Free Republic

Democratic Leaders Ride to the Rescue of MurthaBy Emily Cadei, CQ Staff Wed Oct 29, 4:13 pm ET Rep. John P. Murtha is cashing in on his extensive network of House connections to help fend off a surging Republican challenge for his 12th District seat in Pennsylvania. The 17-term incumbent has raised more than $170,000 since Monday, a large slice of it from his Democratic colleagues. Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California kicked in $7,000 from her campaign and political action committees, as did Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois and Rep. James P. Moran of Virginia, a fellow member...

Rep. John Murtha, who recently called constituents in his western Pennsylvania town "racist" because Barack Obama may not win big there, is 4 points ahead of his Republican challenger, retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell, within the Susquehanna Poll's 4.9-point margin of error. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ordered the poll of 400 likely voters on Tuesday as discussion centered on Murtha's comments. The 18-term Democratic congressman apologized for his initial statement by saying he meant only that skin color will be a factor in the race between Obama and John McCain. Murtha later said many Western Pennsylvanians were "rednecks" until recent...

A new independent poll shows Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) leading his opponent by only five points, just a week after he suggested residents of western Pennsylvania are racist. Forty-six percent of voters in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district said they supported Murtha, while 41 percent voiced support for his Republican challenger, retired Army Lt. Col. Bill Russell. Eight percent of voters said they were undecided, 4 percent said they preferred another candidate, and 1 percent refused to answer. Murtha has found himself in hot water after telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that there is "no question" western Pennsylvania is racist. Murtha subsequently...

Murtha's hold on House seat slips By Mike Wereschagin and David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, October 23, 2008 Two veteran warriors battling to represent the 12th Congressional District appear locked in the closest race in the district in years. Democratic Rep. John Murtha leads retired Army Lt. Col. William Russell by a little more than 4 percentage points, within the Susquehanna Poll's 4.9-point margin of error. The poll of 400 likely voters was conducted for the Tribune-Review on Tuesday, amid uproar over Murtha's statement that some of his constituents are racist. SNIP About 54 percent of voters among those polled...

Family Security Bill Russell is committed to advancing the pro-life, family-security agenda in Congress. More than lip-service, he’s pledged to make the defense of families and innocent unborn life a hallmark of his public service. Here’s where Bill stands on key family policy issues: Supports a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution recognizing the personhood of unborn children, and extending legal protection to all innocent life. Supports gunowner freedoms clearly enumerated by the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. He opposes any effort to strip or redefine these rights by courts and legislatures. Supports a Federal Marriage Protection Amendment preventing activist...

Defend Our Marines main page THE MURTHA-RUSSELL DEBATETranscript by Rusty Howell THE MURTHA-RUSSELL DEBATE  | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2008 | pdf Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Uniontown in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District for the first and only scheduled debate between Congressman John Murtha, a Democrat; and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Bill Russell, a Republican. Both men are from Johnstown. I'm Brit Brokaw of the Uniontown Tribune and I will be moderating tonight's debate. I will be asking each one of these gentlemen the same questions so that they may express their views on issues...

Important interview, since Q&R's home-base station covers much of the 12th district.

Rep. Jack Murtha’s (D-Johnstown) opponent in this year’s congressional race -- Lt. Col. William Russell, a decorated Iraq war veteran who was in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 -- has just released an ad titled “In Cold Blood.” So far, it is one of the most powerful campaign spots to hit the airwaves in the down- ballot races this cycle in the Keystone State.

For Russell, 'change' means new thinking, not just new congressman By Jon Stevens, Staff writerjstevens@observer-reporter.com WAYNESBURG - When William Russell decided to run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 12th District, he knew it would be a difficult task to unseat an entrenched Democratic incumbent like John Murtha, D-Johnstown. But what the 46-year-old retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel is finding on his campaign stumps through the sprawling district is that many people think Murtha has lost touch and it's time for a change. "We are hearing a lot about change, especially in the presidential race," Russell said during a stop Thursday in...

William Russell is back on the campaign trail. The 12th Congressional District Republican candidate, who is attempting to unseat longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha, held his first Cambria County campaign event Wednesday. It was a modest affair on a back porch in Upper Yoder Township. But Russell said he is gaining momentum. “This campaign has heard from thousands of people over the past few weeks,” he said. Russell, who spent his career in the military and served in both Iraq wars, nearly saw his campaign end in February when a judge ruled that he had not gathered enough valid...

<p>They come wearing motorcycle leather and business suits. They sport crew cuts and ponytails, some wearing long un-trimmed beards, others clean shaven. They park their Harley’s, Gold Wings, and three wheelers in rows flying the Stars and Strips and the black POW/MIA flags. Many bear scars and tattoos commemorating their service in Vietnam .</p>

August 04, 2008 Murtha's reckoning Thomas Lifson Rep. John Murtha's disgrace in denouncing the Marines of the Haditha incident is not going to fade away gently into the night. William Russell, has returned from a tour of duty in the military and is running against him. His campaign has produced this video featuring Darryl Sharratt, the father of one of the Marines accused by Murtha of being a "cold-blooded killer." His son Justin Sharratt has subsequently been fully vindicated, and all charges dropped. Darryl Sharratt's video does not have the produiction values of a normal campaign commercial, but in his...

Moments after Army Lt. Col. William Russell ended his 28-year military career, the Iraq war veteran revved up his Harley-Davidson and set out on an improbable journey. In his first political outing, Russell is trying to topple a political giant. The 45-year-old Republican this weekend kicked off his campaign against U.S. Rep. John Murtha, 76, of Johnstown, a powerful Democrat and decorated Vietnam War veteran seeking a 19th term. "Murtha has a lot of issues on his hands, in terms of keeping his seat this November. There are chinks in the armor," contended Russell, who rode a motorcycle to greet...

He’s a 17-term incumbent who’s bloated his district with so much pork that the Journal once described him as having practically built the town himself. Nothing’s going to dislodge him unless he commits a major felony — and even then, per Abscam, I wouldn’t be so sure — but if there’s any justice this clip will put Bill Russell within single digits. Russell’s active military duty ended just two days ago so presumbly this signals the start of his campaign in earnest. I can’t find any polls online, but follow the last link to MM’s post and you’ll see that...

August 1, 2008 - 9:21am After retiring from the military, Russell joins his own campaign By Alex Roarty UNIONTOWN -- Bill Russell knows how to make an entrance. Now can he do the seemingly impossible? Just past midnight Friday, the Republican congressional candidate literally roared into his first campaign event in three months, driving his motorcycle into the center of Uniontown with the help of the military veterans biker group "Rolling Thunder." After shaking hands with many of the 40 supporters gathered to greet him, Russell wasted little time taking aim at his opponent, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown). In...

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 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...

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...

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...

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...

  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...

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...