Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), 77, a Vietnam veteran who staunchly supported military spending and became a master of pork-barrel politics, died today at Virginia Hospital Center. The 19-term lawmaker died from complications of gallbladder surgery.
Elected to Congress in 1974 from a southwestern Pennsylvania district that has been economically devastated by the decline of America’s coal-mining and steel industries, the gruff and jowly Rep. Murtha was beloved by his constituents for tapping billions of dollars in federal funds to seed new industries there.
Three Missouri Republicans moved into “contender” status in this year’s Congressional races.
– Including Ed Martin in St. Louis. Ed Martin is running against the very liberalRuss Carnahan in the 3rd Congressional District. You can help conservative Ed Martin out by donating to his historic campaign here.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) today announced its next round of ‘Contender’ candidates and a new round of ‘On the Radar’ candidates as part of its Young Guns recruitment program. Originally founded in the 2007-2008 election cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI) as a member-driven organization, the Young Guns program has become an official NRCC effort dedicated to electing open-seat and challenger candidates nationwide. These candidates have proven their ability to build a successful campaign structure and achieve important goals and benchmarks. Those 14 candidates reaching ‘On the Radar’ status have already taken the first of three steps toward reaching Young Guns status, while the 15 new ‘Contender’-status candidates have exceeded the ‘On the Radar’ goals and have now reached the second step of the program.
“These candidates are putting the pieces of a winning campaign in place by meeting the rigorous goals laid out by the Young Guns program and aggressively paving their way toward victory on Election Day,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. “The progress of these candidates is not only a testament to the Young Guns program, it is a sign of the hostile political environment that Democrats have created for themselves. As these challengers continue to meet the benchmarks we have set for them, they are ready to hold Democrats accountable for the unpopular big-government agenda they continue to push at the expense of economic recovery.”
While already achieving certain benchmarks to place them on the road to victory, ‘On the Radar’ and ‘Contender’ candidates now face a new set of rigorous benchmarks that will continue to help them build competitive, effective and winning campaigns.
The NRCC’s ‘On The Radar’ and ‘Contender’ Candidates Are: Contender:
Randy Altschuler (NY-01)
Jon Barela (NM-01)
Rob Cornilles (OR-01) Charles Djou (HI-01)
Robert Dold (IL-10)
Sean Duffy (WI-07)
Keith Fimian (VA-11)
Ryan Frazier (CO-07) Vicky Hartzler (MO-04)
Randy Hultgren (IL-14)
Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) Ed Martin (MO-03)
Scott Rigell (VA-02) Bill Stouffer (MO-04)
Tim Walberg (MI-07)
On the Radar:
Jack Bailey (TN-04)
Scott Bruun (OR-05)
Larry Bucshon (IN-08)
Francisco Canseco (TX-23)
Blake Curd (SD-AL)
Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08)
Jim Gibbons (IA-03)
Paul Gosar (AZ-01)
Joe Heck (NV-03)
Mike Keown (GA-02)
David McKinley (WV-01)
Brian Rooney (MI-07
Scott Tipton (CO-03)
Jackie Walorski (IN-02)
Also, keep an eye on Charles Djou in Hawaii. He’s a very charismatic young patriot and conservative who could make history this November.
UPDATE: Here’s a terrific Ed Martin ad that was released this week:
Of course, Rush is right…
Rush Limbaugh warned Republican members of Congress that Obama’s invite to the White House for talks on health care is a trap.
Via HotAirPundit:
Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei is “very optimistic” that the Zionist Regime will soon experience annihilation.
His guard members gave him their special Nazi salute during his speech in Qom. (ISNA)
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei stressed that the Zionist regime is moving on a precipice towards demise and it will soon experience annihilation.
“I am very optimistic about the future of Palestine and believe that Israel is moving on the precipice of wane and demise, and God willing its annihilation is for sure,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement Ramadan Abdullah Shallah here in Tehran.
He also called the Zionist regime’s inability to dominate Gaza a miracle, and added, “Despite all its financial and political aids and after laying siege (on Gaza) for more than two years, the Zionist regime could not defeat the resistance of Palestinian people.”
Elsewhere, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the attempts made by certain Arab governments to help the Zionist regime, and said these attempts are certainly doomed to failure as the Muslim nations always support the Palestinian cause.
Khamenei was optimistic that Israel would be annihilated very soon. (ISNA)
Sarah Palin was right. The man won’t listen.
Barack Obama told reporters yesterday that he still has not ruled out a New York City trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
The rest of the country has moved on… Not Obama. FOX News reported:
President Barack Obama said Sunday he has not ruled out a New York federal court trial for Sept. 11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, but he was taking into account the objections of the city’s mayor and police commissioner.
The Obama administration has come under withering attack, mainly from Republicans, for a decision by his Justice Department to try the terrorist mastermind in a U.S. court near Ground Zero, site of the attack that destroyed New York’s World Trade Center.
Obama said using the traditional judicial method was a “virtue of our system” in which Americans should take pride.
He also defended his decision, noting again that the administration of former President George W. Bush had handled terror suspects arrested in the United States in the same way.
“They prosecuted 190 folks in these Article III courts, got convictions and those folks are in maximum security prisons right now. And there have been no escapes,” Obama said. “And it is a virtue of our system we should be proud of.”
Later Sunday, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., responded: “Based on the security, logistical and cost concerns raised by the mayor and the police commissioner, it is not feasible to have the trials in New York. The administration should realize that and move on.”
RIGHT ON— On Sunday the left went bonkers after they discovered that the TelePrompter-less former Governor Sarah Palin wrote notes on the palm of her left hand for her speech to the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville. The far left absolutely freaked over this non-issue rather than focus on her brilliant speech knocking the Obama Administration’s horrid record on economics and national defense.
Today Sarah fired back…
She wrote “Hi Mom!”on her palm during her campaign stop with Governor Rick Perry of Texas.
Hah!
Here’s one of the actual photos from Daylife. It’s not a fake:
The Iranian Ambassador was egged by protesters in Denmark yesterday. The crowd erupted after one of the young protesters smashed an egg on the ambassador’s head. The Big Feed reported:
Illinois Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Scott Lee Cohen stepped down today after a former girlfriend and massage therapist accused him of abuse.
Scott Lee Cohen reportedly held a knife to the throat of an ex-girlfriend.
The AP reported:
The Democratic nominee for Illinois lieutenant governor has dropped out of the race less than a week after winning the nomination amid a political uproar about his past.
Scott Lee Cohen announced his decision Sunday night at a Chicago bar.
The pawn broker and owner of a cleaning supplies company won the nomination Tuesday. Since then, it has become widely know that he was accused of abusing his ex-wife and holding a knife to the throat of an ex-girlfriend.
The girlfriend herself had been charged with prostitution. He also admits using steroids in the past.
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who would have been paired with Cohen on the November ticket, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Sen. Dick Durbin all had urged Cohen to leave the race.
President Obama picked the Colts today over the Saints. Then again, he picked Coakley over Brown. And, don’t forget about New Jersey and Virginia.
It’s 10-3 Colts with one minute to go in the 2nd Quarter.
UPDATE: Wow!… The Who was great at halftime.
UPDATE: Saints just jump up 31-17 with 3 minutes to go. Game over.
The Obama curse strikes again. Congratulations New Orleans!
