Russell gets Chance, Veterans for Congress.

I have posted previously on William Russell who is running for Congress in John Murtha's district. William is a war veteran who has distinguished himself and had Murtha on the run, to the point where he had to admit at one stage that the surge was working.

Recently in an effort to rid himself of what has turned out to be an effective challenger Murtha tried a new stunt. Russell's signatures were challenged in court and it resulted in Murtha's only GOP challenger being thrown off the ballot.

This ploy has now been blown out of the water in the recent Pa poll when Russell got enough write in votes to go back on the ballot.

Murtha an outspoken critic of the Iraq war and powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, secured earmarks in the defense budget for to the tune of $162 million on behalf of 26 beneficiaries. Every one of them has contributed to his campaign, giving a total of $413,250, according to the newspaper Roll Call.

Very little of this if any has reached the voters of the district, as it is still one of the most economically depressed areas in the state.

Probably one of the worst acts Murtha has committed was to accuse the Haditha marines of cold-blooded murder. As the case wears on it is becoming obvious that this action of his was purely political, with all murder charges dropped and all of those who have had cases heard exonerated.

Murtha refuses to apologize, perhaps hoping something will stick so that he can feel justified.



Seventeen Iraq combat veterans are running for House seats as Republicans, pledging to continue their support for war once in Congress and linking themselves to Sen. John McCain's candidacy for president.

Since its inception in January, the group has enlisted candidates from key states such as

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and California. In Maine's 1st District, deployed Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles Summers is campaigning from Iraq.

Some of those standing have taken on really difficult seats with long standing Democrat incumbents.


28-year-old Lee Zeldin, an Army reservist is courting New York's 1st District, on the east end of Long Island.

And in New York's 19th District, which includes parts of Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester counties, the group's founder, Marine veteran Kieran Michael Lalor, is chasing Democratic incumbent John Hall of Dover Plains.


John Hall has devoted his term to a U.S. defeat in Iraq. The real John Hall chose not to defend General Petraeus who is from his district for the simple reason that he feared retribution from MoveOn.org and the far left, which he knew are the lifeblood of his re-election campaign.

Hall is spitefully against the troops in Iraq to the point that he adopted the Pelomurtharist line to vote against funding to build and ship mine-resistant humvees to the war front (despite the fact that 70% of U.S. casualties come from roadside attacks on American vehicles).

Lalor laid it on the line and stated what it is really about when he made the claim, “we can reclaim our seat in the House of Representatives so it reflects our values, not those of Hollywood elites and liberal extremists.”