John Murtha: Bringing Home the Bacon or Bringing Home Soldiers in Body Bags?

NOTE! I'm starting a new daily column called Smart Politics 101, which you can see here. It deals with practical politics and specific campaigns. Please visit. (http://smartpolitics101.blogspot.com)

Urgent Bulletin: Please go to the MurthaMustGo site (click) and see the column I just put up (Saturday). I'm quite candidly asking people to send contributions to Lt. Col. William Trower Russell. He and his campaign manager, Larry Stiles, are not going to waste a dime in this campaign. I'll also be asking people from all over the country to spend a couple of day's "vacation time" going door-to-door in the 12th congressional district of PA. This campaign is going to be won by "retail politics," confronting Pennsylvanian's face-to-face and asking them sincerely to vote for Trower -- and to contribute whatever they can afford to him. God bless you all! I'll be contributing $29.12 (in remembrance of 9/11/2001 (see below for significance). That will be in addition to my earlier contribution of $100.00. I urge everyone reading this to go to Trower's site to make a small (or, if you want, a large) contribution today.

Coming Next Week: "John Murtha: Bringing Home the Bacon -- or Bringing Home American Soldiers in Body Bags?" John Murtha looks at politics as a game in which he always wins. But it ceases to be a game when he makes statements that encourage Al Qaeda and result in the deaths of men and women serving their country. America is winning the war in Iraq, and that has people like John Murtha very worried. (That will be the subject of Monday's column. Scroll down to see how you can contribute to Trower Russell's campaign.) If you want to know exactly what I'm talking about please proceed to MurthaMustGo, scroll down and read Sean Hannity's interview with Justin Sharratt (USMC), one of the "Haditha Marines.

NOTE: On my blogroll, note the rapidly growing number of bloggers listed "4 Russell," which means they have endorsed the candidacy of William Trower Russell. By next spring, we hope to have 200-250 bloggers. Let me know if yuo want to join!









NOTE: THIS WEEKEND (AT THE TOP OF THIS COLUMN, I'LL BE PUTTING UP SOME PICTURES FROM MICHAEL YON, WHO WRITES ABOUT AND PHOTOGRAPHS THE RE-OPENING OF ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE DORA SECTION OF BAGHADAD. DORA WAS ONCE A CENTER OF AL QAEDA-INITIATED VIOLENCE BUT IS NOW PEACEFUL. WE ARE WINNING THE WAR IN IRAQ! AND THESE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN ABOVE WILL BE THE MAIN BENEFICIARIES. NOTE THE PHOTO OF AN IRAQI GIRL PLAYING WITH HER SISTER'S PIGTAIL. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO VISIT MICHAEL'S SUPER SITE.



In a chat last night (Thurs.) with Russell Campaign Manager (and former Marine) Larry Stiles, I said this: "Larry, when I contact people about the campaign I'm very blunt. I say, 'In lieu of flowers, please send money!'"


Jim Fryar sent me an e-mail this morning. His comment about Lt. Col. William "Trower" Russell was: "This guy is worth fighting for." And how! Jim mentioned he had "borrowed" some of my material -- something I hope many people will do. This is my response to Jim regarding last night's well-attended meeting in Johnstown in support of Trower's candidacy.

Jim, God bless you for your support of Lt. Col. Russell. I was at the meeting in Johnstown last night where "Trower" and others spoke, and I found it one of the more inspiring nights of my life.

Trower is a warrior with a distinguished record of service to his country, but he's also "normal American" who can identify with the people of the 12th District. You're very welcome to borrow anything I do.

If you can see your way to making a small contribution to his campaign, doable at his web site, that would also be helpful.

Because of William's (and his wife's) direct experience, I've suggested people might want to make contributions based on 9/11/2001 -- either $9.11 or $20.01 (or both, which would add up to $29.12. The best way to do is to go to Trower's web site (and bring your credit or debit card.)

Larry Stiles, the campaign manager, wisely said last night that, Moneybags Murtha, they're not going to spend the usual "gazillion" dollars on the campaign. Murtha has sold out to every lobbyist with a handful of cash, whereas Trower is NOT FOR SALE.

They hope instead to get 1,000 volunteers to go out and win this effort. As last night showed with the many enthusiastic people in attendance, the campaign is well on its way to that 1,000 number.

I met young Marine who was "in the building," J. J. Ramirez, who was there with his dad (and Army veteran). I pried out of J.J. that he had been in Iraq for THREE tours. He served mainly in Al Anbar province, perhaps the major success story for the U.S. military.

J.J., a quiet guy, was not bragging or asking for praise. He's the kind of man responsible for the freedom and security we enjoy, and the same is true of William Russell, Larry Stiles, Craig Minnick, and many others in attendance.

Again, Jim (Fryar) I'm honored that you found my material useful. I'm writing a lot about exactly how this election can be won.

Before the dinner/meeting, my wife and I talked a lot to the young bartender, Melanie -- even though I don't drink -- and found out she was very impressed with Lt. Col. Russell and not impressed at all by Murtha. She mentioned that she wasn't registered, and I told her we would rectify that soon.

There are a lot of "Melanies" out there (and I talked to a few of them last night), and we need to get them registered and then get them to the polls.

As my wife and I drove down the long, windy hill into downtown Jamestown, we saw a new building that said "UPMC John Murtha Cancer Center." As far as I know, John Murtha did not contribute a dime of his own money to that facility. Instead, it came from taxpayer dollars, so I thought it might be a good idea to rename it "The U.S. Taxpayers' Cancer Center."

UPMC has contributed more than $192,000 to John Murtha's campaigns. In short, they took some of the taxpayer dollars they got through Murtha and transferred them back to him.

That's the kind of cornyism and cynicism that has soured many Americans on government. We need to get these points across to voters who care about good government. I think on Election Day, 2008, we will all be up past our bedtime, but I believe William has a good chance of emerging victorious.

steve maloney
ambridge, pa