This should be a Very Big Week for Campaign2008VictoryA. I'm going to: (1) ask my fellow conservatives to contribute a specific amount to William Russell's campaign against John Murtha; (2) call for everyone who believes in good government to boycott the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), the largest health care "provider" in Pennsylvania; and (3) write about the important meeting in Jamestown, PA, that will bring together many of the key supporters of Lt. Col. Russell.
As many of you know, Russell is a veteran of Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and the Balkans Conflict. He has a chest-full of medals to prove it. What many people don't know is that William and his wife, Kasia, were BOTH in the Pentagon when the plane hijacked by Islamic terrorists crashed into the building. William and his spouse both lived to fight another day, and they both learned much about the ruthlessness of the enemy we face.
What I'll be proposing to hundreds of people on the Internet is that they make contributions to Russell of one of two sums: $9.11 or $20.01. Combined the numbers add up to 9/11/2001. You can beat the rush by contributing either sum at William's web site. I'm going to contribute both amounts, and I hope you'll do so also.
Admittedly, I've heard one point-of-view that this might be a bad idea. The reason is some Democrats will accuse William of trying to "exploit" 9/11, although this isn't William's idea, but rather mine. In William's case, he fought in Iraq during Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. He has no apologies to make to anyone for invoking any aspect of the War Against Terrorism -- or any act related to it. He's a Warrior -- and someone like John Murtha is NOT.
The reason some liberals criticize, say, a Rudy Giuiliani for referring to 9/11 is that his exemplary behavior in that event (as "America's Mayor") is one of his strongest selling points. If it wasn't such a strong point in his character and record, liberals would his mention of 9/11.
The response of most Republicans, including Giuliani and George W. Bush, to 9/11 is one of the shining moments in the nation's history. The response of most Democrats, although not someone like Joe Lieberman, has been a monument to confusion and political cynicism.
No wonder they don't want Republicans to talk about it!
I'll also be asking everyone in the Greater Pittsburgh Area (including Allegheny County and surrounding areas) to boycott UPMC. Why? Party because it contributed more than $110,000 to John Murtha's last campaign, an obscene amount. Presumably, it's planning to do the same in 2008, but it won't do so with impunity. In 2006, the money for Murtha came from UPMC's Political Action Committee, as well as from wealthy administrators
You can see the companies that financed Murtha's last campaign by going to http://opensecrets.org/, typing in the name "Murtha" and looking up details on his "top contributors." It's not a pretty sight.
Why does UPMC shower money on Murtha? Because he has "earmarked" directed hundreds of millions of dollars to the heath system. Did he do so to keep UPMC afloat? Hardly! In the last fiscal year this supposed "nonprofit" organization declared a "surplus" (i.e., profit) of $480 million.
If you'll look at Murtha's top contributors, you'll find one after another who has been the recipient of untold millions in federal dollars. The way the system works is this: Murtha earmarks them with tens of millions -- or more -- and they provide him tens of thousands in campaign contributions -- or more. It's a profoundly dirty system, but it's the way John Murtha "does business."
In the case of UPMC, it clearly didn't need YOUR tax dollars channeled by Murtha to the company. It could easily afford to make its own investments, without going into your pocket. The head of UPMC, a being named Jeffrey Romoff, is compensated at a rate of more than $3 million per year. Perhaps he might fund a few projects out of the goodness of his heart, but no one is really holding their breath for that to happen.
If you want to do some research on your own about why UPMC adores John Murtha, go to Google and inserr the following terms: "Murtha" + "Windber."
Companies that engage in what are nothing more than payoffs should expect to be penalized. The Boycott UPMC effort will be an ongoing one -- a lesson in good government for a company that sorely needs it.
Finally, I'll be writing on Friday about the important meeting in Johnstown, PA. If you'd like to attend that meeting (6 p.m. dinner, 7:15 meeting), please e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com.
NOTE: THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT BLOG, AND I RECEIVE NO DIRECTION OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM ANY CANDIDATE. IN AMERICA, WE HAVE THIS THING CALLED "FREEDOM OF SPEECH," AND I INTEND TO EXERCISE IT.
Afterthought: Personally, I hope Lt. Col. Russell rubs John Murtha's nose in 9/11. Murtha had been in Congress for more than 30 years on 9/11. What exactly did he do, from his position of great influence, to prevent that terrible event from happening? Also, what has he done to help ensure a U.S. victory in Iraq? Nothing. Many people have been writing to me saying that Murtha "has blood on his hands," and I can't disagree.
William may -- or may not -- win against "The Prince of Pork," but at the very least he will make clear to the voters of the 12th District exactly who John Murtha is, a man who seeks political advancement by climbing on the backs of American fighting men and fighting women.
WHAT JOHN MURTHA'S BEEN DOING WITH YOUR TAX MONEY:
From 2001-2007 Murtha extracted Defense-related (supposedly) earmarks of $63,300,000. His campaign contributions from earmark recipients were $1,669.775 million. The following are the contributions Murtha received from companies that were the beneficiaries of his earmarks. Many of the earmarks went for projects not approved by the military, including one for $1.8 milion to UPMC. Donations from UPMC-related entities below include those from Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh and Windber Medical (at bottom). Note that many of these campaign "contributions" as payments for earmarks came from some of the world's biggest and most profitable PRIVATE companies, such as United Technologies. Others came from institutions nowhere near Pennsylvania, including Mass General Hospital/Harvard in Boston. Apparently, these relfect earmarks designed to get Murtha votes in his failed campaign to become Democratic majority leader. Figures gathered by Seattle Times.
1st Century Systems Inc. $9,050
Acacia Research Corp. (HQ) $1,000
Advanced Acoustic Concepts Inc. (HQ) $54,000
Allegheny Technologies Inc. (HQ) $10,500
Alung Technologies Inc. $1,000
American Superconductor Corp. $400
Analytical Graphics Inc. $21,300
Argon St Inc. (HQ) $18,000
Armor Holdings Inc. $3,000
Aspen Aerogels Inc. (HQ) $2,000
Aurora Flight Sciences Corp. (HQ) $4,000
Avant Immunotherapeutics Inc. (HQ) $3,000
Bacharach Inc. $6,000
BAE Systems plc (HQ) $34,500
Battelle Memorial Institute Inc. (HQ) $4,600
Boeing Co. (HQ) $39,150
CACI International Inc. (HQ) $1,000
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh $172,900
Coherent Inc. (HQ) $3,800
Coherent Systems International Corp. (HQ) $20,000
Concurrent Technologies Corp. (HQ) $70,475
Cubic Corp. (HQ) $19,500
Curtiss-Wright Corp. (HQ) $1,000
Daimlerchrysler NA Holding Co. (HQ) $12,500
Day & Zimmermann Group Inc. (HQ) $39,500
Deere & Company (HQ) $1,000
DRS Technologies Inc. (HQ) $138,350
Ducommun Inc. (HQ) $1,000
Edmund Optics Inc. (HQ) $4,000
EDO Corp. (HQ) $21,500
EFJ Inc. (HQ) $7,500
Electronic Warfare Associates Inc. (HQ) $25,000
FLIR Systems Inc. (HQ) $7,100
FMC Technologies Inc. (HQ) $7,000
General Atomics (HQ) $44,900
General Dynamics Corp. (HQ) $63,100
General Electric Co. (HQ) $23,000
General Motors Corp. (HQ) $1,000
Goodrich Corp. (HQ) $8,500
Honeywell International Inc. (HQ) $10,000
II-VI Inc. $1,000
Information Manufacturing Corp. $25,500
ISPA Technology $5,000
ITT Corp. (HQ) $8,000
Kaman Corp. (HQ) $2,000
Kennametal Inc. (HQ) $27,250
KLA-Tencor Corp. $12,600
L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (HQ) $26,400
Lockheed Martin Corp. (HQ) $74,050
Mafco Holdings Inc. (HQ) $2,500
Malden Mills Industries Inc. (HQ) $1,500
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard $34,050
Material Systems Inc. $3,250
Medico Industries Inc. $1,000
Mobilvox Inc. (HQ) $20,500
MSE Technology Applications Inc. $750
Nammo AS (HQ) $6,500
Navistar International Corp. (HQ) $2,500
Navmar Applied Sciences Corp. $1,000
Nokomis Inc. $4,700
Northrop Grumman Corp. (HQ) $31,000
Omnitech Partners Inc. (HQ) $4,000
Penn State Electro Optics Center $750
Piasecki Aircraft Corp. $8,000
Pittsburgh Electric Engines Inc. $1,000
PPG Industries Inc. (HQ) $10,150
Premier MicroNutrient Corp. $1,000
Progeny Systems Corp. (HQ) $41,000
Prologic Inc. (HQ) $36,600
QinetiQ Group PLC (HQ) $72,600
QTL Biosystems LLC $1,000
Quintech Electronics & Communications Inc $1,000
Radant Technologies Inc. $10,200
Radiance Technologies Inc. (HQ) $1,000
RAPT Industries $1,500
Raytheon Co. (HQ) $31,500
RJ Lee Group Inc. $5,500
Rockwell Collins Inc. (HQ) $3,000
Rolls-Royce PLC (HQ) $7,000
Royal Philips Electronics (HQ) $3,000
RTI International Metals Inc. (HQ) $8,000
Sabeus Inc. (HQ) $2,000
Sage Systems Technologies LLC $2,000
Schepens Eye Research Institute Inc $5,300
Science Applications International Corp. (HQ) $43,800
Shumar's Welding & Machine Service Inc. $7,000
Sierra Nevada Corp. (HQ) $18,500
SRA International Inc. (HQ) $13,550
Teledyne Technologies Inc. (HQ) $4,500
Textron Inc. (HQ) $33,000
Timken Co. $10,000
Trident Systems Inc. $18,000
Triton Systems Inc. (HQ) $4,000
United Technologies Corp. (HQ) $28,250
Windber Research Institute $25,900
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