Dist. 12 Goes to Murtha Again

Congressman John Murtha beat his Republican challenger by a much wider margin than would have been expected just a few days ago. In his victory speech Murtha admitted he neglected his campaign this year and fell behind in the polls. That is until the last 10 days when he and his campaign volunteers came roaring back with mailings, rallies and door-to-door campaigning. He says he told the story of how he has been able to deliver federal money to the district over the last 34 years for economic development and public works projects. Murtha says he learned his lesson and will not negelect his campaign again. Opponent Bill Russell says his campaign was proof that one person can make a difference in politics and he says he came a long way against an entrenched incumbent in a year that not many Republican challengers had much luck. Russell says he will continue to fight over the next two years for issues important to him including fights against gay marriage, abortion and stem cell research. He has also vowed to run again in 2010. One of the strongest arguments against Russell was that he moved to the area for the first time in the last two years. He made the move after retiring from the army. Murtha says he is looking forward to working with a Democratic president and overwhelmingly Democratic congress to restore the nation’s “credibility.” He says it will be a tough two years, full of hard votes, but he is ready to take on the job.