The battle over Murtha’s seat

I mentioned earlier today that Uncle Jimbo is leading a contingent of Blackfivers and VFFers into Pennsylvania to knock on doors for William Russell in Murth’a District this weekend. Well the National Republican Committee is making an $84,000 ad buy in that district, too;

The National Republican Congressional Committee will spend $84,000 on an ad that quotes Murtha’s recent remarks calling his district racist – as well as past statements about U.S. military personnel killing innocent civilians in Iraq – and ends with the word, “Enough.”

The GOP spot, which is to begin airing later this week, is on behalf of Murtha’s Republican opponent William Russell, a retired Army lieutenant colonel.

Here’s that video;

Well, Jeff Emanuel writes this evening that my congressman Chris VanHollen’s DCCC is also making an $84,000 ad buy to save Murtha;

The ad isn’t up on the DCCC’s YouTube channel yet, but here’s the text, courtesy of Roll Call:

What do we really know about William Russell?

William Russell supports George Bush’s failed economic policies. He supports George Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security, cutting guaranteed benefits. He supports raising the Social Security retirement age, too. And William Russell supports more tax breaks for corporations that ship jobs overseas.

Congressman Jack Murtha served his country in Vietnam, and now he’s fighting for our jobs.

Nice try, Nancy, Chris, and Rahm. The trouble is, Col. Russell served his country even more recently — and he isn’t calling the people he wants to represent “racist” or “redneck.” I think he wins this exchange.

And, oh, yeah, there are real veterans riding to the sound of the guns. I guess VanHollen and Pelosi couldn’t find any real veterans to knock on doors for Murtha. There’s something to be said about not burning one’s bridges.

At least one PA newspaper is warning of Murtha’s upset, while others remind Pennsylvanians to not bite the hand that feeds them;

Murtha’s comments about Western Pennsylvania being racist and redneck has not set well with a lot of people. However, others said the money he’s brought in to places like Johnstown can’t be ignored.

Johnstown sees a lot of money from defense contracts and businesses coming to the area. Murtha is responsible for helping companies such as CTC, KDH, JWF and Kuchera Defense Systems.

Ya know what I think? I think Murtha is sweating bullets right about now. If he loses next week, he won’t have the anti-war crowd running a screen play for him anymore and there are some Federal prosecutors just itching to get him out from under that protection. It isn’t about politics any more it’s about saving his sweaty ass from a jail cell.
Crossposted at Talon.

Category: Antiwar crowd, Barack Obama/Joe Biden, John Murtha, Liberals suck, Politics