CAN PENNSYLVANIA REVERSE ITS DECLINE?

NOTE: MY NEXT COLUMN WILL APPEAR FRIDAY MORNING (JAN. 4). I'M FIGHTING A HEAD COLD, AND IT HAS BEEN WINNING!


Murtha, the human equivalent of the Johnstown Flood

In recent years, as Pennsylvania has become "Bluer," more Democratic, the state has accelerated its long decline. Here's how Michael Barone's and Richard Cohen's The Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition, puts it:

"[The state has had] the slowest population growth of any major state. There were 9.5 million Pennsylvanians in 1930, 12.4 million in 2006. Pennsylvania cast 36 electoral votes for Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, and 21 for John Kerry in 2004; it had 30 congressmen, as many as California, in 1960, but now has 19 to California's 53. People growing up here are as likely to leave the state as stay, and few out-of-staters move in. Pennsylvania looks and sounds more like it did in the 1940s than any other major state. With the significant difference that Pennsylvania in 1940 had lots of young people, while the Pennsylvania of 2006 has the second largest elderly population (after Florida) of any state."

The Median Household Income (MHI) in Pennsylvania is about $2,000 less annually than the U.S. average. Tuition costs at public colleges and universities are the highest of any state. The state has many fine institutions of higher education, but as Barone and Cohen point out, there are few jobs for graduates -- and many have to leave the state to find decent jobs.

In the congressional districts centered in the two large cities -- the 1st and 2nd districts in Philadelphia and the 14th District in Pittsburgh -- the MHIs are $10,000-plus below the Pennsylvania average and more than $11,000 below national averages. The seats in the 1st, 2nd, and 14th Districts are extremely "safe" for Democrats.

What about another traditionally safe seat -- that of Rep. Jack Murtha in the 12th District? There, population growth has not just been slow, but rather non-existent. Barone and Cohen estimate there's been a decline of 17,000 residents since the turn of the century. Population in Murtha's hometown of Johnstown has been in decline for two generations -- and has fallen about 6% since the year 2000.

When Murtha was born 75 years ago, the population of Johnstown was more than 60,000, but now it's just over 20,000. As a leader, unfortunately, he's been the human equivalent of the Johnstown Flood.

The MHI in the 12th is $30,600, almost exactly the same as in inner-city Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It has been a depressed area, and there's little prospect that will change under its current Congressman, John Murtha.

What jobs have been created in the Johnstown area are the type that result from short-term government handouts ("earmarks") and that rarely outlast the tenure of a powerful congressman. They're the kind of jobs not available to most recent graduates.

Murtha gets great credit for all he's "done" for the 12th District -- and especially Johnstown. A critic would say that Murtha has driven such a huge number of people -- especially the young -- from Johnstown that unemployment appears to be relatively low (although still higher than national averages).

Some Republicans in Pennsylvania, particularly the 12th, throw up their hands. They'll tell you that Murtha is an "icon," that he's the "savior" of his district. Of course, the facts are very different.

He's handed out hundreds of millions in earmarks, and the main beneficiaries have been corporate executives, high-priced professionals, and lobbyists. One lobbying group headed by a former Murtha aide (PMA Group, led by Paul Magliochetti) has given him over a million dollars in contributions. They certainly didn't do so for his expertise in good government or his talents in job creation.

The points I've been making about Murtha aren't easy ones to get across to typical voters. However, when many people are relatively poor and short on prospects, they know it, much as they might wish things were otherwise.

Can Bill Russell win against an entrenched, cash-rich incumbent like Murtha? He can if he can raise enough money to get his message across and mobilize supporters who know the real story in Pennsylvania generally -- and in the 12th District particularly.

Everyone who cares about the future of Pennsylvania and the 12th District wishes Russell well.

MURTHA IN ORANGE JUMP SUIT?

The following three paragraphs are from an e-mail I wrote to a friend. I will expand on these comments in Monday's column.

Most conservatives are against Campaign Finance Reform (CFR), but frankly, something has to be done -- otherwise our congressional elections will continue to look more like coronations. Any suggestions?

Right now, the congressional candidate who has the most money wins 94% of the time. Is that really what the Founding Fathers had in mind?

In my blog, I write regularly about John Murtha's financing, which is basically bribery money. In 2004, when he had NO opponent (he got 100% of the votes cast), he spent nearly $1.6 million on his "campaign."

Can any of my readers figure out how he "spent" $1.6 million in a race with NO OPPONENT? (Hint: It's going to pay off supporters for their votes and donations. Yeah, I'm saying he's transferring back money that orginally came about as earmarks. Yikes.)

Apparently, he has spent nearly $1,000,000 in 2007 (for a race in 2008). Think your very worst thoughts about where that money is going. The exact figures should be out in approximately 10 days on http://www.opensecrets.org/.

The best way you can do something about this situation is to send a contribution to William Russell.


James H. said the following in the Comments section:

Let ME say this about Campaign Finance reform. I think the key to reform is not limiting money but it being very transparent!!!

If I wish to spend my money promoting political cause x I think that is sacred. I think that should be protected.

As to Murtha. I guess after last year and his weird comments on troop deployments I can never understand why people would vote him in. I suppose as Tip O'Neil said All politics is local and he must have an angle there that I am not seeing a thousand miles away.

The following is my response:


James: I hope there is a debate about campaign finance. Some of the donations (so-called) are transparent. In Murtha's case, they are from people (UPMC, PMA Group, CTC) who have benefited from huge handouts (earmarks) and are paying Murtha back for them.

If Murtha accepts a bag-full of money from the PMA Lobbying Group, it's illegal. If it comes in the form of checks, it's legal. The Democratic Left (George Soros and friends) is winning the fund-raising battle.

As long as that happens, "democracy" becomes something of a sham, a process designed to re-elect incumbents unto something approaching eternity. We will have the "right" to go out and vote for candidates who don't have a chance of winning. (We will win the race against Murtha, but it won't be because we outspent him.)

All that said, I hope you'll contribute to William Russell, which you can do by going to: http://williamrussellforcongress.com/. He's an outstanding candidate.


My Fellow Conservatives, Please Grow Up!

Like my fellow conservative Cindy, at The Pink Flamingo, I must be part of a declining breed: i.e., someone who'd rather win an election with a good candidate than lose one with an ideologically pure individual. On one board, someone was writing about how Republican presidential candidates had to be more conservative. I wrote the following:


My response is that the candidates seem to be running for President of the United States not the President of Alabama and Mississippi. I've just been reading the wonderful Almanac of American Politics about the election of 2006. All the Democrats in the House (more than two-thirds of them) who voted against the border fence got re-elected -- not most of them, all of them.

Many of the Republicans who voted for it (and all but six did) lost. That scenario is of course the opposite of what some people are assuring us will happen in 2008, though there's no poll evidence to suggest they're right. Do we really need to make ourselves into a permanent minority? We're very much headed in that direction.

Look at it this way: in 2006, many Republican conservatives (in the upper house, Sen. George Allen, Sen. Jim Tallent, Sen. Mike DeWine, Tom Kean, and Sen. Rick Santorum) lost. Who won against them? Oh, a bunch of Democratic liberals. Anyone who ignores that development has nothing to say on the political situation.

Your Christmas Gift to Russell

(Above) Portrait of an Angry Loudmouth

. . . and a lump of coal for John Murtha, who loves his office but not his country

I sent the letter below to Libertarian-Republican activist Eric Dondero and several hundred of my closest friends and political allies. I've appeared this year twice on Eric's BlogTalkRadio site, as well as on Douglas Gibbs's Political Pistachio, Jenn of the Jungle's "Screw Liberals," and Snooper's program. I recommend all of them, and they're listed on my blogroll. They're helping to transform politics in this country. Of great interest to me, they're all generating donations to the Russell Campaign.

In 2006, Diana Lynn Irey, a dear friend of mine and an heroic figure, ran against Murtha and received 7,000 contributions from all 50 states. In contrast, Murtha got 6,500, although his average contribution was much larger than Diana's. If William Russell can get an unprecedented 10,000 contributions -- many of them $50 or less -- he will send Murtha into an unplanned "early retirement."

You can donate to William by going to his site here. Please do so right now.

Eric and Friends: I much enjoyed my appearance on your radio show last night. Jason, who spoke for the Romney campaign, and Norma Jean, who spoke for herself and libertarian views, were excellent. There aren't many radio shows that can produce that sort of dynamism and candor. Norma Jean raised issues in such a compelling way that she did something unusual: she made me re-think my stand on some key issues, especially the need to defer to people who exercise their freedom in unconventional ways.

I truly hope that everyone who follows you, your blog, and your radio show will unite behind the candidacy of Lt. Col. William Russell as he does everything in his power to defeat John Murtha in PA's 12th congressional district.

This may end up as the most important congressional race in the nation. If Murtha goes down, the shock waves would reverberate around the world. This will be a very hard race to win, but it is certainly not impossible. Even at this early stage, Lt. Col. Russell's campaign is shaping up as one of the most imaginative and effective ever waged.

This race can't be won if it restricts itself merely to the 12th District. It must be a national effort, one supported by conservatives and libertarians in all 50 stages. Russell will not be able to outspend Murtha, but he is outsmarting him -- and having a real influence on Murtha's previous position of total opposition to American efforts in Iraq and the Middle East.

When Murtha said, "The surge is working," what he really meant is that he is very concerned about Russell's candidacy.

I urge everyone who believes "Murtha MUST go" to visit Russell's web site. He needs thousands of volunteers around the nation, including those who will join "Bloggers 4 Russell," a rapidly growing group that will eventually include more than 500 bloggers.

Most of all, at this early stage, he needs financial support. People who've never contributed to a campaign before are giving $20, $50, and even $100 or more. Personally, I've given more than $400 and will contribute more, even though I'm not exactly in the category of "affluent."

Murtha collects huge bag-fulls of cash from lobbyists and various companies that benefit from his shameful "earmarks."To counteract that situation, Russell needs many small contributions ($200 or less) from perhaps 10,000 people who love this country and are deeply disturbed by the antics of Murtha.

I appeal to everyone to put this appeal on their blogs or to send it to their e-mail lists. Unity and enthusiasm are keys to winning against Murtha. Lt. Col. Russell, who was born on a military base, has devoted an entire lifetime to supporting and protecting the U.S.

Now, it's our turn to support him. Many people have volunteered to solicit financial support for the Russell Campaign. I hope you'll join them.

John Murtha has said that being a congressman is all about "making deals." On the other hand, William Russell believe that being a congressman is all about making this a better -- freer, more secure, more prosperous -- country.

To win, Russell needs to add just ONE PERCENT to the votes George Bush received in the district in 2004. That's certainly not an impossible task.

Please visit http://williamrussellforcongress.com/ -- and do so today.

Steve Maloney

Ambridge, PA

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY SUPPORTS TROOPS AND MISSION

Posted 12/19/2007Year In Review: Time selects Vladimir Putin as its "Person of the Year" because of the stability he has brought to Russia.

Our choice is Gen. David Petraeus — the man who helped bring democracy to the Middle East.

Murtha: Art of the Payoff

In 2004, John Murtha faced no opposition for his congressional seat. He got 100% of the vote.

That same year, Murtha’s fundraising for his “campaign” added up to $2.3 million. His “expenditures” on the “campaign” totaled $1.56 million.

So, he spent more than a million-and-a-half dollars to vanquish a non-existent opposition. Huh?

It wasn’t as if he was expecting a well-financed contender to raise lots of money and contest vigorously for the seat. In 2002, Murtha raised $2.4 million and got 74% of the vote. His opponent, Republican Dr. Bill Choby, raised only $17,000 and got just 25% of the vote.

Let’s focus on the $1.56 that Murtha “spent” in the uncontested year of 2004. As you’ve noticed, I’ve been putting lots of words in quotes, including “campaign,” “expenditures,” and “spent.”
The reason I’ve done so is that such concepts don’t apply to Murtha.

In this century, Murtha has raised (and most spent) nearly $10 million. Although he comes from one of the poorer districts in the Northeast, he’s one of the biggest fundraisers in Congress. He raises about twice as much as the average U.S. congressional representative.

To hold his seat, given the huge Democratic edge in registration, he didn’t have to raise $10 million. In fact, he probably didn’t need to raise anything.

The $1.56 million he spent in 2004 is a giant red flag. How does someone spend such a huge amount of money in a race that’s already decided before the election season even begins? How does an unopposed candidate in a safe district spend more than candidates locked in tight races?

I mean: WHERE DID ALL THE MONEY GO?

To understand, you need to know how Murtha conceives of being a federal representative. It’s merely a matter, as he’s said, “of making deals.” Campaign funding? He gets large earmarks, federal dollars, for companies that really don’t need them, and they reward him with giant contributions. They’re so grateful for all your federal dollars that they name buildings after him.

And what campaign expenditures – all those millions that never had to be raised or spent? Those are also payoffs to various people – printers, writers, photographers, billboard companies, and others – who support Murtha. The monies are basically payments for votes by various companies and their employees. “You scratch my back, and I scratch your back.”

It doesn’t really cost great piles of cash to campaign against nobody, as happened in 2004. The expenditures are really reminders to people of whom they’re dependent on: that is, Murtha.

In short, you give to Jack Murtha, and he returns the favors. The “expenditures” are a form of vote-buying. It's like a huge recycling projects, with basically the same dollars going back-and-forth. Since it's essentially your money, you have a stake in what's happening.

What I’m telling you here is something that’s well-known in the 12th congressional district. Increasingly, the people in that area think it stinks, which it does. What does is not exactly what The Founding Fathers had in mind.

Like Diana Irey before him, William Russell is a breath of fresh air. He needs and deserves your support. He may just be Jack Murtha's worst nightmare.


POLITICS: THE FUNDAMENTALS AND VICTORY

In the generally wonderful OpenSecrets.org, you'll read that, in federal races, the candidate who spends the most money wins 90%-plus of the time. That statistic is somewhat misleading.

William T. Russell is not going to spend nearly as much money as John Murtha, who may end up forking out $4 million. I don't know how much money Russell will raise, but it won't be anywhere near Murtha's financial numbers.If Russell does everything right, he should win anyway.

One thing he definitely needs is to try to shake every hand in the district. The best way to get someone's vote is to ask for it. Ask enough people -- say, 100,000 of them -- and you will do well. The key is to convince enough Independents and, especially, Democrats that Lt. Col Russell is an outstanding person, a good man.

He's a Republican, a fact he won't emphasize in this Democrat-intensive area. He needs to share the other positive aspects of his story -- that he's a husband a father, that he's basically spent a lifetime in the military (born on an Army base), that he has defended American interests in Desert Storm, the Balkans, and Iraqi Freedom.

Also, he's firmly asserted that he doesn't want any buildings named after him, unlike his narcissistic opponent.

John Murtha is an angry guy who's not aging well. He's widely known as a bully, especially in his dealings with younger congressmen and congresswomen. His major accomplishment is getting large handouts of federal money for companies that don't need the assistance. He's been a major supporter of people like Pelosi and Waxman, who have nothing in common with the people of Murtha's district. He's sold out to every lobbyist with a bagful of cash.

If Russell can get these points across, this could be real horserace.

Three Issues to Defeat Murtha

NOTE: THIS IS CROSS-POSTED AT MY NEW MAIN SITE: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/.



I sent the following to Chris at http://thehotjoints.com/, who just joined “Bloggers for Russell.” (Look to youir right on the blogroll to see who they are.)

Thanks very much for joining the Bloggers for Russell. On William's web site there will be a steady stream of releases and comments over the next 11 months (yikes! that's a long time).

I'll have everybody up on The Russell Bloggers -- there are about 40 now -- within the next week. Much appreciate the support.

"HotJoints" (Chris), you’re right that Murtha’s comments on Haditha were outrageous.

My suggestion -- and I'm working on the "outside" and NOT a member of the Russell Campaign Staff -- would be with Issue #1 to rub Murtha's nose in Haditha every possible opportunity. His comments were totally self-serving, designed to get support for him as Majority Leader among far-left, anti-military Democrats. For personal gain, he severely harmed brave soldiers and their families. He MUST apologize.

Another big issue is that he's done nothing for 90% of the 12th congressional district (outside his home county). As I’ve pointed out in previous columns, the Median Household Income in the 12th is one of the lowest in Pennsylvania. A major reason for this is that Murtha has relied almost exclusively on government handouts – “earmarks” – and has done nothing to stimulate the growth of private business.



Even in his favored place, Johnstown, Murtha’s actions have led to a steady population decline. The area is beautiful and the souls there are hard-working, good people, and I’m happy to live among them. There are few jobs for young people, and they have to leave to find decent employment opportunities

The third issue is that he’s done everything possible to advance Nancy Pelosi and others just as bad, which totally conflicts with his bogus image of being a "conservative" Democrat. Pelosi and her main supporters in Congress stand for everything that is anathema to voters in the 12t District. Murtha managed Pelosi’s campaign for the majority leadership and was one of the Democrats who voted for her as Speaker of the House. When the voters of the District figure out that Murtha and Pelosi are joined at the hip, they will react with revulsion.

Pelosi believes that Murtha is “a good man.” Well, he might be a good something, but he’s not a good MAN. Like his young colleague Jason Altmire, Murtha is one of the "Nancy Boys."

Is the approach I suggest “too negative?” Actually, it’s important for a congressional candidate – William T. Russell in this instance – to indicate both why he should be elected – and why his opponent should not. It is not negativity to tell the truth about Jack Murtha’s many failings, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. (Scroll down to see fact-based criticisms of Murtha.

One thing Democratic guru Joe Trippi says that I agree with is that the essence of a campaign should be on a single three-by-five card. The three issues I highlight will fit on that card. I hope the Russell Campaign focuses on basic points that emphasize exactly WHY Murtha must go.

Haditha, the Economy, and Pelosi: If Russell gets these three three points across to voters. we'll stay up very late on Election Night.

YOU Can Help Defeat Murtha

Thursday, December 6, 2007 (This column appears on my new, main blog, which you can reach by clicking on the link below. Your comments are always welcome.)

YOU Can Help Defeat Murtha
Note: What if you're not in Jack Murtha's district? Should you care about the race there? YOU SURE SHOULD! If Lt. Col. Russell can defeat "The Prince of Pork," it would be the race-heard-round the world. It would have a tremendous -- positive -- effect in undermining al Qaida and other terrorists worldwide. It would let them know they can't play politics in the U.S.Also, the principles and tactics that will lead to Murtha's defeat will work in many other districts around the nation. Murtha is widely -- and wrongly -- perceived as a "conservative" Democrat. That view of him is dead wrong. As perhaps Nancy Pelosi's closest ally in Congress, Murtha is a critical component of the Democratic majority.

Mrs. Pelosi is opposed to nearly everything that's important to 12th District voters. If you don't like Pelosi, the worst way to express that is to vote for Murtha.A loss by Murtha will send a message to all Democratic elected officials. It would show them that can't play "fast-and-loose" with the lives of American troops, as Murtha has done with his disgraceful comments on the Haditha Marines. I've advocatedLt. Col. Russell deserves and needs your support. If you can make even a small contribution, it will be a factor in helping him defeat Murtha.

Let's just do it!

(Please scroll down to see columns about Murtha and the myths he has tried to perpetuate.)