Per the NYTimes:
Representative John P. Murtha, the longtime Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, has died at age 77…
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A former Marine, Mr. Murtha, his office noted, was the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to Congress. Throughout his years, Mr. Murtha paid particular attention to defense spending and to the Pentagon and the military.
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When he called for bringing the troops home from Iraq in 2005, after having voted for the war, his proposal stunned many in Congress and added a powerful voice to the growing forces demanding immediate drawdowns and or deadlines.
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Just this past Saturday, Mr. Murtha became Pennsylvania’s longest serving Member of Congress.
I’m sure the 101st Chairborne are planning their ‘victory’ celebrations already. But in the real world, who’s going to take Murtha’s seat?
John S.
Are there any other members of the GOP that have posed for Playgirl?
My money is on that guy.
AhabTRuler
Speaking of the dead, Ronnie Ray-gun has shown up courtesy of Teh Great Gizoogle.
asiangrrlMN
@John S.: Ew. Just…ew. However, I was curious as to who would take Murtha’s seat. Anyone from Pennsylvania have any insider knowledge?
Zifnab
@AhabTRuler: ???
What are you talking about?
:-p All that said, I had some serious mixed feelings on Murtha. He was a strong anti-war advocate and we can always use more of those. But he was also a crocked pol that helped damage credibility in a party where credibility actually counts for something. *sigh*
I just hope a solid progressive wins his seat.
Sentient Puddle
I got no knowledge from Pennsylvania, but I did a quick search of the district. PVI of R+1, and heavily gerrymandered, apparently to favor Murtha (who had been in office since ’74).
Without any knowledge of prospective candidates, it’s a toss-up.
Stooleo
OT. Jim Treacher survives assignation attempt by Obama administration. Receives ticket for jaywalking.
dmsilev
Based on what I saw reported elsewhere on the net, there’ll be a special election in two to three months, and whoever wins that will serve until the new Congress is sworn in next January. Of course, winning the special gives you a leg up for campaigning in the general in November.
As for who, I haven’t the foggiest. You’d need someone who actually knows something about PA politics to answer that one.
-dms
Napoleon
@Sentient Puddle:
I am surprised it is that close. I figured that is a district that for sure would go Rep once Murtha left it.
Michael
It’ll be someone who makes the teabaggers appear sane.
Herb
Check out James Joyner’s take on OTB.
Granted, he’s not part of the 101st Chairborne, but he is a conservative blogger. And a damn good one.
Ailuridae
For whatever else one has to say about Murtha, the man volunteered for active duty with a wife and three kids at home.
General Winfield Stuck
Didn’t even know who Murtha was before this, and will remember him for taking this stand. It was a brave one at the time, politically, and Jeanne Schmidt and all the other wingers can suck mightily on their faux patriotism. Murtha showed the real kind admitting his mistake in voting for the Iraq bloody debacle, and calling for it to end. He liked him some pork, but was not along for this on both sides of the isle. RIP John Murtha.
geg6
My guess would be some Teabagger will be the new congresscritter from Murtha’s district. It is a much more conservative district than it may seem from the outside. It is a district with a lot of rural and working class whites, with a large number of veterans (from all wars) and reservists/PA NG. Murtha’s pork was the economic engine holding the district together. This is very bad and sad news for people in places like Westmoreland and Somerset. There are no urban areas of significance to create economic innovation like Pittsburgh or Philly or Harrisburg or even Erie or Scranton. There’s a lot of religion there and a significant white supremacy contingent. Murtha got elected over and over because he brought the pork. The prospect of no more pork (at least on the scale that Murtha could deliver) will likely bring out desperate and scared white people thrilled to be demagogued. Perhaps they’ll prove me wrong. I live several counties to the west, so I could be wrong.
bob
“but he is a conservative blogger. And a damn good one.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
SteveinSC
Well, I am sorry to see this. Murtha was a true patriot when it came to the Iraq war. He had credibility when he smacked the Villagers in the face with his opposition to the war. He helped make it acceptable to go against the neocon lying machine and I don’t think Bush’s Adventure ever recovered. Maybe it’s because, privately, the marines were against the war or their involvement, because soon after Murtha’s criticisms, Walter Jones (NC Republican in the Camp Lejeune marine area), author of the term “Freedom Fries”, etc., came out full against the war. Walter Jones has since apologized for his Freedom Fries comments. Rest in Peace John Murtha.
Brian J
@AhabTRuler:
On a tenuously related note, I read this weekend that the old offices of The Wall Street Journal, there were separate entrances for the editorial side and the news side. (They might have even been on different floors, but I am not sure about that.) Apparently, at least in the old offices, there was a picture of Reagan hanging up that couldn’t be missed as you walked into the offices.
I don’t know why this shocked me, but it did.
Herb
Click the link, Bob. Then do your “hahahahahahahaha.”
Paul L.
@SteveinSC:
Ailuridae
@Paul L.:
Truth is an American value.
Napoleon
@Paul L.:
And he was right.
Jared
A Republican called Bill Russell gave Murtha something of a run last time ’round. Judging by the numbers, he’ll probably go again.
Napoleon
@Jared:
Wasn’t he a carpetbagger?
Svensker
@Paul L.:
Telling the truth is unpatriotic in your mind?
asiangrrlMN
@Jared: Not THIS Bill Russell?
Warren Terra
Murtha was no icon – the ethics allegations seem all too substantial – but he was a patriot, a real leader against prolonging the disaster in Iraq, and a firm voice for health care. He will be missed.
mantis
But in the real world, who’s going to take Murtha’s seat?
In the real world? In Murtha’s district, I think a big bag of cash with a dollar sign on it could win. Sorry, but that’s his legislative legacy.
Seanly
Gotta love CNN’s teaser –
That’s the most important thing about Murtha? That he got pork for his region? A region that is one of the poorer in Pennsylvania? Why not just accuse him of eating babies too? I hate our media idiots.
aimai
Murtha was a mixed bag–which is to say he was human. I really honor him for his work with and for Veterans, and for standing up against the Iraq war when it was politically and socially very dangerous for important people to do so.
aimai
The Other Steve
I wonder if Glenn Beck had something to do with this?
I’m not saying he did, and mind you I don’t subscribe to conspiracy theories. I’m just asking a question, because that’s what responsible journalists do.
Skippy-san
Murtha had a close shave in the last election and the guy who ran against him is running again this year. Russell I think his name is…….
I think you will find the seat will be in play this year and its not a given that it will go Democratic.
As for Murtha-I think he was a mixed bag, but he was a product of what the Democratic party valued at specific times. Sometimes that was good-sometimes that was bad. But the man at least served his country-a lot of his Republican compatriots can’t say that.
What really has me shaking my head in disgust is the obsession with his last 4 years in office and his obejctions to the war. He is no less a real Marine because of that.
D-Chance.
Whoever it is, it will be a huge step up from that thieving weasel.
Joe Beese
Not just an unindicted co-conspirator in ABSCAM, he ratted out his fellow crooks as well.
eric k
asiangrrl
No besides being a life long liberal and living in Seattle now that Bill Russell is not very popular in Pennsylvania:-)
Skepticat
@mantis: This might be the district for a corporation to run for office.
mrmobi
Re: Murtha, I think Digby gets it right:
It’s impossible to overestimate how important it was to have this conservative, ex-marine, super patriot Democrat step up on Iraq at a time when the country needed him. He led the way for the Democrats to finally find the courage to oppose Bush and I’m not sure it would have happened without him.
RIP
Paul L., you really are beneath contempt, most people here know that already, but I wanted to remind you.
Wile E. Quixote
Oh, Paul L. is back and trolling for links to his shitty blog. John, would it be possible when Paul L or other conservative fucktards post here to redirect their blog links to actblue.org or some other liberal organization? Paul has no interest in contributing to the discussion, he’s only hoping that someone will be dumb enough to click through to his shitty blog, and if you denied that to him he might go away.
Oh and Paul, care to enlighten us about your military service? I’m willing to bet that like most other Republican bloggers you don’t have any because you’re a chickenshit closeted homosexual.
The Populist
@Svensker:
Of course it is. We must wave our flags and act like we always do what’s best and noble in this world (puke).
Man, I am so tired of these a-holes who think it’s wrong to have a dissenting opinion about our military YET have no problem playing the same game when the leaders are not cons.
Example: Leaving Afghanistan. When Bush was in, the right wing talkscape couldn’t praise the man for staying the course. Enter Obama and now we should get out, downsize the troops, walk away, you name it.
Another example: It was okay for us to not help vets who came back with PTSD when Bush was in office. Support the troops alright until they are no longer useful or in uniform. Now that Obama and the dems have tried to get more for our injured troops, the right cry about the very budget they destroyed to fight useless wars.
The Ft Hood incident is another example. Bush’s admin was the one that had some data on this doctor who shot the base up YET they did not act. How is this caring about the troops? The troops are pawns for the right because most usually come from red counties and states because there isn’t much else for a young man or woman to do in these places…
Oh and if the right care about our troops what is all this shit about invading more countries (Yemen, Iran). God, you people are just plain dumb.
Clowns all of them.
The Populist
@mrmobi:
Paul L hates the troops…Murtha looked out for them.
It’s easy to blog away about this myth that libs hate our troops yet look at the voting records and it’s clear that the left have done more for the health and welfare of returning vets than the right WISHES. Yep, support the troops unless they can’t fight for you anymore.
I hate that shit. Every veteran should have a free ride for education and healthcare for the rest of their lives. Every vet should get a lifetime stipend on top of SS or SDI to help pay the bills in case they can’t work anymore.
TuiMel
Not a fan of Murtha, but I express my sympathies to his family and wish him peace in the hereafter.
SiubhanDuinne
Wasn’t Murtha the one that “Mean Jean” Schmidt called a “coward” on the House floor? He was lots of things — as someone said above, the man was human — but cowardly he most decidedly was not.
chopper
@geg6:
exactly. whoever can convince the district that he’ll continue to bring in the federal dollars will win, no matter the party. barring that, some white supremacist asshole teabagger will win.
Bender
Please, don’t let Cap’n Teleprompter, Genius for Hire, near the funeral. Do Not Want a Corpse-man reference…
The Populist
@Bender:
Isn’t Sarah a girl? I know she loves teleprompters only to run off script.
Zephod
@The Other Steve:
WAPO is reporting that that inept Naval Hospital surgeons killed Murtha.
Cut the intestine during surgery leading to infection
and death.
probably just an accident. Just sayin….
tinaberry
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