Election 2006, Diana Irey, Club For Growth, Murtha, Code Pink

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

Murtha's bill of goods

The Pittsburgh Tribune, on the "cutting edge" of "cut n run"?

What a terrible mistake! I was shocked and extremely disappointed to read that my daily newspaper, the Trib, has endorsed Jack Murtha.

Over the past three years, Murtha has strongly spoken against the mission of the troops and endangered their lives. To say he is a "stronger, more steadfast voice for this nation's military" borders on a journalist lie. To say he was "well ahead on the learning curve" and "recognized the fallacy of pursuing Iraq's welfare through U.S. supplied warfare" is ridiculous and alarming.

When the U.S. began this Iraq campaign, everyone knew it was going to be a long, difficult effort. It sounds like the Trib thinks the war is over and we should pack up and come home. It really sounds like the Trib has joined the cut-and-run crowd.

Ken Ruzich
O'Hara

...and not to disappoint Ken Ruzich, Jack Murtha, our enemy's best friend, chimes in with this diatribe.

Far from "supporting our troops", Jack Murtha misses no opportunity to demoralize their efforts.

Diana Irey says, "‘He’s not the Jack Murtha I used to know.’"

But Jack Murtha counters with, "“The only thing that’s changed is, I disagree with the policy of the president.”

If that's so, then Jack Murtha has always thought it prudent to play judge, jury and executioner to Marines without formal charges being filed, even without so much as reading a report.

If that's so, then Jack Murtha's sentiments have always been aligned with radical leftist groups like Code Pink.

If that's so, then Jack Murtha would always have thought it fitting to say he supports the troops via regular visits to Walter Reed, while accepting an award as "Man of the Year" from Code Pink, a radical socialist antiwar group that regularly protests in front of our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed.

If that's so, then Jack Murtha has always thought it fitting that he should seek ways to accept a $50,o00 bribe without getting caught. (then again, perhaps this was the case, since Jack Murtha saw it fitting to throw a party for a staffer who just got done being convicted for taking a bribe).

If that's so, then Jack Murtha would have always thought it fitting that he should vote against the Patriot Act, and to say that we should be without the tools necessary that may prevent another 9/11 (showing that he is in fact to the left of the ACLU).

If that's so, then Jack Murtha would have always thought it fitting that he should, in another of his famous "political deals," vote against funding research that would improve prosthetics for wounded soldiers.

If nothing about Jack Murtha has changed, then Jack Murtha would have always thought it fitting to be against measures that would strengthen the security at our borders, and to vote against stiffer sentences for illegal aliens who have committed felonies.

I don't know. Maybe Jack Murtha has truly not changed. Maybe we should take him at his word.

But if that is indeed the case, then it seems safe to say that for the past 31 years, the voters of PA-12 have been sold a bill of goods.

With more hot air than he knows what to do with...

Jack Murtha keeps spinning his seditious, demoralizing rhetoric; many times what he says seems like it's coming from his "big fat backside" rather than from the mind of a rational individual But sometimes the truth does have a way catch up with lies. Take it from someone who knows:

In "Confessions of a 'Defeatocrat' " [Outlook, Oct. 15], Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) made a number of inaccurate claims about Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the Defense Department.

By selectively quoting from the secretary's recent address to the American Legion, Murtha claimed that Rumsfeld has faulted Democrats "for believing that 'vicious extremists can be appeased.' " Yet Rumsfeld did not mention congressional Democrats in his remarks -- in fact he didn't mention any critics of the Iraq war. His remarks were an effort to remind people of the similarities between past and current periods in U.S. history, so that a mentality of dismissing real and gathering threats does not undermine our nation's ability to prevail in the war on terror.

Mr. Dorrance goes on to debunk more of Murtha's tall tales:

Murtha's claim that the Defense Department has "a new military blueprint to keep 140,000 troops in Iraq through 2010" is a mischaracterization of comments made by Gen. Pete Schoomaker, Army chief of staff. The Army plans for a variety of contingencies. Schoomaker's comments on the Army planning for potential scenarios in Iraqis are one example of this. None of this should be understood as a forecast for the commitment of U.S. forces.

Murtha claimed that Gen. Eric Shinseki's recommendation for "several hundred thousand troops . . . was ignored." As Gen. Richard Myers, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, noted in congressional testimony in June 2004, Shinseki provided no recommendation on troop levels to the Joint Chiefs. Despite Shinseki's public comments, there was thus no recommendation to ignore.

But keep on spinning those tall tales, Mr. Murtha. Even while you're babbling incoherently to your dog while sitting on your rocking chair on your front porch come November 8th.

That is, if your dog will have you.

No Fans of Murtha...

An excellent op-ed in the Pittsburgh Times:

There are those who appreciate corrupt politicians because they make the trains run on time. This was said of the great fascist, Benito Mussolini. It could be said of Rep. John Murtha that he also runs the trains on time. It certainly can be said that he brings home the bacon. No other person has his or his family's names on more buildings.

However, we in the Vets for the Truth movement are in the category of the gentleman who said, "It is time we find out. This guy is not going to be here forever, and what he has done is unconscionable."

There are those who are beginning to question why John Murtha, 74, has been acting the way he is. Some believe it is because of physical conditions. Others point to Murtha's prophetic words in the newly revealed ABSCAM tapes where he talks about his lust to be in leadership. Whatever the reason, some in the district are beginning to look at Murtha in a new light -- the light of truth.

Vets for the Truth, of which I am local co-chairman, has tried to bring to the attention of the voters of District 12 the disrespect Murtha has shown to our troops on the front lines of the battle against Islamic terror. Readers will note that we have refrained from attacking his military record.

We cannot forgive Murtha for his acceptance of an award from one of the most America-hating groups in existence: Code Pink. This organization has nothing to do with cures for cancer or any other beneficial purpose; it is a Marxist-led organization with roots in the communist-led anti-war movement of the 1960s. Each Friday afternoon, they congregate outside Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C., and harass wounded troops and their families. What could be more despicable?

Indeed--to say that you visit Walter Reed Hospital to honor our soldiers on one hand, but then accept an award from a group that demeans our soldiers right outside of Walter Reed on a weekly basis is the height of hypocrisy.

Is it coincidence that Murtha's love affair with Code Pink is related to his endorsement by the national organ of the Communist Party USA -- the People's Weekly World? Is it "Red-baiting" to question why John Murtha has become so closely aligned with the radical left? I don't think so.

How do we, the voters of Pennsylvania's 12th District, justify seeing Murtha's name linked with the extremist liberalism of Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean and Michael Moore, not to mention with that of Code Pink, MoveOn.org and the Communist Party newspaper?

Murtha has always been a man drunk on his own power, but like an alcoholic that spins out of control and pursues his addiction to rock bottom, Murtha is indeed out of control, and is no longer fit to hold office.

There is a long history of stories about how individuals chasing after their lust for power are corrupted. A man must still live by his actions. It is not for me to question whether Congressman Murtha has done these things out of a sense of trying to do good or evil. I may not judge the heart of another man. I only know that John Murtha's actions are not good for Pennsylvania or the United States of America.

And that is why we at Vets for the Truth intend to see John Murtha come home for good.

Harry Beam

Lt. Col. USA Retired

And that is why we say, Murtha Must Go!!

The Readers Hit Back

Hot on the heels of yesterday's endorsement of John Murtha by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, we find a nice selection of letters from unhappy readers to the paper's editors.

Excerpt from the first letter:

I will not renew my subscription to the Trib, so this will probably be my last unpublished letter.

A second letter, in its entirety:

I was outraged that the Trib endorsed Rep. John "Traitor Jack" Murtha, extolling his "leadership."
If Murtha is a leader of anything, he is a leader of al-Qaida's propaganda effort in the U.S.

And a third for good measure, also complete:

I was very disappointed with your endorsement of John "Cut and Run" Murtha. He is a disgrace as a congressman and American and your endorsement of him is shameful.
With the direction your paper is going, I might as well read the other Pittsburgh paper every morning and concede the Trib's return to its country club Republican roots.

The editor(s) of the Trib just couldn't take this last one lying down and told him what for:

Editor's Note: The Trib has endorsed Congressman Murtha for decades.

Old loyalties die hard, it seems. Let's hope that the reader feedback reflects the mood of the district more than does the editorial stance of one of the region's dominant newspapers. It's good to know that there are such people out there.

Et Tu, Tribune-Review?

Following last week's endorsement of John Murtha by the leftist Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the paper's ideological opposite, the Tribune-Review, has endorsed, as candidate for U.S. Congress in the 12th district of Pennsylvania...JOHN MURTHA.

I wish I could say that (unlike the PG endorsement) this one was a surprise...but it's not. The Trib has long supported John Murtha, a conservative enough Democrat who rarely has had to deal with any sort of opposition during his long career in public service. Murtha's turn from (alleged) hawk to Code Pink shill this past year was followed by a similar move on the part of the Trib. What is the basis for this endorsement?

Leadership -- often challenging, occasionally controversial -- is a hallmark of John Murtha's 32-year career in Congress. It's a record distinguished by standing tall when others wouldn't and putting principle ahead of partisan politics. Mr. Murtha's exemplary service qualifies the Johnstown Democrat for re-election in the 12th Congressional District.

Lest you think that the Trib is being lazy and backing Murtha solely on his past record, look at what the paper says next:

In wartime and peace, no member of Congress has been a stronger, more steadfast voice for this nation's military than Murtha. Yet when he challenged the U.S. course in Iraq and called for troop withdrawals last year, many dismissed him as a know-nothing. In reality Jack Murtha was well ahead on the learning curve. He recognized the fallacy of pursuing Iraqis' welfare through U.S.-supplied warfare. Eleven months later, U.S. officials now are finally talking about a timeline for Iraq's self-determination.

The Trib is throwing its support to the John Murtha of 2006, a John Murtha who is a visionary, a sort of de facto populist Commander-In-Chief if the editorialist's words are to be believed. In any event, Iraqi self-determination was always part of the plan. Why give this man the credit for dictating administration policies?

Closer to home in a sprawling district that cuts through nine counties, Murtha, 74, has been an outstanding representative of the people, securing the means to promote economic growth and prosperity for jurisdictions big and small. His record speaks for itself.

With that statement, the Trib's reputation as a fiscally responsible, anti-pork barrel spending conservative newspaper is shot to hell. This paper has used a lot of ink over the years printing op/ed pieces decrying wasteful public spending and showboating megalomaniacs. This morning, the editors are using an entire tube of lipstick to pretty up a big fat pig.

I can't help wondering if there is some kind of close friendship between Trib Publisher Richard Scaife and the "Big Man" that influences editorial policy. I have no proof of this, but it is suspicious that the editorial stance changes when the subject is John Murtha.

Murtha's challenger, Republican Diana Irey, 44, a Washington County commissioner, is an up-and-comer. We urge her to run in the future. But we find no reason to replace the experienced incumbent, especially at this critical juncture.

No reason? NO REASON????? Someone give me a bottle of whatever the Trib is using to make Murtha's record look so spotless. I'd love to look that clean.

Look, it's nice that the Trib doesn't have anything bad to say about Diana Irey, but to brush her off as some kind of "nice little nobody" shows that the paper is ignoring the whole point of her campaign. She knows that Murtha is doing the troops a great disservice with his words and deeds. She has been saying a lot about Murtha, and about her reasons for running, while Murtha remains aloof and barely acknowledges publicly that he even has an opponent in this race.

Shall we,then, begin ignoring the Tribune-Review for its devotion to the cult of St. Jack?

The 12th District, and certainly America, needs John Murtha.

I'm glad I canceled my subscription a few years ago, because I need the Trib as much as America needs Murtha -- which is to say, not at all.

Murtha's Running Scared?

Who would've thunk that a hulking man like John Murtha would be running scared of a petite woman with a sharp intellect? That's exactly what's happening now. Why else has he avoided Diana Irey's calls for debating? Why else has he avoided the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat's call for debates? That's just the tip of the anti-Murtha iceberg, though. Let's let his challenger, Diana Irey, tell you about the growing anti-Murtha iceberg:

Contrary to Murtha’s stated defense that he only discussed how to bring needed investment into his southwestern Pennsylvania congressional district, the video proves that Murtha believed he had cut a deal to take a $50,000 cash bribe in exchange for helping a rich foreigner get into America, and proves further that the "investment defense" was nothing more than a cover to throw suspicious reporters off the trail.
Can anyone doubt that if the video had showed a senior Republican caught on tape discussing how to take a $50,000 cash bribe to help a rich foreigner get into the country, it would be front-page news all over the nation?
As Murtha’s opponent in Pennsylvania’s 12th District, I’m taking full advantage of the scandal surrounding this newly released FBI surveillance video. The grassroots momentum for my campaign has been building for months, fueled by conservative bloggers and talk-radio hosts who have focused on Murtha’s repeated declarations of surrender in the War on Terror. With the addition of the FBI surveillance video, along with a front-page, above-the-field article in the New York Times documenting how Jack Murtha regularly trades his vote for cash, and a recently-released report from a liberal congressional watchdog group that listed Murtha among its list of Congress’ 25 "most corrupt" members, I’m making this race about Murtha’s long history of ethical lapses.
In a political environment where upwards of 70% of voters believe that members of Congress don’t live by the same set of rules, where "scandal-a-day" coverage is reminding voters on a regular basis of the corruption in Washington, and where a strong "throw the bums out" mentality is permeating the entire American body politic, I believe I’ve found just what’s needed to topple Jack Murtha.

Diana Irey's political instincts are right on. After all, 17 incumbents were 'retired' in this winter's primaries for collaborating with 'Fast Eddie' Rendell "to give themselves pay raises of between 16 percent and 54 percent."

Don't think that this year's Pennsylvania voters are in a 'live and let live' spirit towards corrupt politicians who don't represent their priorities. Diana Irey's riding a 'bipartisan wave' of discontent with incumbents who don't listen to their cunstituents' priorities. I don't believe, however, that this is an 'indiscriminant' "throw the bums out" wave. I give voters more credit than that.

As a footnote to this wave, don't bet that Lynn Swann's talking about "Fast Eddie's" being the other Pennsylvania poster child of anti-reform, standing opposite 'Trader' John Murtha, will help Rendell in two weeks. Expect that anti-machine bureaucrat wave to retire 'Fast Eddie', too.

If I were a political consultant with the Irey, Swann and Santorum campaigns, I'd suggest running ads showing the youth and vitality of this trio while portraying 'Little Bobbie' Casey, Ed Rendell and John Murtha as sluggish, out-of-shape bureaucrats who've gotten fat feeding off Washington's pork. I'd also portray them as status quo, anti-reform politicians who don't listen to the voters but rather issue edicts from on high.

Don't misunderestimate the power of a carefully crafted image in a campaign.

At the day's end, John Murtha knows that he's been in Washington far too long to defend himself against accusations that he's anti-reform. That's what Diana Irey's been hounding him about. That's why Mr. Murtha's still running. Unfortunately, he isn't running in PA-12 as much as he's running to states where Nancy Pelosi tells him to go.

That'll change this November 7th, when PA-12 voters give Mr. Murtha his next marching orders.

Technorati: Election 2006, Murtha, Casey, Rendell, Culture of Corruption, Irey, Santorum, Swann, Reform

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

Hit With Both Barrels

Lisa De Pasquale interviewed Diana Irey, our favorite non-Minnesotan candidate, in this Human Events article. Suffice it to say that Diana gives Jack the 'both barrels' treatment on ethics in her reply to this question:

Q: How is your campaign exposing Congressman Murtha's history of corruption?
A: Again, his history of corruption is beginning to come to light on its own. His role in Abscam, his questionable ties to lobbyists, and him being listed as one of the most corrupt members of congress, has shown a pattern that has existed for years. In fact, I recently hand delivered a letter to the U.S. attorney’s office, asking that an investigation be opened on Congressman Murtha’s illegal and inappropriate actions. Additionally, Jack Murtha is famous for hosting a welcome-back party for a congressional staffer who was convicted of taking bribes from a lobbyist. Moreover, he supported legislation that would have taxpayer dollars pay for the legal bills of members of congress who have been convicted of wrongdoing. His corrupt behavior has hurt our district, and has hurt our country, and we need to clean up Washington by voting out people like Jack Murtha.

While Nancy Pelosi parades around talking about the Republican "culture of corruption", John Murtha is the poster child for the true inside the Beltway culture of corruption. This isn't just a recent departure into corruption, either, with Murtha's first big scandal coming over 25 years ago. Diana's answer is extensive though not comprehensive. Diana's answer says nothing about how he added earmarks into appropriations bills that shoveled large sums of money into his brother Kit's business.

The truth is that Diana Irey is what's needed to start cleaning up Washington. We can't afford another two years of John Murtha's corruption and lawlessness in Washington.

Q: How have people in your campaign's district responded to Congressman Murtha's comments on the global war on terrorism and troops stationed in Iraq?
A: Without a doubt, Mr. Murtha’s attacks on our military have incensed the voters of the 12th District and beyond. Not only did he begin to criticize our mission last year, he crossed the line when he prematurely accused U.S. Marines by saying they "killed innocent Iraqi civilians in cold blood." He made that statement before a single marine had been charged, and before a single court martial had been convened. Because of his comments, one of the Marines in the incident has even brought defamation charges against Mr. Murtha.

Yesterday, I quoted this line from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's endorsement of Murtha:

The sinister political forces who have come out of the woodwork to support Ms. Irey are unnerved by something else: Mr. Murtha's stand on the Iraq war.

Diana Irey's answer mirrors my reply. As she says, "he crossed the line when he prematurely accused U.S. Marines by saying they "killed innocent Iraqi civilians in cold blood." He made that statement before a single marine had been charged, and before a single court martial had been convened."

Here's my reply from yesterday's post:

I took it damned personally when John Murtha tries to convict a group of Marines without even learning firsthand from the investigators what actually happened. I took it damned personally when John Murtha tried and convicted these innocent men in the court of public opinion before the investigation had even reached any conclusions.

So much for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's flacking for John Murtha. Their statement that "sinister political forces...are unnerved by...Mr. Murtha's stand on the Iraq war" is their attempt to deflect attention from Murtha's willingness to throw the Constitution out the proverbial window. That's why blogs like MMG are here. We won't let Murtha's ignoring of fundamental Constitutional protections go unnoticed.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's statement is what you'd expect from a liberal newspaper trying to use its position to advance their ideological agenda rather than informing their readership of what's actually happening. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is the very definition of Agenda Media.

Q: What is one fact you want all Pennsylvanians to know about Congressman Murtha?
A: I want people to know that Jack Murtha is not the man who we elected to serve us 32 years ago. He has clearly lost his way. He has not been truthful with the voters of the 12th District for years, and now seeks a higher position in his party. His views are more in line with San Francisco that with Southwestern Pennsylvania.

John Murtha likes to talk about how he's always visiting injured soldiers at Walter Reed. Why doesn't he talk about how he was 'honored' by the Code Pink anti-war parasites that protest outside Walter Reed with signs that read "Maimed for a Lie" and other vile sayings?

Anyone want to bet that the military families of Southwest Pennsylvania have heard enough of Murtha's demoralizing statements and anti-war declarations and are prepared to involuntarily retire him in two weeks? Anyone who wants that action should contact me. I'm always looking for sure bets.

Technorati: Election 2006, Murtha, Culture of Corruption, Diana Irey, Reform, Agenda Media

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

Jack Murtha Still On The Campaign Trail...

But not in Pennsylvania, where he is supposed to be running for congress against Diana Irey, but in New Jersey. That's right, a Pennsylvania congressman participating in townhall meetings in another state two weeks before the election.

Jack Murtha seems to spend an awful lot of time worrying about everything else going on in the world, like the war in Iraq or who will be running the house in Washington, then he does about his hometown and his homestate where and for whom he was elected to represent. For the past year of his term you would think he was running for president by his actions and words, like the ones uttered so boldly at the townhall meeting featured below where he and the rest of the Democrats have already backed up the moving trucks as if the elections were held last week and the have already been crowned kings and queens of the castle.

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!: "LITTLE FALLS -- If the Democrats retake the House of Representatives in the elections next month, they will hold Bush administration officials accountable for the war in Iraq, the burgeoning federal deficit and the administration's secrecy, Reps. John 'Jack' Murtha and Bill Pascrell Jr. told a crowd of several hundred at Montclair State University Monday.

'When we're elected in January, we'll find out what the facts are and hold people accountable,' Murtha said.

Somebody should tell the old geezer and his buddy in New Jersey the election is in two weeks, which they better spend more time thinking about, than the pre-ordained coronation of which they allude to and dream of in January. What an insult it is to conclude that they have already won this election, but insulting the American people and their constituents is nothing new to Jack, or he would be at home talking to his constituents not in New Jersey talking to someone elses.

Pascrell, D-Paterson, and Murtha, the Pennsylvania congressman who became one of the Democrats' leading critics of the Bush administration's handling of the war in Iraq when he called for the withdrawal of American forces, hosted a town hall meeting to discuss national security and ending the war. The war in Iraq costs Americans $8 billion a month, or $11 million an hour, Murtha said. 'This money is borrowed money,' he said. 'When these young folks come back from the war, they're going to be paying for this for the rest of their lives.'"

Jack has never heard the phrase "you can pay me now or you can pay me later" it appears, but we all know he knows that phrase because he used it in some clandestine meetings about 30 years ago with some supposed Arab sheiks in a darkened hotel room discussing what he could do for them and what they could do for him. Doubt that? Then watch the tape and read the transcript located in the sidebar and refresh your memory. Maybe Jack should do the same.

Other published estimates of the cost of the Iraq war range from $1 billion to $7.1 billion per month.

Pascrell, who is running for a sixth term, said America cannot win the war in Iraq or the war on terror through military means alone, but must use diplomatic and political means to normalize relations with the world's Muslim nations. "We must engage in a global strategy for an exchange of ideas," Pascrell said.

Murtha introduced legislation last year in the House of Representatives that called for American troops in Iraq to be redeployed at the earliest possible date. Pascrell said he is a strong supporter of Murtha's legislation. Murtha, too, is seeking re-election next month.

Murtha, who is considering a run for House Majority Leader should the Democrats retake the House of Representatives, is a 37-year veteran of the Marine Corps and the ranking minority member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee,according to the congressman's Web site. He has served in Congress since 1974, and advised presidents of both parties on military and defense.

Some attendees said they supported the congressmen's views.

"It's inspiring to hear leaders speak of going in a new direction economically, politically and militarily," said Elyssa Serrillo , 27 a graduate student.

Inspiring to hear the calls for the Unites States to cut and run from yet another war, go in a new direction politically, economically and militarily? We'll be doing that in arab robes and you in a Bhurka sweetheart if we listen to the two men you adore so much and the plans they and their cohorts have if elected next month. They will spend more time fighting president Bush than they will the enemies of the US, of that much you can be sure.

Cassy Smith , of the Essex County group South Mountain Peace Action,got Murtha and Pascrell to sign a petition for a practical withdrawal from Iraq, she said.

"I felt like, finally, someone is listening to all this work that we've done," Smith said.

However, two elderly men, dressed in satin bomber jackets, heckled Pascrell and especially Murtha, calling him "the enemy from within." The two men left the meeting shouting but did not identify themselves or talk to the press.

Pascrell dismissed the men's assertions, saying "The real enemy from within is in the White House."

So nice of the author of this article to give the last two lines to the "two elderly men" they so dismissively feature at the end dressed in bomber jackets who did not talk to the press. Maybe they who most likely faught in WWII and or Korea judging by their described age, don't have the lust for the limelight like the two elderly men on the stage do.

Seems to me the only elderly men that the press wanted to hear anyway were the two on the stage that should be the ones leaving the stage in a couple of weeks one can only hope for good, for the good of their constituents, for the good of the military and the we, the United States of America.

For once and for all, Murtha Must Go.

Cross Posted At Chicagoray

technorati tags: Election 2006, Murtha, Iraq War, Cut & Run

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Duplicitousness

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette officially endorsed Bob Casey Jr. over Rick Santorum. Here's the opening paragraph of their hit piece:

There was a time when conservatives ran against Washington, DC, but Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, in fighting the challenge by state Treasurer Bob Casey this year, has a problem doing that. He is Washington, DC. More precisely, the 12-year incumbent is the sort of calculating politician who has made the 109th Congress the out-of-touch and ethics-challenged institution that has added to the store of public cynicism.

This hit piece isn't based on anything factually verifiable. Calling Rick Santorum "calculating" isn't just disgusting; it's intellectually insulting. He's the ultimate straight shooter.

It's obvious that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette doesn't have much integrity. If they did, they couldn't have endorsed the ultimate calculating politician in America not named Clinton: John Murtha. Murtha got the itch to be famous instead of giving a damn about the military that he says he loves. In his quest to be Majority Leader, he threw away the principles that he once held dear.

Murtha's quick to point out that he visits Walter Reed on a regular basis. It'd be nice if he visited there without having to walk past the parasites known as Code Pink. He doesn't seem to mind, though, since they 'honored' him as their man of the year.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette didn't mention that Murtha had become "Washington, DC." Instead they said this:

"In any other year, a vigorous challenge to Johnstown Democrat John Murtha, who has represented the 12th Congressional District for 32 years, would be a welcome wake-up call for the too-long-secure incumbent."

Why does the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette think that having an ancient, calculating, scandal-ridden incumbent like Murtha is a good thing but having a straight shooter like Santorum serving in the Senate is a negative thing? It's obvious that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's 'logic' is because Murtha's liberal like they are and they'll do anything to badmouth a true conservative. It's obvious that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will ignore a liberal's unethical behavior and his voting record against anything that would improve our national security tools to endorse him.

I'll guarantee that the voters of PA-12 won't ignore Murtha's obvious shortcomings. I'll further guarantee that Murtha's duplicitousness will be 'rewarded' with an involuntary 'retirement notice' this November. While we're on the subject of guarantees, I'll guarantee that Pennsylvanians will reward Rick Santorum's straightforward approach to the important issues of the day with another term in office.

Whatever may be said about his politics, when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and won his Senate seat in 1994, Mr. Santorum was the brash and reform-minded upstart. Today all that can be fairly said is that he is still brash, but the upstart now has settled into the role of a big man in the ruling establishment.

I guess the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette doesn't consider his vote on the Border Fence Act to be a reform of our immigration system. I guess they didn't mind John Murtha's voting for the broken immigration system because Murtha's their kind of status quo kind of guy. Anyone who hasn't noticed the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's arbitrary double standards in the name of liberalism is a moonbat liberal.

The sinister political forces who have come out of the woodwork to support Ms. Irey are unnerved by something else: Mr. Murtha's stand on the Iraq war.

That's the line that liberal idiots have peddled from the day that Murtha scandalized the Haditha Marine incident. It's just as untrue today as it was then. I'm not a "sinister political force". I'm an activist who thinks that a calculating congressman shouldn't throw away the Constitution in his attempt to score cheap political points. I took it damned personally when John Murtha tries to convict a group of Marines without even learning firsthand from the investigators what actually happened. I took it damned personally when John Murtha tried and convicted these innocent men in the court of public opinion before the investigation had even reached any conclusions.

At the 1996 GOP Convention, J.C. Watts said that the definition of character is "doing the right thing even when no one is watching." John Murtha won't do the right thing when people are watching, much less when they aren't watching.

PA-12 can't afford a character-bereft, scandal-ridden congressman who doesn't share their values representing them in Washington. They need someone who's in touch with their values, who'll fight for their best interests, especially in the arena of national security. They need someone who exudes integrity. They need Diana Irey.

Likewise, Pennsylvanians can't afford a legacy lightweight like little Bobbie Casey littering the Senate's hallways and voting whichever way Chuckie Schumer and Harry Reid tell him to. They need an advocate like Rick Santorum to fight for them in the Senate.

That's why Santorum and Ms. Irey will be sworn into the 110th Congress next January.

Technorati: Election 2006, Murtha, Abscam, Haditha, Irey, Santorum, Casey

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

Scott Ott's Wit & Wisdom

Scott Ott's been my favorite satirist for quite some time. Today's post is simply the best I've ever seen. Here's what got me laughing uncontrollably:

Standing with the California lawmaker at a news conference, Rep. Murtha, a former Marine, unveiled what he called "our new Democrat vision for Iraq to become a country that can defend, sustain and govern itself, a country which will serve as an ally in this war on terror. We got to thinking, Nancy and me, that the old Democrat vision of a U.S. pullout would have created a safe haven and base of operations for al Qaeda to launch its global jihad," said Rep. Murtha. "and it would have sent a message to those seeking freedom in the Arab world that we think they don’t deserve to be free or can’t govern themselves democratically."
Asked whether this new position wouldn’t just play into the hands of Republicans three weeks before a national election, a clearly agitated Rep. Pelosi said, "We’re talking about a global conflict that threatens our civilization, and you’re asking about politics?"

Mr. Ott should know that Democrats wouldn't play politics with national security. That simply isn't their modus operandi. It isn't like they've leaked classified documents like the NIE. It isn't like Murtha's convicting the Haditha Marines in the court of public opinion was a poliltical ploy.

You won't regret reading the entire post. I'll guarantee it.

Technorati: Election 2006, Murtha, Pelosi, Scrappleface

Cross-posted at California Conservative

Murtha compares himself to McGovern!

In an article in the Chicago Tribune, Murtha compares himself with one of the most failed, most far-left presidential candidates of the 20th century, George McGovern:

While polls suggest that a majority of Americans now think it was a mistake to invade Iraq, the 74-year-old Murtha is leading an almost singular political charge to bring the troops home. Eleven months after Murtha stunned Washington with a call to withdraw from Iraq, there is no boisterous band of incumbent Democratic brothers joining the old Marine against the barrage of cut-and-run and defeat-o-crat charges.

"It took a long time to realize that George McGovern was way ahead of everyone else," he said.

With the quarters of support he has been seeking and maintaining this past year, it is no surprise that Jack Murtha would liken himself to one of the most far-left politicians ever to be endorsed by a major political party for high office in the 20th century.

But was George McGovern really ahead of everyone else? Well, I suppose that one could argue that McGovern was on the vanguard of the anti- Vietnam war movement.

But being ahead does not necessarily equate to being right. In fact, Sometimes being ahead can translate into being very wrong. McGovern, perhaps not incidentally one of the founding members of the far-left wing Progressive Party in the late 1940s, pretty much set the standard for the anti-war movement of the 1960s. A movement, by the way, that was not without consequence. As a matter of fact, one can say that the Vietnam-era antiwar movement was largely responsible for the snuffing out of every life that belonged to the skulls in this photo--and then some.

In a war where the U.S. had lost no military battles, the anti-war left, which George McGovern embodied, waged a propaganda war that led to a premature pullout of American soldiers, which in turn led directly to a genocide of innocents at levels unseen since the Stalinist purges.

So it indeed seems entirely fitting for Jack Murtha, who wants the United States to prematurely pull out of a war in which it has lost no military battles--leaving as a result untold millions vulnerable to the whims of bloodthirsty savages--to compare himself with George McGovern, who was responsible in large part for the killing fields that ravaged Southeast Asia after the U.S. pullout. It also seems to be no accident that Murtha proudly compares himself with a man whose antiwar movement was also responsible for the mentality that led to spitting on soldiers and calling them "baby killers" upon their return from Vietnam. After all, Murtha has done his share of spitting on soldiers, as well.

Worse yet, when we prematurely pulled out of Vietnam, the Viet Kong set up shop, slaughtered hundreds of thousands if not millions of their fellow countrymen, and stayed put.

Should we prematurely pull out of Iraq, the Islamofascists will set up shop, and slaughter hundreds of thousands if not millions of their fellow countrymen. The main difference being, of course, is that should we prematurely pull out of Iraq, the Islamofascists have no intention of "staying put."


This leads me to wonder if the active and retired military voters of PA-12 ever, in their wildest dreams, knew that they had elected a United States congressman who would not only embrace George McGovern as a role model, but be proud of it?

Chances are, before Jack Murtha started opening his big fat piehole in his quest for political power, one never would have known. But with the notoriety that Murtha has brought upon himself this past year, he has at the very least allowed PA-12 voters to gain more and more of a glimpse at who he truly is. And it hasn't been pretty.

Actually, it is with some degree of irony that Jack Murtha chose George McGovern as a role model. After all, when all is said and done on November 7th, Murtha and McGovern will not only have shared similar antiwar sentiments with the potential for yielding similar (or worse) consequences, they will have also shared a similar electoral fate.

I Heartily Concur

The best advice that John Murtha could ever get is found inside this Johnstown Tribune-Democrat article. Here's the advice:

Mae Richardson left no doubt that she will vote Republican on Nov. 7. "I think we should be (in Iraq). I’d rather fight them over there than here," said Richardson, who has had three of her children serve in the military. "Sometimes, I think (Murtha) should just keep his mouth shut."

This wouldn't be a race if Murtha hadn't shot his mouth off by convicting the Haditha Marines in the court of public opinion. He'd be leading by 15 points minimum had he "just kept his mouth shut." That he didn't is the biggest indicator that he's too arrogant for his own good. I can't say that I'm surprised, though. He's had so little competition that he's (a) started believing his press clippings and (b) gotten sloppy.

I'd compare him to an old grizzly who's been king of his section of wilderness who's suddenly confronted by a young, hungry bear who is his equal physically. The end result is predictable. The old bear looks formidable on the outside but doesn't have the muscles to defend himself. He isn't musclebound because he hasn't had the competition he now needs to defend himself.

Think of it this way: Murtha knows that he's in the fight of his life but because he's gotten flabby, he doesn't have the ability to defend himself. The outcome was sealed years before. It was just a beating waiting to happen.

Diana Irey is small of stature but I'll guarantee that she's all muscle where it counts. She's quite musclebound intellectually. In that respect, she's Murtha's superior. Intellectually, she's in shape; he isn't. Intellectually, she's sharp; Murtha's sloppy. She's hit him every time he's opened his mouth. Murtha's ignored her, thinking that ignoring her was the time-tested technique he needed to not publicize her.

As Bones and I have predicted, Diana will get upwards of 55% of the vote with an outside shot at 60%. I suspect that that'll be one of the first shockers called this election night.

With Republican challenger Diana Irey capitalizing on Murtha’s calls for a troop withdrawal from Iraq, there are two big questions in this campaign. How many Democrats will turn against Murtha? And will that number be high enough, especially on Irey’s home turf, to make a significant difference in a district designed to resemble a sprawling Democratic fortress?

It's worth noting that a significant number of PA-12 Democrats are the older 'Scoop Jackson/JFK' Democrats. PA-12 is also the source of alot of Reagan Democrats. I suspect that alot of Democratic war vets have already turned against Murtha, thanks to things like OSC. OSC is a cost-effective way to get the word out about your opponent. This worked this time because Murtha badmouthed the military and because he voted against most national security legislation. That's downright stupid, especially in wartime. It's even more stupid when the first war heroes in the GWOT died 12 miles from Murtha's hometown of Johnstown.

This is this year's perfect political storm. Murtha ran as a Pelosi liberal in a conservative Pennsylvania district. Murtha badmouthed the military in a district where 25-30% of registered voters are military personnel and their families. He's voted against every bit of legislation that would enhance our warfighting capabilities. That's before we consider the great GOP candidate we have in Diana Irey who's running one of the most efficient campaigns ever.

The end result will be 'V-I' day (Victory Irey Day) this November 7th.

Technorati: Election 2006, Haditha, Murtha, National Security, Diana Irey

Cross-posted at California Conservative

Notes From The Campaign Trail

Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to attend a breakfast meeting at which Diana Irey's campaign manager, Jason Davidek, had many interesting things to say about the race, about Diana, and about you-know-who. Much of what he had to say is well-known to anyone who has been following the 12 District Congressional campaign, so pardon me if you have heard all of this before:

• Diana Irey has the endorsement of several groups, including the State Troopers Association, Vietnam and Gulf War veteran's groups, and FOAC, a Pennsylvania-based Second Amendment rights group that is even stricter about who it supports than the NRA.
• In a recent appearance on the Mark Levin radio show, brought up the "Diana vs. Goliath" theme that has been so prominent in this race. Levin told her that it was more like "The Patriot and the Jackass". I like it.
• Longtime political observer Robert Novak, who has been following all races closely, has the 12th District in play as one of the top ten Democrat seats that could go Republican this year.
• Murtha has been wishy-washy on Second Amendment rights, despite what his supporters would have you believe.
• When the Irey campaign first entered Johnstown, there was some concern about how the locals would take to the hometown boy's challenger. They were pleased to find that Johnstown is very friendly to Diana, as Murtha does not represent the area's core beliefs and values.
• Johnstown, far from being the economic miracle being kept alive by Murtha's pork that the media would have us believe, is a distressed city. The region's fake "good" economy is an illusion, as it is being supported through government welfare. And, about those companies that Murtha has helped bring to Johnstown to provide jobs and boost the economy...well, it seems that they are laying off workers these days.
• Murtha has so much money left over from earlier campaigns that he doesn't need to do any fundraising, hence, his appearances for Dems all over the country.
• Early in the campaign, there was a suggestion for a Diana Irey billboard with a cute slogan: "The Boys Have Made a Mess In Washington. Send a Mom To Clean It Up!"
• Murtha runs his office like a gangster. After Diana appeared in a parade in a town in Somerset County this summer, a Murtha staffer called the mayor and told him, "The Big Man's not happy that you let that woman be in your parade". (Is that mayor going to end up wearing cement shoes at the bottom of a river?)

Let's make the Big Man even unhappier. Election Day is coming up. Don't give him cause to celebrate. Elect Diana Irey to Congress!

Murtha Will Go!!!

Mat Toenniessen at Red State is more than optimistic about the upcoming elections, especially when it comes to our "beloved," unindicted ABSCAM co-conspirator and general malcontent Jack Murtha. Specifically, he points to the fact that in the spate of recent polls put out by the MSM, there seems to be an uncharacteristically high discrepancy between voter party self-identification and historical norms. Never, for example, has a political party held more than a four point advantage of self-identifying voters over the other party, yet Mat points to an article at NRO that suggests that respondents interviewed in many polls identified themselves uncharacteristically high as Democrat vs. Republican. By as many as 11 points!

* USAToday/Gallup: 9 points.
* CBS/NYT: 5 points
* ABC/WP: 8 points
* CNN: did not provide sample party ID details.
* Newsweek: 11 points.
* AP/Ipsos: 8 points.
* Pew: 7 points.
* Time: 8 points.

Yet, the NRO reports...

...there is a material discrepancy between the party identification listed by people in exit polls (people who actually voted) between 1992 and 2004, and those used over the last few weeks.

and

In short, between 1992 and 2004, only once did one party enjoy an advantage as large as 4 points over the other in party ID. But in recent polling samples used by eight different polling organizations (USA Today/Gallup, CBS/NYTimes, ABC/Washington Post, CNN/Opinion Research, Newsweek, AP/Ipsos, Pew, and Time), the Democratic advantage in the sample surveyed was never less than 5 points.

Mat surmizes (and personally I think it's safe to say) that these numbers are very uncharacteristic when compared with voter trends over the past 12 years. While the people at NRO caution that it can be a natural trend for voters to change identification over time, an 11-point shift in voter identification one way or another seems a bit of a stretch. Thus, Mat states, and I agree, that:

In other words, the media and the polling outfits are MANIPULATING the outcome by over weighting the sample with Democrats so that it LOOKS like Democrats have it locked.

[SNIP]

This is part of the attempt to demoralize and disgust the Republican base so much that they stay home on Election Day.

Mat, however, thinks that the last-minute hijinx put forth by the MSM and democrats will backfire. For Pennsylvania, Mat predicts:

Rick Santorum will win his Senate seat because after the debates people of Pennsylvania saw Casey for what he is, a lightweight with no knowledge or truth about the issues. In the last debate Casey actually stated that there were 5000 gun dealers in Philadelphia and only a few dozen ATF agents to police them. Santorum blew him away by proving to him that there are only 22 gun dealers in the city, not 5000. This was but one lie that Casey has been spouting that Santorum has debunked. Santorum is within eight points now, and this number will move further his way in the next two weeks.

And for the pease de resistance, Mat predicts:

Cut and Run Democrat John Murtha, also of Penna, is under attack by a great Republican candidate, Diana Irey. I tried for months to get a poll of this race and there was nothing. Then last week the Pittsburgh Tribune released a poll of only 400 people, probably from their offices, that had Murtha up by double digits. But the paper refused to list who they polled, from where and from what party. The poll even had Irey losing in her hometown where she is well liked and very popular. The Irey campaign has called the poll wrong and proved that their internal polling show the race a dead heat.

Just as I have suspected all along, now is not the time to drink the Kool-Aid. The election belongs to those people who show up. And it is my prediction that folks from PA-12 will show up in droves to send a clear message that Murtha Must Go!

Murtha: the "cheerleader" for our times...

ABSCAM unindicted co-conspirator, Congressman Jack Murtha continued his jihad against our soldiers' mission in Iraq yesterday:

John Murtha of Pennsylvania, the ranking Democrat on defense appropriations, says even top military commanders on the ground in Iraq now see the folly.

and his surrender buddy Tom Lantos chimed in:

And California's Tom Lantos says a U-S redeployment from Iraq won't be a victory for terrorists. He says it would strengthen the U-S. Lantos says that won't make "the jihadists or any of our other enemies very happy.

I see that Mssrs. Murtha and Lantos have not studied up on recent history:

"After our victory in Afghanistan and the defeat of the oppressors who had killed millions of Muslims, the legend about the invincibility of the superpowers vanished. Our boys no longer viewed America as a superpower. So, when they left Afghanistan, they went to Somalia and prepared themselves carefully for a long war. They had thought that the Americans were like the Russians, so they trained and prepared. They were stunned when they discovered how low was the morale of the American soldier. America had entered with 30,000 soldiers in addition to thousands of soldiers from different countries in the world. ... As I said, our boys were shocked by the low morale of the American soldier and they realized that the American soldier was just a paper tiger. He was unable to endure the strikes that were dealt to his army, so he fled..."

So, Mr. Lantos--despite your "magical thinking" to the contrary, there is nothing that would make our enemies happier than a premature pullout from Iraq! You think there's recruitment of jihadists going on now, just wait til their paper tiger view of the United States. is reinforced by your cut-and-run ....err... redeployment strategy.

They will use the ultimate recruiting tool. That the United States, via its unwillingness to sustain its resolve, can be beaten.

Welcome to dhimmitude, Murtha!
(click image or here for larger pic)

Regarding pots and kettles...

I was going to personally blog on this, but the Irey campaign put it so well, that I need add nothing:

(MONONGAHELA, October 20) -- Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey -- responding to Jack Murtha's declaration in a teleconference press conference earlier today that President George W. Bush is a "failed President" and his is a "failed presidency" -- today released this statement:

"Once again, Jack Murtha has proven that shooting from the lip is a recipe for disaster. Earlier today, on a teleconference press conference with U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton and U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, Jack Murtha declared that George W. Bush is a 'failed President,' and declared that his is a 'failed presidency.' This just goes to show how far out of touch Jack Murtha really is.

"Perhaps if Jack Murtha actually spent some time looking at what's going on around him, rather than spending all his time ducking a debate with me so he can campaign for pro-choice, pro-gun-control liberal Democratic candidates, he would know better.

"The stock market just broke through the 12,000 mark on the Dow Jones for the first time in history. That's a 12 percent gain just this year alone. Thanks to the tax cuts championed by President Bush, total household net worth is up by a stunning $14 TRILLION, and shareholder net worth has increased by almost $6 TRILLION since the May 2003 tax cuts.

"More people are working in this country than ever before, and homeownership is at its highest level ever. Taxes are down, and incomes are up. That means families have more time to spend together.

"On the national security front, it is President Bush's administration that has prevented another attack on the American homeland for more than five years -- despite what we know of several attempts by al Qaeda to do just that. It is President Bush's administration that pushed for new tools for our intelligence and law enforcement communities -- tools like the USA PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the NSA terrorist surveillance program - that have worked to prevent the terrorists from succeeding in attacking the American homeland again.

"But perhaps Jack Murtha doesn't want to talk about those things, because he voted AGAINST them: Against the tax cuts. Against the extension of the USA PATRIOT Act. Against the Military Commissions Act.

"Perhaps Jack Murtha should look in a mirror the next time he wants to discuss 'failure' in politics."

I guess the problem is, taking into account the sizeable dimensions of Murtha's "big fat backside," (not to mention the size of his "big head") there probably isn't a large enough mirror in the entire state of Pennsylvania to accomplish the task.

Not that the self-absorbed Jack Murtha would gain anything from the experience, anyway.

Murtha and ABSCAM--the untold story...

From an Irey newsletter:

"Today I offer reason number 18 Jack Murtha doesn't want to debate me: because HE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO KNOW THAT HIS 'INVESTMENT DEFENSE' WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A RUSE TO HIDE HIS $50,000 CASH BRIBE FROM AN UNDERCOVER AGENT FOR THE FBI.

"Check it out for yourself -- go watch the FBI ABSCAM surveillance video of Jack Murtha explaining to FBI undercover agent Tony Amoroso about his need for a 'business commitment' in the district so he could cover up his acceptance of a $50,000 cash bribe:

"'A business commitment that makes it imperative for me to help him. Just, let me tell you something. I'm sure if -- and there's a lot of things I've done up here, with environmental regulations, with all kinds of waivers of laws and regulations. If it weren't for being in the district, people would say . "Well that [expletive deleted], I'm gonna tell you something . This guy is, uh, you know, on the take." Well once they say that, what happens? Then they start going around looking for the [expletive deleted] money. So I want to avoid that by having some tie to the district. That's all. That's the secret to the whole thing.'"

"'That's the secret to the whole thing.' Investment not for the sake of investment, but because 'that's the secret' to how you can take a bribe and get away with it.

Yes, Murtha states that he was only looking for "investment" in his district when dealing with the faux Arabs in the video (linked on our sidebar). But as I have intimated time and time again on this blog, and as the above-passage clearly shows, Murtha was trying to figure a way to take a bribe without getting caught.

So it's no wonder that when the League of Women Voters and Pennsylvania's newspapers, including Murtha's home town newspaper, call for a Murtha-Irey debate, Jack Murtha employs his only viable strategy:


"Cut n run!!"

Well, Here's A Big Surprise

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (October 19th edition) endorses Jack Murtha for re-election. Really, could anyone not see this coming? It's always a lot of fun reading a PG endorsement. The editorialists are very clever about buttering up the reader by making nice with both candidates before hitting you with the reasons that CANDIDATE B IS UNWORTHY OF CONSIDERATION, then urging the readers to please give your support to Candidate A.

It starts out well enough...sort of:

In any other year, a vigorous challenge to Johnstown Democrat John Murtha, who has represented the 12th Congressional District for 32 years, would be a welcome wake-up call for the too-long-secure incumbent.

All incumbents need "a welcome wake-up call". No politician should be allowed to get too comfortable in office for a long period of time. Some need to be evicted. Like you-know-who.

In our corner, we have:

Republican Diana Irey of Carroll Township, Washington County, is certainly a sincere and plausible candidate. She was the first woman elected as a Washington County commissioner back in 1995 and has served on boards such as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Alliance and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. Voters may well be attracted to a candidate who combines firmness of principle with a friendly manner.

Yes, and that's why we like her. We would support her no matter who she were running against. But not the Psychosis-Gazette. The sweetness and warmth ends here:

On the issues, Ms. Irey, 44, is boilerplate conservative, sometimes tending to the extreme, but Mr. Murtha, 74, is socially conservative too. Her fiscal instincts lead her to criticize the congressman as a porkmeister of the first rank, and in this she is undoubtedly correct. But she can't bring herself to admit that bringing home the bacon has helped a district that needs jobs.

So...is the PG saying that pork is good if you're a Democrat, but not if you're a Republican? It sounds that way to me. Be aware that the PG's Editorial FAQ claims that its editorial position is "generally liberal on social issues and more conservative on economic issues". As Jim Quinn would say, "That's Bullship -- the large metal vessel that brings the bulls to market". The PG is doing a bang-up business in the metaphorical livestock market.

Since the PG can't bring itself to admit that it has much in common politically with Diana Irey, if the FAQ is to be believed, it turns to defending Murtha against legitimate criticism:

Perhaps that is why she is playing up Mr. Murtha's role in Abscam more than a quarter-century ago to suggest that the incumbent is corrupt. Mr. Murtha was an unindicted co-conspirator in that FBI-run sting operation, but he never took any money. Moreover, to dredge this up now, after the voters have pronounced on Mr. Murtha's fitness to hold office at least a dozen times, says more about the muck merchants in Ms. Irey's corner than it does anything else.

It could also say a lot about the effectiveness of the Democratic Party in Murtha's district, or the ineffectiveness of the Republican Party until recently. In any event, even if Murtha had taken money in the sting, it would have been okay -- he would have been doing it for his district!

Oh, and people who oppose Murtha are anti-military:

In a sense, Abscam and all the other issues are irrelevant to this race. The sinister political forces who have come out of the woodwork to support Ms. Irey are unnerved by something else: Mr. Murtha's stand on the Iraq war. The Democrat, a retired colonel of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, had a 37-year military career and was decorated for his service in Vietnam. In Congress, there has hardly been a greater friend of veterans and those still in uniform than this representative.

"Sinister political forces who have come out of the woodwork..." So those of us who vocally support Diana Irey and oppose John Murtha are evil termites? Another Bullship just pulled into port.

Check out the Vietnam-esque keyword in the next paragraph:

Mr. Murtha, who supported the Iraq war at first, has become disillusioned and has called for a U.S. pullout, arguing that the fighting has evolved into a civil war with Americans caught in between. For this supposed heresy, which to most Americans increasingly looks like stating the obvious, Mr. Murtha's undoubted patriotism has been slandered, as if complicity in a failed policy is the only patriotic response.

The policy can be considered "failed" when the United States surrenders to the terrorists and turns the country over to al-Qaeda et al. But if the Psychosis Gazette harps on it long enough, people will be convinced that we have pursued a "failed policy" in Iraq. Let's be clear about something, now: Dissent is patriotic. There has been dissent in American politics as long as there has been a United States of America. Making outlandish statements about the alleged criminal element in the US military, suggesting nonsensical alternatives for redeployment away from Iraq, and demonizing patriotic Americans are another thing. It's insane. Whatever service Murtha performed in the past is now irrelevant; we are opposing the John Murtha of 2006.

And we're doing it like we did to Kerry in 2004. Here's that familiar simile again:

The Swift Boat-like attacks on Mr. Murtha are a perverse compliment. He is attacked because of his stature. He must be put down as a "Defeatocrat" for suggesting that we are fighting the wrong battle in the wrong place, and that this is actually weakening us in the war on terror. The problem for Ms. Irey is that Mr. Murtha has been proved right by events, and every grim passing day brings reinforcement of the point.

In other words, dead Americans in Iraq are good for Democrats. A high body count equals more votes for Murtha and his comrades in Congress! And they help by speaking out to destroy our troops morale. Think I'm kidding? Just last week I was driving in my car with a hardcore Dem relative. The vehicle in front of us had a bumper sticker that said, "Half of my heart is in Iraq". My passenger said, "Aw, that's sad because they're probably not coming back". She could have said, "Let's hope they're keeping safe over there", or something similarly supportive. But no.

Let me say it again: Democrats want American soldiers to die in Iraq because it helps them score points politically back home. Think about that if you're considering voting for them this year.

Meanwhile, Diana Irey is criticized for her honesty:

Ms. Irey thinks "supporting the troops" means uncritical backing of the president's choice to keep them in this war, which even she concedes is "not going as well as we hoped." She said "things need to be changed somewhat," but offered no suggestion for what to do now.

Unlike Murtha, Diana is not an armchair general. Who's the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces? Not some veteran Congressman from southwestern Pennsylvania.

This is not just any other year in the 12th district, which includes parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana, Somerset, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties and all of Greene County. As a referendum on U.S. policy in Iraq, Rep. Murtha is the brave challenger to the failed status quo and Ms. Irey is its apologist. Our endorsement goes to John Murtha.

You're right about one thing: This isn't like any other year. In any other year, John Murtha would be re-elected handily. We can't let that happen this year. Voters, do the right thing: Send Diana Irey from "little Wooshington" to the other Washington.

Diana Vs. Goliath

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bill Toland takes a look into the Irey-Murtha race from the perspective of Diana vs. Goliath. I'll admit that that's an apt description. Besides, I liked the outcome of the famous 'Goliath fight'. In fact, I'd love seeing it repeated in PA-12 in less than 3 weeks.

Last autumn, she said, Mr. Murtha's call for American withdrawal from Iraq lit a fire. At the same time, she had been marginalized on the commissioners board, the only Republican there, serving with two Democrats. Add a dash of ambition and the timing was right. "Jack Murtha's been in office for 32 years, and that's too long," said Mrs. Irey, 44, the mother of three teens. "I believe he's lost touch with the beliefs of the people in the 12th District...He no longer is voting the conservative values of the 12th District. He's voting more like he's the congressman from liberal San Francisco than conservative southwestern Pennsylvania."

Diana Irey is right on the money when she says that John Murtha isn't "voting the conservative values of the 12th District." I'd bet that more than a few people took a disliking of Murtha after 'partnered' with Code Pink this fall. I'd guarantee that they'd have a visceral, negative reaction if they knew that Code Pink called our military "killers", especially considering the military population in PA-12.

Murtha's a perfect example of someone who's gotten too big a taste of being a celebrity. He's chosen to become a fundraising 'rock star' of the Democratic Party when PA-12 needed someone to vote in their best interests. The biggest thing that gets public officials in trouble is when they stop listening to their constituents, instead believing that they can do no wrong simply because they've gotten re-elected a bunch of times. Politicians like Murtha think all that's necessary is a recitation of the pork they've dropped into their constituents' trough.

That might work in peace time but people expect serious people tackling serious issues in wartime. John Murtha isn't offering serious solutions to the serious problems that the nation is facing, especially as it pertains to the GWOT or Iraq. No serious people gave Murtha's 'immediate redeployment' plan a second's worth of thought. Once a politician is seen as either incapable of making wise policy decisions or in not taking problems seriously, they're history. Mr. Murtha is inching nearer to that line each day, if he hasn't already catapulted over it.

With more than $2.5 million raised and $1.8 million on hand, Mr. Murtha is financially better off than his foe. Mrs. Irey had raised $305,000 and had $159,000 in cash on hand as of June 30, the most recent Federal Election Commission reporting deadline.

No amount of money can save a politician if he isn't taken seriously. I remember reading a George Will column about an Oklahoma congressman in either 1996 or 1998. The Will column told about how close the Republican challenger came in one election where his opponent outspent him like 8:1 or 9:1 one year, then beat the incumbent the next time despite being outspent by a nearly 4:1 margin.

She's also been supported by a vociferous Internet-based anti-Murtha campaign, organized by a group known as Vets for the Truth, which has rallied opposition to certain Democratic candidates who have served in the U.S. military. Presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry was the group's most notable victim.

VFTT should change their name to the Terminators because they're on the verge of terminating John Murtha's incumbency.

Technorati: Election 2006, Murtha, Diana Irey, Code Pink, anti-war activists

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog