John Murtha

==Background==
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Murtha
* US Congressman, 12th, from PA in race in 2006 against Diana Irey.
* decorated Vietnam veteran
* ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee
* Born June 17, 1932 in New Martinsville, West Virginia.
==Links==
* http://www.murtha.org/
* William Russell, political challenger in 2008
===Media===
* To raise profile, Murtha will stump for 41 Dems Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who has suspended his race to become majority leader in the event that the Democrats capture the House, plans to campaign in 41 races around the country where he said party leaders believe he can be helpful.
* Murtha seeking top post in US House if Dems win control from the P-G in June, 2006
===Blogs===
* http://thebusmansholiday.blogspot.com/2009/01/murtha-guantanamo-fact-check-what-did.html from January 2009 about prisons and Guantanamo.
* Boot Murtha, Boot Murtha homepage A campaign organized by Vets For The Truth to redeploy John Murtha. First sighting, July 2006.
==Insghts==
===Iraq===
Congressman John Murtha says President Bush has no plan for victory in Iraq, and US troops should leave.
Renewing his call for withdrawal in May, 2006, the Democrat from Pennsylvania says one of his military friends told him "when you open up the strategy for victory there's nothing inside."
Murtha said 80 percent of Iraqis want the U-S out of their country and 47 percent say it's okay to kill Americans.
He says it's time to redeploy and "let the Iraqis settle this themselves." Murtha contends it won't be any better six months from now.
==Insights on Political Career==
Murtha was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1968 and served there until he was elected to Congress in a 1974 special election, winning a seat previously held by Republicans for 24 years. 
Murtha has consistently won easy re-election since 1974, and is now the second-ranking Democrat on the coveted House Appropriations Committee. That means that if Democrats take control of Congress in 2006 or 2008, Murtha will be second in line to become chair of the Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the House.
In 2002 Murtha's 12th District in southwest Pennsylvania was combined with the 20th Congressional District of fellow Democrat Frank Mascara to the west of Murtha's district. Mascara chose to face Murtha in a tough battle. Though the new seat would have been considered a toss-up between the two, Murtha's 20-year seniority advantage over Mascara and high ranking on the Appropriations Committee won out easily, and Murtha faced no serious competition in the 2002 or 2004 elections.
Murtha is considered by some a conservative Democrat, as are many Democrats in Pennsylvania's delegation (Tim Holden, Paul Kanjorski, and Mike Doyle fit the same mold).
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