Last-minute Donations to Murtha

When the buzzards remained high in the air and did not appear ready to feast on Congressman John Murtha, D-Pa., who has represented his district for 34 years, the cash came flowing in at the last minute. Although too late to help Murtha fund his re-election, they were just in time to scare those who might not yet be strong enough to pull the lever for "real" change. Contributions signal power and power scares some people into submission. Fortunately, the people of Pennsylvania 12th Congressional District will someday be freed of the overbearing influence of John Murtha. No one should remain in Congress for a career. Being a U.S. Representative was not meant by our forefathers to be a lengthy career but an opportunity for the local people to send their local voice to Congress. Unlike Senators, representatives were expected to serve only one or two terms and to return to their communities. New fresh voice of the people were then sent to Congress. Mutha with 34 years in the U.S. House is not a "fresh voice" but is a decrepit voice of control and abuse.

by John Fritze, USA TODAY: Days before his re-election, Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha asked for $1 million to hold off a surging Republican challenger. His supporters responded by quickly opening their wallets. Murtha — the Democratic chairman of a subcommittee that oversees defense spending — received $1.1 million in contributions in the final days before the election, including $126,700 from employees of defense contractors, Federal Election Commission reports show. "They turned on the Democratic machine," said William Russell, Murtha's Republican opponent, who raised $31,200 during the same period and ultimately lost the race by 16 points. . . . [Dems leverage wins with last-minute donations]

Murtha Wants Immunity from Haditha Accusations

Ditto and Hat tip to Exposing Liberal Lies for the following: If Republicans could have had just one victory in the recent election, other than the presidential pick, I would have wanted it to be in the John Murtha - Bill Russell race for the U.S. congressional seat in western PA. But, it was not to be. How any group of citizens could be foolish enough to vote this pork king and traitor to yet another term is beyond me. Do they not care that this disgusting excuse for an ex-Marine smeared his fellow Marines accusing them of murdering Iraqis in Haditha when he had nothing upon which to base his accusations? Based on the election results, apparently not.

Michelle Malkin reports the latest stunt by Murtha: had prayed before the election that I wouldn’t have to pay one more iota of attention to the pork-filled, cut-and-run smear merchant John Murtha. Our prayers, alas, were not answered. Now, this corruptocrat is trying to hide from justice in the Haditha slander lawsuits:

A Marine who sued U.S. Rep. John Murtha for defamation urged a federal appeals court Tuesday to order the Johnstown Democrat to testify under oath in the case. An attorney for Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich told the court that he needs Murtha’s deposition to determine how often the congressman made the claim that Marines in Iraq engaged in “cold-blooded murder and war crimes” in the slayings of civilians in Haditha.

A government attorney representing Murtha told the judges that the lawmaker has immunity from the lawsuit because he was acting in his official role as a lawmaker when he made the comments to reporters. Arguments about whether Murtha must testify was argued before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

… Assistant U.S Attorney Darrell Valdez, who represents Murtha, argued that a member of Congress is “absolutely immune” from a defamation suit because there’s no circumstance in which speaking to the media is not within the scope of a lawmaker’s employment. Valdez said it would be hard to find an issue more of public concern than the Iraq war.

But Judge Karen Lecraft Henderson seemed skeptical about Valdez’s argument. “Are you saying a congressman can say anything that he wants about the Iraq war?” Henderson asked Valdez. She questioned if intent and motive should also be considered.

See also: Murtha seeks immunity from suit, Tribune Democrat, Jamestown, PA and Defend Our Marines

Murtha Thwarts Russell - Russell Plans to Run Again

Mike Faher, the Tribune-Democrat: U.S. Rep. John Murtha on Tuesday earned an 18th term by beating back a surprisingly strong political challenge and overcoming self-inflicted controversies. With 585 of 600 precincts reporting in the 12th Congressional District, Democrat Murtha won 143,084 votes, or 58 percent. Republican William Russell garnered 102,362, or 42 percent. . . .

Russell, a career Army man and Iraq war veteran who moved to Johnstown to challenge Murtha, conceded the race before 11 p.m., but noted that he had given the incumbent a relatively tough fight. “I believe what this campaign has proven is that one voice can make a difference,” he told supporters at City View Bar and Grill atop Johnstown’s Inclined Plane.

Russell, often criticized during the campaign for being an outsider, said he’s not going away.“I plan to be a candidate for United States Congress again, and with your help, I will be the next congressman from this district,” he said. . . . [Source]