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**MANAGER’S UPDATE** Great news. Your response to Bill’s $200,000 by 9.11.08 appeal has been incredible! We’re still counting, but by Monday afternoon, we had raised just over $100,000 - over half way to our goal. Thank you. If you haven’t seen the TV spot, “Defend our Heroes,” watch it here As you might expect, since the acquittal of the majority of the Haditha Marines, there has been little or no mainstream coverage. Mr. Murtha’s original “cold blooded killer” characterization still stands in the minds of many in the public. Will you help Bill set the record straight? Will you help...

The Russell campaign has released this devastating add documenting Jack Murtha's despicable condemnations of innocent heroes. Nothing tells the truth like video. Watch and see the new definition of low. Work to take back the House folks, and start with cleaning out the intolerable Jerk Murtha.

WASHINGTON – Republican Rep. Terry Everett of Alabama unleashed an unusually harsh attack on a House colleague, calling decorated Vietnam War veteran John Murtha, D-Pa., a cut-and-run idiot.

Republican Rep. Terry Everett of Alabama unleashed an unusually harsh attack on a House colleague, calling decorated Vietnam War veteran John Murtha, D-Pa., a cut-and-run idiot. "Don't talk to me about defense," Everett, who is retiring at the end of this term, said during a radio interview this week. "Cut-and-run John Murtha is in charge of the appropriations committee for defense and he is certainly no friend of the military.

The Murtha Rules: A simple system to win federal money By Ken Silverstein and Sebastian Jones Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania has long been one of the biggest porkbarrelers in Congress, and as the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee he is also one of the biggest recipients of lobbyists’ campaign donations. Which is no coincidence. When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged that porkbarreling would be severely curtailed. But that hasn’t come to pass–no surprise given that old-time hacks like Murtha hold such powerful positions on the Appropriations committees. Murtha basically...

Foot Soldiers and Generals PART ONE: The Foot Soldiers Well, you did it. A few weeks ago, we reported the incredible 2nd Quarter grassroots contributions totaling $637,137 compared to Congressman Murtha’s $113,155. A fluke? A few months of accidental luck? Well, the July totals tell a different story. Because of your continued vigilance and sacrificial support, we’ve now raised an additional $400,000 in the month of July! That’s right, $400,000 in July alone. Here’s the quick math. The first and second quarter totals combined shattered the $900,000 mark. When you add in July’s contributions, the new total is $1.3 million...

Murtha opponent visits Avonmore By Tom Yerace VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH Friday, August 15, 2008 Sitting at a circular table with a group of fellow senior citizens, Margie Smith eyed the man in the tan polo shirt standing across from her. "What was your name again?" Smith demanded. "Bill Russell," the man replied. Smith quickly followed by asking, "What are you running for again?" "Congress," a smiling Russell said. The 12th Congressional District seat to be exact, which means Russell, a Republican, will be answering those two questions a lot from now until Election Day. He's hoping that enough people will...

Congressman Urges State Dept. to Meet With Pennsylvania Firm, Saying Sanctions Could Sink ItRep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat known for delivering federal money to defense contractors in his district, is now going to bat for a constituent's company that was convicted last year of illegally exporting components of military equipment. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, wrote State Department officials in late June urging them to meet with the president of Electro-Glass Products, a 50-employee company that was convicted in April 2007 of illegally exporting components of night-vision goggles to a company in India. The Mammoth,...

Russell talks energy during visit to county By Linda M. Ritzer, Staff writerlritzer@observer-reporter.com While his opponent was on one side of Washington County, Bill Russell was on the other side Tuesday, stumping for votes and explaining his views. Russell, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who is taking on longtime Democrat John Murtha for the 12th District congressional seat, is making a two-day stop in the county to visit the Pony League World Series, Washington County Fair and speak to several groups. Russell, 46, a Republican from Johnstown, earned the nomination on write-in votes in the primary, after his nominating...

For Russell, 'change' means new thinking, not just new congressman By Jon Stevens, Staff writerjstevens@observer-reporter.com WAYNESBURG - When William Russell decided to run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 12th District, he knew it would be a difficult task to unseat an entrenched Democratic incumbent like John Murtha, D-Johnstown. But what the 46-year-old retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel is finding on his campaign stumps through the sprawling district is that many people think Murtha has lost touch and it's time for a change. "We are hearing a lot about change, especially in the presidential race," Russell said during a stop Thursday in...

The host of MSNBC's nightly talk show, "Hardball," had to cancel his appearance yesterday at the Mon Valley YMCA due to a bout with pneumonia. But even a canceled appearance keeps alive the question of whether Chris Matthews plans to run in Pennsylvania for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate and challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010. During his lunchtime address at the YMCA in Carroll, Washington County, U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, offered only a vague hint about Mr. Matthews' intentions. He said Mr. Matthews has Type 2 diabetes, and he had hoped the Philadelphia-area native...

by Nathaniel R. Helms | August 12, 2008 | See the original article in The Hill at the link.Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha’s press secretary Matt Mazonkey may not have much to say about his boss slandering Marines who fought at Haditha, but he sure is cute, according to a political newspaper that put him on its annual 50 Most Beautiful list. The newspaper, The Hill, named Mazonkey a runner-up in its annual beauty contest. Until his recent honor, Mazonkey was best known for refusing to answer any questions about Rep. Murtha’s inflammatory comments that led to the prosecution of eight...

Russell team takes aim at Murtha’s House seat BY MIKE FAHERThe Tribune-Democrat August 09, 2008 11:39 pm — While Republican congressional candidate William Russell gave a television interview in an Upper Yoder Township backyard, campaign manager Peg Luksik worked a crowd of about 15 on a nearby porch.Her high-energy pitch included showing off several varieties of Russell T-shirts and urging supporters to each take two bumper stickers to better advertise the candidate while driving.“This really is a little-guy campaign,” she said. “Anything you can do, we certainly appreciate it. It does make a difference.”The campaign event last week, complete...

WASHINGTON, August 8 - Panelists and the moderator of a panel at the Young America’s Foundation national conservative student conference on Thursday decried the old media’s reluctance to continue to keep Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., and Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., under the microscope for alleged ethical lapses. Moderator Jason Mattera, of Young America’s Foundation, and panelists Kathryn Lopez of National Review Online, Mary Katherine Ham of Washington Examiner, and A.J. Rice of Talk Radio Network decried what they view as mainstream liberal bias for not giving adequate press coverage of Murtha and Jefferson. They were speaking on a panel, “Promoting...

William Russell is back on the campaign trail. The 12th Congressional District Republican candidate, who is attempting to unseat longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha, held his first Cambria County campaign event Wednesday. It was a modest affair on a back porch in Upper Yoder Township. But Russell said he is gaining momentum. “This campaign has heard from thousands of people over the past few weeks,” he said. Russell, who spent his career in the military and served in both Iraq wars, nearly saw his campaign end in February when a judge ruled that he had not gathered enough valid...

This @%&# door won't close, it needs more &^%$#*!@ pork grease!!

August 04, 2008 Murtha's reckoning Thomas Lifson Rep. John Murtha's disgrace in denouncing the Marines of the Haditha incident is not going to fade away gently into the night. William Russell, has returned from a tour of duty in the military and is running against him. His campaign has produced this video featuring Darryl Sharratt, the father of one of the Marines accused by Murtha of being a "cold-blooded killer." His son Justin Sharratt has subsequently been fully vindicated, and all charges dropped. Darryl Sharratt's video does not have the produiction values of a normal campaign commercial, but in his...

Moments after Army Lt. Col. William Russell ended his 28-year military career, the Iraq war veteran revved up his Harley-Davidson and set out on an improbable journey. In his first political outing, Russell is trying to topple a political giant. The 45-year-old Republican this weekend kicked off his campaign against U.S. Rep. John Murtha, 76, of Johnstown, a powerful Democrat and decorated Vietnam War veteran seeking a 19th term. "Murtha has a lot of issues on his hands, in terms of keeping his seat this November. There are chinks in the armor," contended Russell, who rode a motorcycle to greet...

He’s a 17-term incumbent who’s bloated his district with so much pork that the Journal once described him as having practically built the town himself. Nothing’s going to dislodge him unless he commits a major felony — and even then, per Abscam, I wouldn’t be so sure — but if there’s any justice this clip will put Bill Russell within single digits. Russell’s active military duty ended just two days ago so presumbly this signals the start of his campaign in earnest. I can’t find any polls online, but follow the last link to MM’s post and you’ll see that...

August 1, 2008 - 9:21am After retiring from the military, Russell joins his own campaign By Alex Roarty UNIONTOWN -- Bill Russell knows how to make an entrance. Now can he do the seemingly impossible? Just past midnight Friday, the Republican congressional candidate literally roared into his first campaign event in three months, driving his motorcycle into the center of Uniontown with the help of the military veterans biker group "Rolling Thunder." After shaking hands with many of the 40 supporters gathered to greet him, Russell wasted little time taking aim at his opponent, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown). In...

Lt. Col. William Russell returns to Freedom Radio after his stint of active duty. We are overjoyed to speak with him LIVE for an update on the campaign. It is vital that we take back the House folks. It is the grassroots that will return Conservative thought to DC, not from the top down. Join us on Freedom Radio at 8pm est, Sunday August 3 and give this wonderful guy your support.

Two years after Congressman John Murtha ambushed brother Marines for reportedly slaughtering cowering Iraqi civilians at Haditha, Iraq he is embroiled in another battle--this one for his political life. His unlikely opponent in Pennsylvania's 12th District is an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel named William T. Russell, 47, a Desert Storm and Iraq war veteran who is barred by the Hatch Act from stumping until August 1 when his active duty stint ends. A Cinderella candidate running against the tide of Democratic hopefuls elsewhere, Russell is garnering national attention for his improbable early success. Speaking for Russell until he is free...

The Man Who Could Topple Jack Murtha Michelle Malkin Wednesday, July 23, 2008 A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old...

A jaw-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I’m not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I’m talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman’s challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second fundraising quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell’s underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The 45-year-old Russell, a Desert Storm veteran, former Army lieutenant colonel and Army reservist who...

A JAW-dropping political miracle may be on the horizon. No, I'm not talking about the second coming of the Obamessiah. I'm talking about the long-deserved comeuppance of troop-smearing, pork-feasting, scandal-tainted Democratic Rep. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. The 18-term congressman's challenger, staunch conservative Republican newcomer William Russell, raised nearly $670,000 in the second quarter. Earmark king Murtha scraped together a measly $119,000. Russell's underdog campaign bested Murtha without the perks of incumbency, national name recognition, big PAC donations or mainstream media support. Even more amazing: The challenger, a Desert Storm veteran and Army reservist who survived the 9/11 Pentagon attack, wasn't...

Sunday JULY 20, 2008 Murtha outraised in most recent quarter By MICHELLE GANASSI Daily American Staff Writer In April, William Russell's name didn't even appear on the ballot because of a challenge to signatures on his nominating petition. Three months later, Russell has outraised Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, by $511,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter. The quarter ended on June 30. While the veteran congressmen still has more than $1.6 million in the bank compared to $918,000 for the Army lieutenant colonel, the money is a much needed boost for the political newcomer's campaign. “The average American is saying...

I read and heard a lot in the news today about "Taliban regime resurgent"I wonder who would be trying to give aid and comfort to an enemy in a time of war?

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION:  Peg Luksik, Campaign Manager | 814.244.8948   Grassroots Contributions Challenge Murtha War chest in PA’s 12th RussellBrigade.com Launches   JOHNSTOWN [07.16.08]:  The campaign of Johnstown resident and Republican nominee for Congress Lt. Colonel Bill Russell outpaced incumbent Congressman John Murtha in the second fundraising quarter of 2008.  According to campaign manager, Peg Luksik, William Russell for Congress reported raising $637,137 to Murtha’s $113,155 to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).  The combined totals from the first and second quarters of 2008 exceed $900,000.    “The incredible story about Bill’s campaign is that the $15...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION: Peg Luksik, Campaign Manager | 814.244.8948 Grassroots Contributions Challenge Murtha War chest in PA’s 12th RussellBrigade.com Launches JOHNSTOWN [07.16.08]: The campaign of Johnstown resident and Republican nominee for Congress Lt. Colonel Bill Russell outpaced incumbent Congressman John Murtha in the second fundraising quarter of 2008. According to campaign manager, Peg Luksik, William Russell for Congress reported raising $637,137 to Murtha’s $113,155 to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). The combined totals from the first and second quarters of 2008 exceed $900,000. “The incredible story about Bill’s campaign is that the $15 and $25 contributions are coming...

Democrats and Republicans joined together to strip a pet project of Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) from the 2009 intelligence authorization bill — the same project Democrats defended last year. The Murtha earmark, $23 million for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), was one of a handful of pet projects eliminated from the bill in a lopsided 17-4 vote. Several Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee joined with Republicans to support the amendment, which was sponsored by Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.), the panel’s ranking Republican. Hoekstra said he did not recall who voted against his amendment, although he said it included...

John Murtha grudgingly admits the surge is working in an interview in Pittsburgh but misrepresents facts about the Iraqi war. What follows is what was left on the cutting room floor. (Video Included)

What's wrong with Pennsylvania?Have they no shame? How do they keep voting for this antiwar, anti-military detestable gasbag?(Here's some advice to wcbstv-- Murtha is not a "strong defense advocate." He is a selfish man who has made it a habit of slandering the US troops at war!) Democrat John Murtha does it again...Murtha admits the surge is working but only because the terrorists "are worn out" and American troops aren't just beating down doors and killing innocents!Un-freaking-believable! Here's the video: A WilleyBCoyote Video.Here is what Murtha says: Murtha: I think they have 17 or so guidelines and they've solved...

Murtha: I think they have 17 or so guidelines and they’ve solved 4 or 5 of them. . . Murtha: I think the short term it (the Bush Surge) has reduced incidents. I’m not sure if it’s because the Iraqis are just worn out but certainly the way they are doing it today it makes a big difference. It used to be we broke down doors. We went in and we killed people inadvertently. Now they’re much more careful about it. Murtha says he thinks that “they” (apparently Murtha doesn’t consider himself a member of the country that’s at...

Positive action in support of Lt Chessani We brought you the story of Lt Col Jeffrey Chessani facing serious charges based on a Time story in which Congressman John Murtha made unfounded allegations against eight Marines, one of whom was Lt Col. Chessani.Lt. Col Chessani had his honour and reputation called into question because Murtha said that in a town called Haditha in Iraq, civilians were killed by US Marines "in cold blood". This event was in November 2005, and it has been a long and sad road to June 17, 2008 when a military judge, Col. Steven Folsom...

An Open Letter To Jack “Cold-Blooded” Murtha Tuesday, July 1, 2008 Congressman Murtha, Were I you sir, I would hang my head in shame and pray to my Creator, begging His forgiveness for the pain that I’ve caused innocent people. And then I would perform some serious personal introspection to see what I could possibly do to begin the process of restitution for my crimes. But you won’t because you have no shame. As a member of the House of Representatives, you took a solemn oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Despite what you may...

Return to the Article June 23, 2008The Real Command InfluenceRuss Vaughn In dismissing the very dubious war crimes charges against Marine LTC Jeffrey Chessani, his trial judge, COL Steven Folsom, said this: "Unlawful command influence is the mortal enemy of military justice," COL Folsom was referring to influence within the Marine Corps command structure, specifically involving two officers of general rank. We should all applaud the colonel's decision as it would make no sense whatsoever for the Marines to try an officer for failing to investigate crimes that to this point several military courts have failed to establish ever...

Justice: The latest Haditha Marine to be exonerated is considering suing Rep. John Murtha for calling him a cold-blooded killer. Will Barack Obama be a character witness for saying Murtha knows his stuff? If you hadn't heard, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani is the seventh of the Haditha 8 to either be acquitted or have charges dismissed regarding the deaths of civilians in the town of Haditha, Iraq, on Nov. 19, 2005. Mainstream media and liberal Democrats, if that's not redundant, are more preoccupied these days with protecting the rights of terrorists, even Osama bin Laden, to habeas corpus and other...

Half-cocked on Haditha Critics blasted Marines without benefit of facts or fairness Friday, June 20, 2008 If you call someone a cold-blooded killer in public, you'd better have the facts on your side. That's our free, untrained legal advice for Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who said precisely that about a handful of Marines once accused of killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq. Seven of the eight Marines initially charged in connection with the alleged incident have been exonerated. There were four charged with participating in the alleged massacre, and four charged with failing to properly investigate it. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani...

Now that foreign terrorist suspects have the right to habeas corpus, maybe U.S. Marines will be extended the courtesy of a trial before being smeared as cold-blooded murders. A surprising number of Americans are eager to believe the worst about our fighting men and women. In the case of the infamous Haditha "massacre," their motives are transparently political, ugly and deceitful. The Haditha story — reminiscent of some twisted Oliver Stone fantasy — was first reported by Time magazine. According to reports, Marines were allegedly involved in a firefight on Nov. 19, 2005, murdering 24 civilians in retribution for a...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled, but Folsom excluded Marine Forces Central Command from future involvement. Chessani was the highest-ranking officer implicated in the case.

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers.

Bill and Jill Bill Burton, communications director extraordinaire for the Obama campaign reached out and touched someone today on the McCain campaign: his counterpart, Jill Hazelbaker. Here is the content of the email he sent out to reporters before the McCain conference call: “Jill – hope you’re well. We’d like to add our campaign counsel, Bob Bauer to your conference call with Trevor Potter so that we can arbitrate some of the disagreements that the two of them have over the meeting they recently had. If you can please shoot me the dial-in, Bob is available to join for the...

Of the eight Marines charged in connection with the battle of Haditha, six have had all charges dropped and one has been exonerated in a military court. The last Marine remains to face charges related to the handling of the incident. In our experience, Marines - including retired Marines - do the right thing. So we expect John Murtha to issue a serious, responsibility-taking apology to the eight Marines he publicly defamed following the battle. We expect it to look like this:I am sorry. I accused United States Marines in a wartime situation of "cold blooded murder" that I said...

Congressman Altmire hearts McCain PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Rep. Jason Altmire, whose congressional district went overwhelmingly for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the six-week primary that was Pennsylvania, kind of likes Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain’s proposal to invest in nuclear energy and clean coal. Here is the statement that he released today on McCain’s proposal to construct 45 nuclear reactors by 2030 and spend $2 billion a year in federal funding on clean coal. “I have always been a strong supporter of nuclear energy and clean coal technology, and I welcome Senator McCain’s announcement today that he is...

He’s an Army vet, 9/11 survivor, and small business owner who is challenging smear merchant/corruptocrat Rep. John Murtha. I saw Russell at the fantastic Pennsylvania Leadership Conference last month (where the photo above was snapped). He is a staunch conservative, a true American patriot, and he deserves your support. If there were ever a time for the grass-roots to come together and help an underdog Republican candidate make a difference, this is it.

With most of the eight Marines charged in the Haditha, Iraq, incident now exonerated, the highest-ranking officer among the accused is considering a lawsuit against Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who fueled the case by declaring the men cold-blooded killers. In an interview with nationally syndicated radio talk host Michael Savage, the lead attorney for Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani said he and his client will look into suing Murtha and the Time magazine reporter, Tim McGuirk, who first published the accusations by Iraqi insurgents. But the attorney, Brian Rooney, said nothing will happen immediately because he wants Chessani, described as a...

Yet another U.S. Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre — bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq War incident to seven. "Undue command influence" on the prosecution led to the outcome in Chessani's case. Bottom line: That's zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. I repeat: Haditha prosecution goes 0-7. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font the New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.,...

CAMP PENDELTON ---- The Marine Corps is appealing a judge's ruling dismissing dereliction of duty charges against a battalion commander accused of failing to investigate the 2005 shooting deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians. On Tuesday, Col. Steven Folsom, presiding as the military judge over the case against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, ordered the charges dismissed after finding that a general was improperly influenced by a legal adviser who also is a witness in the case. The watershed ruling found that the legal adviser, Col. John Ewers, should not have sat in on meetings and discussions with two generals who have...

JOHN MURTHA WEBSITE Before an investigation, before a trial, here are the words of Congressman John Murtha (D-PA-12th) - the Marines killed civilians "in cold blood." Now that charges have been dropped against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, an American hero, who has devoted his life to the defense of this nation, it is time for Murtha to make a public apology. I called his DC office today and ask for his press secretary. They transferred me to the voicemail of Matt Mazonkey (he is either press sec or assistant press sec). I left him a message that I was...

Yet another US Marine, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, had charges dropped Tuesday in the so-called Haditha massacre - bringing the total number of Marines who've been cleared or won case dismissals in the Iraq war incident to seven. In Chessani's case, the military judge found that Gen. James Mattis had succumbed to impermissible outside meddling in bringing charges. Bottom line: Zero for seven for military prosecutors, with one trial left to go. But you won't see that headline in the same Armageddon-sized font The New York Times used repeatedly when the story first broke. The Times, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa)...