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The Man Who Could Topple Jack Murtha Michelle Malkin Wednesday, July 23, 2008 A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old...

A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I’m not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I’m talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman’s challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell’s underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old Russell, a Desert Storm veteran, former Army lieutenant colonel and Army reservist who...

A JAW-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The challenger, a Desert Storm veteran and Army reservist who survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack, wasn't...

Sunday JULY 20, 2008 Murtha outraised in most recent quarter By MICHELLE GANASSI Daily American Staff Writer In April, William Russell's name didn't even appear on the ballot because of a challenge to signatures on his nominating petition. Three months later, Russell has outraised Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, by $511,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter. The quarter ended on June 30. While the veteran congressmen still has more than $1.6 million in the bank compared to $918,000 for the Army lieutenant colonel, the money is a much needed boost for the political newcomer's campaign. “The average American is saying...

I read and heard a lot in the news today about "Taliban regime resurgent"I wonder who would be trying to give aid and comfort to an enemy in a time of war?

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION:  Peg Luksik, Campaign Manager | 814.244.8948   Grassroots Contributions Challenge Murtha War chest in PA’s 12th RussellBrigade.com Launches   JOHNSTOWN [07.16.08]:  The campaign of Johnstown resident and Republican nominee for Congress Lt. Colonel Bill Russell outpaced incumbent Congressman John Murtha in the second fundraising quarter of 2008.  According to campaign manager, Peg Luksik, William Russell for Congress reported raising $637,137 to Murtha’s $113,155 to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).  The combined totals from the first and second quarters of 2008 exceed $900,000.    “The incredible story about Bill’s campaign is that the $15...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION: Peg Luksik, Campaign Manager | 814.244.8948 Grassroots Contributions Challenge Murtha War chest in PA’s 12th RussellBrigade.com Launches JOHNSTOWN [07.16.08]: The campaign of Johnstown resident and Republican nominee for Congress Lt. Colonel Bill Russell outpaced incumbent Congressman John Murtha in the second fundraising quarter of 2008. According to campaign manager, Peg Luksik, William Russell for Congress reported raising $637,137 to Murtha’s $113,155 to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). The combined totals from the first and second quarters of 2008 exceed $900,000. “The incredible story about Bill’s campaign is that the $15 and $25 contributions are coming...

Democrats and Republicans joined together to strip a pet project of Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) from the 2009 intelligence authorization bill — the same project Democrats defended last year. The Murtha earmark, $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), was one of a handful of pet projects eliminated from the bill in a lopsided 17-4 vote. Several Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee joined with Republicans to support the amendment, which was sponsored by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.), the panel’s ranking Republican. Hoekstra said he did not recall who voted against his amendment, although he said it included...

John Murtha grudgingly admits the surge is working in an interview in Pittsburgh but misrepresents facts about the Iraqi war. What follows is what was left on the cutting room floor. (Video Included)

What's wrong with Pennsylvania?Have they no shame? How do they keep voting for this antiwar, anti-military detestable gasbag?(Here's some advice to wcbstv-- Murtha is not a "strong defense advocate." He is a selfish man who has made it a habit of slandering the US troops at war!) Democrat John Murtha does it again...Murtha admits the surge is working but only because the terrorists "are worn out" and American troops aren't just beating down doors and killing innocents!Un-freaking-believable! Here's the video: A WilleyBCoyote Video.Here is what Murtha says: Murtha: I think they have 17 or so guidelines and they've solved...

Murtha: I think they have 17 or so guidelines and they’ve solved 4 or 5 of them. . . Murtha: I think the short term it (the Bush Surge) has reduced incidents. I’m not sure if it’s because the Iraqis are just worn out but certainly the way they are doing it today it makes a big difference. It used to be we broke down doors. We went in and we killed people inadvertently. Now they’re much more careful about it. Murtha says he thinks that “they” (apparently Murtha doesn’t consider himself a member of the country that’s at...

Positive action in support of Lt Chessani We brought you the story of Lt Col Jeffrey Chessani facing serious charges based on a Time story in which Congressman John Murtha made unfounded allegations against eight Marines, one of whom was Lt Col. Chessani.Lt. Col Chessani had his honour and reputation called into question because Murtha said that in a town called Haditha in Iraq, civilians were killed by US Marines "in cold blood". This event was in November 2005, and it has been a long and sad road to June 17, 2008 when a military judge, Col. Steven Folsom...

An Open Letter To Jack “Cold-Blooded” Murtha Tuesday, July 1, 2008 Congressman Murtha, Were I you sir, I would hang my head in shame and pray to my Creator, begging His forgiveness for the pain that I’ve caused innocent people. And then I would perform some serious personal introspection to see what I could possibly do to begin the process of restitution for my crimes. But you won’t because you have no shame. As a member of the House of Representatives, you took a solemn oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Despite what you may...

Return to the Article June 23, 2008The Real Command InfluenceRuss Vaughn In dismissing the very dubious war crimes charges against Marine LTC Jeffrey Chessani, his trial judge, COL Steven Folsom, said this: "Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," COL Folsom was referring to influence within the Marine Corps command structure, specifically involving two officers of general rank. We should all applaud the colonel's decision as it would make no sense whatsoever for the Marines to try an officer for failing to investigate crimes that to this point several military courts have failed to establish ever...

Justice: The latest Haditha Marine to be exonerated is considering suing Rep. John Murtha for calling him a cold-blooded killer. Will Barack Obama be a character witness for saying Murtha knows his stuff? If you hadn't heard, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is the seventh of the Haditha 8 to either be acquitted or have charges dismissed regarding the deaths of civilians in the town of Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005. Mainstream media and liberal Democrats, if that's not redundant, are more preoccupied these days with protecting the rights of terrorists, even Osama bin Laden, to habeas corpus and other...

Half-cocked on Haditha Critics blasted Marines without benefit of facts or fairness Friday, June 20, 2008 If you call someone a cold-blooded killer in public, you'd better have the facts on your side. That's our free, untrained legal advice for Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who said precisely that about a handful of Marines once accused of killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq. Seven of the eight Marines initially charged in connection with the alleged incident have been exonerated. There were four charged with participating in the alleged massacre, and four charged with failing to properly investigate it. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani...

Now that foreign terrorist suspects have the right to habeas corpus, maybe U.S. Marines will be extended the courtesy of a trial before being smeared as cold-blooded murders. A surprising number of Americans are eager to believe the worst about our fighting men and women. In the case of the infamous Haditha "massacre," their motives are transparently political, ugly and deceitful. The Haditha story — reminiscent of some twisted Oliver Stone fantasy — was first reported by Time magazine. According to reports, Marines were allegedly involved in a firefight on Nov. 19, 2005, murdering 24 civilians in retribution for a...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement. Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the case.

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers.

Bill and Jill Bill Burton, communications director extraordinaire for the Obama campaign reached out and touched someone today on the McCain campaign: his counterpart, Jill Hazelbaker. Here is the content of the email he sent out to reporters before the McCain conference call: “Jill – hope you’re well. We’d like to add our campaign counsel, Bob Bauer to your conference call with Trevor Potter so that we can arbitrate some of the disagreements that the two of them have over the meeting they recently had. If you can please shoot me the dial-in, Bob is available to join for the...

Of the eight Marines charged in connection with the battle of Haditha, six have had all charges dropped and one has been exonerated in a military court. The last Marine remains to face charges related to the handling of the incident. In our experience, Marines - including retired Marines - do the right thing. So we expect John Murtha to issue a serious, responsibility-taking apology to the eight Marines he publicly defamed following the battle. We expect it to look like this:I am sorry. I accused United States Marines in a wartime situation of "cold blooded murder" that I said...

Congressman Altmire hearts McCain PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Rep. Jason Altmire, whose congressional district went overwhelmingly for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the six-week primary that was Pennsylvania, kind of likes Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain’s proposal to invest in nuclear energy and clean coal. Here is the statement that he released today on McCain’s proposal to construct 45 nuclear reactors by 2030 and spend $2 billion a year in federal funding on clean coal. “I have always been a strong supporter of nuclear energy and clean coal technology, and I welcome Senator McCain’s announcement today that he is...

He’s an Army vet, 9/11 survivor, and small business owner who is challenging smear merchant/corruptocrat Rep. John Murtha. I saw Russell at the fantastic Pennsylvania Leadership Conference last month (where the photo above was snapped). He is a staunch conservative, a true American patriot, and he deserves your support. If there were ever a time for the grass-roots to come together and help an underdog Republican candidate make a difference, this is it.

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers. In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk host Michael Savage, the lead attorney for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani said he and his client will look into suing Murtha and the Time magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, who first published the accusations by Iraqi insurgents. But the attorney, Brian Rooney, said nothing will happen immediately because he wants Chessani, described as a...

Yet another U.S. Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre — bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq War incident to seven. "Undue command influence" on the prosecution led to the outcome in Chessani's case. Bottom line: That's zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. I repeat: Haditha prosecution goes 0-7. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font the New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.,...

CAMP PENDELTON ---- The Marine Corps is appealing a judge's ruling dismissing dereliction of duty charges against a battalion commander accused of failing to investigate the 2005 shooting deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians. On Tuesday, Col. Steven Folsom, presiding as the military judge over the case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, ordered the charges dismissed after finding that a general was improperly influenced by a legal adviser who also is a witness in the case. The watershed ruling found that the legal adviser, Col. John Ewers, should not have sat in on meetings and discussions with two generals who have...

JOHN MURTHA WEBSITE Before an investigation, before a trial, here are the words of Congressman John Murtha (D-PA-12th) - the Marines killed civilians "in cold blood." Now that charges have been dropped against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, an American hero, who has devoted his life to the defense of this nation, it is time for Murtha to make a public apology. I called his DC office today and ask for his press secretary. They transferred me to the voicemail of Matt Mazonkey (he is either press sec or assistant press sec). I left him a message that I was...

Yet another US Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre - bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident to seven. In Chessani's case, the military judge found that Gen. James Mattis had succumbed to impermissible outside meddling in bringing charges. Bottom line: Zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font The New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa)...

Murtha Lied; Marines Were Tried (And Acquitted)   By Ben JohnsonFrontPageMagazine.com | Wednesday, June 18, 2008 On May 17, 2006, John Murtha, he of the unassailable “war hero”/“patriot” mythos, assailed his fellow Marines in Haditha as murderers “in cold blood.” The super-patriot made this indictment, in front of an international audience, before an investigation had concluded. His spurious charges seem to have done those eight men charged little legal damage – but they have caused incalculable harm to the United States armed forces still in the field.  At Camp Pendleton yesterday, military judge Col. Steven Folsom dismissed all charges...

Yet another U.S. Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre — bringing the total number of Marines who’ve been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq-war incident to seven. “Undue command influence” on the prosecution led to the outcome in Chessani’s case. Bottom line: That’s zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. I repeat: Haditha prosecution goes 0-7. But you won’t see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font the New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.),...

Yet another U.S. Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre -- bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident to seven. "Undue command influence" on the prosecution led to the outcome in Chessani's case. Bottom line: That's zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. I repeat: Haditha prosecution goes 0-7. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font The New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa,...

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Jack Murtha alert, big news, ladies and gentlemen: "A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement. Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the...

Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) has asked to have his name removed from a facility he created because he’s tired of being criticized for building a “monument to me.” Earmark opponents have assailed Doyle for using a $1.5 million earmark to build the Doyle Center for Manufacturing Technology in 2003. The center aims to “become a bridge between the [Department of Defense], its prime contractors” and small businesses, according to its website. “The Doyle Center will revitalize [Pennsylvania’s] economy by providing small local manufacturers with the tools they need to participate in military contracts with big defense contractors like Boeing, Lockheed...

WASHINGTON - So much for trimming the pork. The practice of decorating legislation with billions of dollars in pet projects and federal contracts is still thriving on Capitol Hill — despite public outrage that helped flip control of Congress two years ago. More than 11,000 of those "earmarks," worth nearly $15 billion in all, were slipped into legislation telling the government where to spend taxpayers' money this year, keeping the issue at the center of Washington's culture of money, influence and politics. Now comes an election-year encore. It's a pay-to-play sandbox where waste and abuse often obscure the good that...

The same network newscasts that hyped the 2005 "alleged massacre" by U.S. soldiers in Haditha are so far ignoring the acquittal on all charges of Lieutenant Andrew Grayson on Thursday. Grayson was accused of attempting to cover up details of the events surrounding a raid that lead to the death of 15 Iraqis. However, Grayson's acquittal was skipped by ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "Early Show" and NBC's "Today" show. (CNN's "American Morning" covered the story only as a news brief.) In contrast, the morning shows seemed much more interested in the subject back when dark allegations were made about the actions...

<p>Lt Andrew Grayson, a defendant in the infamous Haditha case, has been found not guilty on all counts by a seven-member panel of Marine officers at Camp Pendleton.</p>

A military jury acquitted a Marine intelligence officer Wednesday of charges that he tried to help cover up the killings of 24 Iraqis, including women and children. Cheers erupted as the seven-officer panel cleared 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson, who was the first of three Marines to be tried in the biggest U.S. criminal case involving Iraqi deaths linked to the war. The judge, Maj. Brian E. Kasprzyk, admonished those in court, telling them: "There will be no more of that." The verdict came just five hours after deliberations began. Grayson, who has always maintained he did nothing wrong, was not...

Jimmy Carter, you are the father of the Islamic Nazi movement. You threw the Shah under the bus, welcomed the Ayatollah home, and then lacked the spine to confront the terrorists when they took our embassy and our people hostage. You 're the runner-in-chief. Bill Clinton, you played ring around the Lewinsky while the terrorists were at war with us. You got us into a fight with them in Somalia and then you ran from it. Your weak-willed responses to the U.S.S. Cole and the First Trade Center Bombing and Our Embassy Bombings emboldened the killers. Each time you...

The House that Rahm built Tribune-Review By Salena Zito Just before the 2006 midterm elections, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Rahm Emmanuel was asked why he chose such moderate candidates for the House races -- breaking rank with liberal bloggers who were demanding liberal candidates. "Because we want to win," Emmanuel said, promptly ending the interview. Win he did, big time, taking out four Republicans in Pennsylvania alone, making the Keystone State's delegation the House that Rahm built. While the country was distracted by the Democratic presidential nomination battle between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats...

This isn't a Vanity post. It is real. Below is an e-mail I received from a friend. It needs to be posted. A class of senior Army War College officers (all of whom are either Iraq or Afghanistan combat veterans with multiple deployments) were taking part on a tour of Congress. All of this was officially approved and part of the Army War College curriculum. The officers observing Congress hold multiple bronze stars between them; and other citations too numerous to mention. Congressman Pete Stark observed them in the gallery, and below is his official letter of outrage. If Congressman...

Governor Edward “G-slots” Rendell (D-Philly Cream Cheese) has officially un-endorsed Hillary Clinton. “Did I say I endorsed Hillary Clinton? You’re kidding me?” Rendell said. “I misspoke. I meant to say that I endured Clinton. I had no intention of endorsing her. Yuck!” According to Rendell, he is trying to right this miscue by officially un-endorsing Clinton and sending back most of the kickbacks. “Not all,” Rendell said. “Most… OK… A portion. Some. A few. Alright, one.” Rendell said he has always been a strong Obama supporter, especially since it looks like he might receive the party’s nomination. Rendell said the...

Dems, GOP together nix Murtha earmark By Susan Crabtree Posted: 05/12/08 06:52 PM [ET] Democrats and Republicans joined together to strip a pet project of Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) from the 2009 intelligence authorization bill — the same project Democrats defended last year. The Murtha earmark, $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), was one of a handful of pet projects eliminated from the bill in a lopsided 17-4 vote. Several Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee joined with Republicans to support the amendment, which was sponsored by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.), the panel’s ranking Republican.

Officials from DRS Technologies, Inc. are tight-lipped regarding emerging reports that it may be acquired by an Italian aerospace and defense company. The Wall Street Journal reported late last week that Finmeccanica SpA, Italy’s largest defense company, is in advanced negotiations to acquire New Jersey-based DRS. More than 800 DRS workers, nearly 10 percent of the company’s workforce, are located at its Laurel Technologies facility in Richland Township. Officials from the local site reached on Saturday had no comment. DRS officials corporate wide have been mum on the topic. The company’s only response was a two-sentence statement issued on its...

Murtha, Obama, and the Jews By Burt Prelutsky Friday, May 9, 2008 In case you missed it, John Murtha said John McCain is too old to be president. Of all the lines I’ve heard during this political season, that’s the one I enjoyed the most. If you’re wondering why, it’s because of all the consternation it must have caused many of Mr. Murtha’s Democratic colleagues. There are, by actual account, 21 Democrats in the House as old or older than 71-year-old McCain. Charles Rangel is coming up on 78 and John Dingell is 81. I bet they gave Murtha an...

Rather than Developing Technology for Future Threats, Murtha Proposes a Plan for PresentThe tiny four-wheeled robot made it halfway to the fist-size bomb before its battery ran out of juice. It was early January 2005 in Baqubah, Iraq, a hotbed of insurgent activity. The Army officers standing at a distance cursed the tiny robot, a 25-pound remote-controlled truck equipped with cameras for investigating suspected explosive devices. The captain who had been steering the so-called “Marcbot,” Scott Holland, tossed aside the remote-control device in frustration and walked right up to the bomb. His staff held their breaths. Holland leaned over the...

Who’s too old now, Jack? The Tribune-Democrat Fri, May 02 2008 — Visitors to The Tribune-Democrat’s Web site were asked in a poll last week: “Is John McCain, 71, too old to serve as president of the United States, as Congressman John Murtha says?” With 556 votes cast during two days, the results were: No, 64.6 percent; Yes, 34.7 percent; and I don’t know: 0.7 percent.Murtha wasn’t the first person to weigh in on the John McCain age issue. He won’t be the last. But we wonder whether one day he’ll wish he hadn’t.“This one guy running is about...

Murtha rival wins GOP nod as write-in By SANDRA K. REABUCK The Tribune-Democrat EBENSBURG— U.S. Rep. John Murtha will have a Republican challenger on the November ballot after all. William Russell of Johnstown received enough votes in Cambria County alone to win the GOP nomination for the 12th Congressional District, an official tally shows. There’s no indication that Murtha, a Johnstown Democrat, got enough GOP write-ins in the sprawling district to top what Russell received here. In Cambria’s official tabulation, Russell’s write-ins totaled 1,489 under various spellings of his name, including 1,256 with the correct spelling. Cambria wrapped up its...

Don't mess with a Marine. Definitely not with my favorite Marine, Jim Martin. Jim is president of the 60 Plus Association, a dynamic and politically influential seniors organization based in our nation's capital. Like AARP in many ways, but more conservative in political and economic outlook, 60 Plus stumps for seniors 24/7, across the board. It lobbies Congress for the absolute abolishment of the "Death Tax," the name Jim gave appropriately to the "estate tax," which unconscionably robs seniors of their life savings, homes, and businesses when they die – though they've paid their taxes and still managed to save...

Team, Thanks to a lot of hard work on the part of a lot of campaign volunteers and Peg Luksik’s organizational and team building skills, it looks like we are back on the ballot. Thank you all for all the enthusiasm, phone calls, footwork, and prayers. It would not have been possible without you! We needed 1000 votes to be listed on the ballot for the General Election in November. Here are the preliminary and partial reports so far: Washington County 764 Greene 381 Allegheny 24 Armstrong 412 Somerset 26 Cambria unavailable Westmoreland unavailable Fayette unavailable Indiana unavailable TOTAL TO...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in Congress, seeking to avoid a vote on funding the Iraq war during the fall campaign season, are likely to combine President Bush's two pending requests into a single bill to be voted on this spring. House Democratic aides said Thursday that Bush's $108 billion request to finance military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through the Oct. 1 end of the 2008 budget year is likely to be combined with his $70 billion request to continue the war into the next president's term. "You vote one time and get the money out of the...