What's the Story with High Gas Prices?

ARRA News Service - IER hit the streets to ask why people thought gas prices were so high, who was to blame, and what could be done to lower them. Additional commentary by Mary Hutzler, a former Energy Department official and Senior Fellow at IER.

Lt Col William Russell Back On Duty

Bill Smith, ARRA Editorial: Two local papers in Pennsylvania's 12 District besmirched William (Bill) Russell (Republican for Congress) after their primary. The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown PA said in a spurious editorial: "William Russell - Missing in Action. 12th district candidate strangely silent. . . . And what we see now is a candidate who has been all-but-invisible . . . But we suspect Russell has done more damage to his election chances through his own lack of action . . . " The Herald, Sharon, PA carried the same story (word for word). Who ever wrote the story wrote without getting the facts or failed to reveal the facts. The facts show the papers owe William Russell an apology.

After winning a write-in primary effort to place him back on the November ballot, Lt Col William Russell, a member of the US Army Reserves, returned to "active duty" for the period April 30, 2008 to July 26, 2008. He has been working at the Pentagon. During this period William Russell is not permitted to campaign. Russell has been in the process of relocating his family from Virginia after his prior long term period on active duty. While he returned to PA and campaigned prior to the Primary, he allowed his children to finish school at his former duty location and for his wife to prepare for their permanent return home to PA. Now that the family is relocating, Russell makes the trip home on weekends to work on their home.

Today, I caught up with Russell today in his home in Johnstown, PA. He was back for the weekend and was working on their home. He made it clear he could not talk about his campaign until after July 26 and referred me to his campaign manager Peg Luksik.

Being a retired Air Force officer, I enjoyed swapping some old war stories with Lt Col Russell and sharing about our concerns for the security of our country. Russell never complained about the false comments made in the above reference articles. He said while others outside the district may not have know where he was, many of his future constituents knew he had returned to active duty during the lull after the primary. As a responsible person, he has to earn a living to care of his family. And as an Iraq veteran, he provides unique experience in addressing military contingency operations. However, Russell looks forward to being back full-time in the 12th District on July 27.

Peg Luksik, campaign manager for the William Russell for Congress, says she is preparing for Russell's return and for a "front porch" campaign as they meet with voters through out the district. She realized that voters attention wanes after a primary, but said Russell is ready to address voters concerns on the economy, energy, and the many other needs of the district. Although their opponent has a larger war chest, she believes the voters of District 12 have even larger hearts and are concerned about change including electing Russell to Congress.

It is disheartening that the local press could easily have learned of William Russell's return to "active duty." They used his absence from the area to promote sensationalism. But even worse, what if they actually knew Lt Col Russell was back on temporary active duty? In either situation, they insulted both their readers and Russell and they assaulted Russell's character by using military terminology like "Missing in Action" and "strangely silent." There is no excuse for not reporting Russell's return to active duty to "serve his country and the residents of the District 12." While an apology would be appropriate from the papers, I expect that none will be forth coming. It is hoped that voters of District 12 know well Murtha cronyism when the see it.

In closing, I have been asked why should I care about the Lt Col Bill Russell and the voters of the PA District 12. It is because literally millions of military and veterans like myself feel dishonored by Rep. John Murtha. He is such a disgrace, we cannot fathom that the voters in his district are not ready for a change. And this week again brought Murtha to our attention, when for the seventh time, charges against one of the eight Marines accused in the incident were dismissed, leaving just one case left. It was Rep. John Murtha who proclaimed without evidence that our Marines “killed innocent civilians in cold blood,” and now Murtha remains "strangely silent" with no comment on the dismissals. In addition, Murtha greed in controlling pork in Congress has led to his being called the "King of Pork." Not just for representing his district but for his internal hand in manipulating wasteful pork barrel spending across the United States. We hope that the voters of the 12th District will elect an honorable man like Lt Col Russell over the failed character and bad performance of "Jack" Murtha. It is Time for a Change!

Haditha investigation - More charges dropped

ARRA News Service - The Patriot Post: Seven down, one to go. The case of the “Iraq My Lai Massacre,” in which U.S. Marines were accused of illegally gunning down Iraqi civilians in Haditha, continued unraveling this week. For the seventh time, charges against one of the eight Marines accused in the incident were dismissed, leaving just one case left. Military judge Colonel Steven Folsom dismissed charges without prejudice against Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Chessani after finding that a general who was overseeing the Haditha investigation was improperly influenced by one of his investigators. “Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice. In order to restore the public confidence, we need to take it back. We need to turn the clock back,” Colonel Folsom said in a not-too-subtle rebuke of the Haditha investigation. Colonel Folsom also barred the Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement in the case, another indication of his obvious displeasure with how the case was handled. This leaves only Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich to face charges of voluntary manslaughter. Given the prosecution’s 0-for-seven record thus far, chances are probably good that these charges will be dismissed as well.

Here we would point out once again that Rep. John Murtha (D-Haditha), who said at the time that our Marines “killed innocent civilians in cold blood,” has had no comment on the dismissals. And the Leftmedia, which wanted another My Lai so badly that they rushed to condemn our Marines before the facts were known, have been shamelessly silent about how the case has turned out. Apparently, being treasonous means never having to say you’re sorry.

Never Mind!!

by Leo Pusateri at Murtha Must Go and on Grizzly Groundswell:

Never Mind! Is that what John Murtha will say upon hearing this news?

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — A court martial has acquitted a US Marine for his role in the deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha in Iraq in 2005, the sixth man to be exonerated in the affair.

Lieutenant Andrew Grayson, 27, was declared "not guilty on all charges" by a jury, said a spokesman for the Camp Pendleton military base in southern California where the hearing started on May 28.

Grayson had been charged with making false statements and attempting to fraudulently separate from the Marine Corps. He was also charged with obstruction of justice, but the military judge dismissed this charge Tuesday.

I phoned Jack Murtha's office this morning promptly at 8am (EDT) to ask if there would be a forthcoming retraction or apology, but the staffer who answered the phone call appeared clueless about Haditha, much less whether Jihad Jack would issue an apology.

Today's news harkens back to the gasbag's pronouncement of guilt that fateful day of May, 2006, without any official briefing, all to advance his own sorry political career:


Notice when Murtha proclaimed, "I know there was a coverup someplace."

Notice that Murtha said, "The commandant didn't say it was murder, but what was it?"

(It was called following Rules of Engagement (ROE), Congressman).

Notice when Murtha said to Charlie Gibson, "Don't make excuses for the military!"

But also notice that when Murtha is called to task and is called to account, he always has excuses for himself:


Although a dunce, at least Emily Litella had the humility to admit she was wrong. Murtha, it seems, needs a refresher course of what it means to be a Marine. The list of Marines waiting to be exonerated in the Haditha case grows slimmer and slimmer.

Will Jihad Jack Murtha, a veteran Marine, have the honor to admit he was wrong, apologize, resign, and/or make reparations to the Marines whose lives were ruined as a result of his political ambitions run amok? It would be advisable not to hold one's breath in anticipation of the answer to that question.