Who Will Replace John Murtha?
Yes, discussing that today is ghoulish. But we must!
“Immediately following the news of his death, election analysts rated the race as competitive for the GOP.
While Murtha has held the seat since 1974 with few re-election scares, the Johnstown-area district outside of Pittsburgh has right-leaning roots, and a special election contest will be targeted by House Republicans. With Murtha’s death, Democrats now control the House by a 256-178 margin.
In the 2008 presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) won the district by a narrow 1,000 vote margin against President Barack Obama. It was the only district in the nation, however, that voted Democratic in the 2004 presidential race that was carried by McCain four years later.
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell must set a date for a special election within the next ten days, according to state law. A likely date is May 18, when the state’s primary elections will take place.
The House Democratic campaign operation is in better shape financially to wage a costly special election battle against their Republican counterparts, with a five-to-one cash on hand advantage.
But first they will have to find the kind of centrist Democrat who can compete in a district with conservative leanings. While Murtha was closely allied with liberal lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he did not share their progressive leanings. He was known for championing defense spending and was socially conservative on matters including abortion.
There were already two Republicans in the race: businessman Tim Burns and unsuccessful 2008 Republican nominee William Russell, who Murtha defeated 58%-42%. Murtha had also drawn a primary challenge from veteran Ryan Bucchianeri, although there will likely be no shortage of local elected officials and other Democrats interested in making a bid.”
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February 8th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I don’t think the topic is ghoulish at all. It’s appropriate.
WHO PICKS THE GOP NOMINEE? Is it like HI-1, a “jungle primary,” in which all Dems & all GOP candidates run together, & the one with the most votes wins?
Or is it like NY-23, in which GOP county chairpersons picked the nominee?
Lt. Col, Wm Russell is a great candidate. I hope he gets the nomination. I contributed to him twice, before Murtha croaked, because I like his guts. I don’t live anywhere near PA, btw. Russell is the real deal.
Murtha’s top aide told Russell he’d be re-called to active duty if he didn’t shut up & withdraw.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
In Gun Enthusiast News:
“JUPITER, Fla. — An elderly man accidentally shot himself outside a Jupiter gun store Monday afternoon, authorities said . . .”
February 8th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Don’t you mean In Hoplophobic News?
February 8th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Murtha tribute from my buddy Sic Ibid:
http://wcvarones.blogspot.com/2010/02/in-memoriam-jack-murtha-dead-at-age-77.html
February 8th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
A good summary of the Left’s arguments:
“My point here is not to champion Republicans. It is not to champion democracy. My point is that the ones throwing the temper tantrum right now are the Progressives. They think that the 2008 election gave them the right to operate like China’s autocracy, and they are lashing out hysterically at those they perceive as preventing them from doing so. On the one hand, the villains are a small minority in the Senate. Or maybe the villains are the incoherent majority of the people.”
The important point is that Progressives are never wrong. Top-down reform is the only way to fix the health care system. Anthropogenic global warming is scientifically proven, and its solution requires strenuous exercise of political control over individual behavior. Deficit spending is necessary and sufficient to create jobs. Technocrats can make banks too regulated to fail. Markets without technocratic control are like adolescents without adult supervision. Individual happiness can be improved by political authorities using scientific knowledge. Concentrated political power is the wave of the future, and it is good.
I am not a populist. I fear the mob. But how can I fear the Progressives any less?
http://www.theweeklystandard.com/