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The Triumph of Murthanomics

By on 5.19.10 @ 6:09AM

A class-warfare ghost still haunts Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Bill Steiner had a simple explanation for Tuesday night’s result in Pennsylvania’s 12th District.

“It’s Murtha’s ghost,” said Steiner, about a half-hour after Republican Tim Burns had conceded to Democrat Mark Critz, former aide to the late Rep. John Murtha. “People were afraid to change.”

Murtha died in February, three weeks after Republican Scott Brown had won the Massachusetts Senate seat held for more than four decades by Ted Kennedy, and the GOP clearly hoped to carry that momentum into the special election to fill the House seat that Murtha had held since the mid-1970s.

What happened and why? The answer supplied by Steiner, a conservative activist from Westmoreland County, was elegant in its simplicity, if not entirely sufficient to explain Critz’s 12,000-vote margin of victory in an election that the Burns campaign had expected to win.

Clearly, Democrats did damage to Burns with a blizzard of TV and radio ads accusing the Republican of wanting to impose a 23-percent sales tax “on just about everything we buy” — a blatant distortion of Burns’ qualified support of the Fair Tax, a proposal that would eliminate the income tax and abolish the Internal Revenue Service. FactCheck.org called that accusation “misleading” and one Pittsburgh TV station pulled the Democrat ad from the air, but it continued running elsewhere — even during commercial breaks on local broadcasts of Rush Limbaugh’s radio show — right up until Election Day.

The effectiveness of that line of attack against Burns, however, should raise alarm bells for Republicans looking forward to November. How many GOP congressional challengers have endorsed the Fair Tax? Whatever their numbers, all of them can now expect to be hit with the same kind of attack.

The same Democratic ads accused Burns of favoring tax cuts for companies that “ship jobs overseas” and, as nonsensical as the charge may seem — whoever proposed any such policy? — it evidently served its purpose of appealing to job-security fears among many blue-collar voters in this Rust Belt district.

This leads to what should be a profoundly disturbing thought for the Right: If Democrats can win elections by making these sorts of far-fetched class-warfare attacks against Republicans, have conservatives really won “the war of ideas”? Thirty years after Ronald Reagan’s election and the supposed victory of the supply-side revolution in economics, could it be that a majority of the electorate are now hostile toward the free market?

More than anything else, the election of Critz demonstrates the enduring appeal of Murthanomics. As I defined the term three weeks ago, under Murthanomics, “the keys to prosperity are protectionism and pork-barrel federal spending,” and Critz won mainly by presenting himself as the heir to his former boss’s legacy. Polls showed that voters in PA-12 reacted negatively to the names of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi — to whom Burns relentlessly strove to link Critz — that did little to taint the Democrat who promised to preserve the Murtha legacy.

Several Republicans who lingered late Tuesday in the grand ballroom of the George Washington Hotel mentioned that Burns, in getting 44 percent of the vote, did better than any of the GOP candidates who had challenged Murtha. Yet that was cold consolation in a contest that Republicans had believed winnable on the eve of the election.

“Would you believe I didn’t prepare a concession speech?” Burns told his disappointed supporters Tuesday night after the loss became apparent. “There are a lot of lessons to be learned here, and we will learn them. We will get better, and we will improve, and we will figure out what we need to do to take this country back — I assure you of that.”

Both Critz and Burns won their respective primary contests held contemporaneously with the special election, setting up a rematch in November. That provides Republicans nearly six months to analyze this Pennsylvania campaign — and to fight the inevitable perception that the Tea Party momentum which helped elect Scott Brown in Massachusetts has now dissipated. Burns was having none of that Tuesday night.

“This isn’t a loss — this is a setback,” he told the crowd in the hotel ballroom. “And I can tell you the folks I’ve worked with, who have supported this race, they will not give up — and they will not give in.”

About the Author

Robert Stacy McCain is co-author (with Lynn Vincent) of Donkey Cons: Sex, Crime, and Corruption in the Democratic Party (Nelson Current). He blogs at The Other McCain.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (74) |

Carol| 5.19.10 @ 6:57AM

Okay, I feel dumb. So Critz holds the seat only until November and then there will be another election? Somebody help me out, please.

I think this seat is more important to Republicans than Specter's. Specter will still vote for Obama's policies until he's gone and then I believe Toomey will take the seat - unless of course Obama's best friends the New Black Panthers make sure that doesn't happen.

Nick| 5.19.10 @ 9:52AM

Carol,

Don't feel dumb. The only dumb question is the one not asked.

The election last night was to complete the 2 year term of John 'the crook' Murtha, who died a few months ago. That term was from January 3rd, 2009 to January 3rd, 2011.

This way, the people of Pennsylvania's 12th district will have representation for the next 7+ months.

The election on November 2nd of this year will be for the next term, '11-'13.

Each state has its own laws concerning how vacant House and Senate seats are to be filled.

Hope that answered your question.

Carol| 5.19.10 @ 9:36PM

Thanks, Nick. I appreciate your help.

Nick| 5.19.10 @ 11:46PM

No problem, Carol.
Glad I could help.

Take care.

jennie Walsh| 5.19.10 @ 3:08PM

Yes, I was sucked in by the lies about Tim Burns raising taxes. As far as I know, he never made a statement that he supported abolishing the illegal, criminal, thieving organized crime organization known as the IRS. I would vote for anyone who would work to abolish the organized crime Federal Reserve and the IRS. America is not being conquered by bombs and bullets, America is being STOLEN by cunning liars, thieves and money manipulators.

sinanju| 5.19.10 @ 7:06AM

I fear the voters of PA-12 are going to learn good and hard that Murthanomics will not work for them without Murtha. His seniority and committee assignments are not transferable. He spent decades forcing DoD to give no-bid contracts to faux defense contractors run by his relatives and cronies. As well as forcing real companies to set up plants and offices there. Now he is gone to his reward (where I have no doubt certain fellow Marines he claimed to speak for will be having a little chat with him) and I anticipate the Department of Defense and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee are going to rip out the rug from under Johnstown with gleeful, vengeful, abandon.

No doubt there are readers here who know far, far more about the local conditions and defense appropriations process than I do but I prophecy that within a year or two Porky's bastard palatinate will become a thing of tumbleweeds and plywood as another crop of unfortunates will learn the hard way that all the taxpayer schwag (always paid for by some other suckers, somewhere else) in the known universe cannot substitute for a viable, local, free-market economy.

I do not anticipate much joy at the next Cambria County Fair, no sir.

David Williams| 5.19.10 @ 8:03AM

A good example of the adage, "People deserve the government they get".

Bob K.| 5.19.10 @ 7:42AM

It is a heavily and grotesquely gerrymandered Democratic district. And it's demographic makeup is very old. Like my home district in NE PA it was affected by the Great Depression into the 1950's before it began to recover. Think of Appalachia North. The young, talented and ambitious moved out long ago and are still leaving it. It's small cities are old and decrepit. It's rural areas are scarred by strip mines.

PA will lose at least one house seat, and maybe two, after the next census. There will be more gerrymandering and it is important that the Republicans control the Governorship, State Senate and State Legislature. This district will likely be changed greatly if the Republicans win statewide now that it's powerful Congressman is gone.

The Democrats in the western part of the state may be more conservative than the Republicans in the southeastern suburban counties around Philadelphia. They vote their pocketbook first as they always have worries about it. Pittsburgh has lost 1/2 it's population in the last 30 years and it shows in the business opportunities available in it's suburbs. They have been in decline for that long. Ask Economics Professor Ralph Reiland of Robert Morris University who writes columns here on American Spectator Online. If a powerful Congressman can bring them pork in the form of jobs they will support him. If not, they will vote for one who can make job opportunities appear.

Ken (Old Texican| 5.19.10 @ 8:15AM

Bob,
Thank you for that insight.

Nick| 5.19.10 @ 9:13AM

Bob K.,

My grandpa and grandma left a small coal mining town east of Pittsburg in '37-'38? for a job in Detroit.

They had followed my grandpa's sister and her husband. The rest of his family, 6 brothers and sisters and his parents, followed them up to the Motor City, within a few years.

My dad has something like 25 cousins. If you drop down to my generation, there must be around 50-60 3rd cousins, who are now having their own kids. This, from my great-grandparents and their 8 kids moving from Pennsylvania to Michigan.

They don't all live in the Detroit area, but most of them do.

But, then again, look at the shape Michigan is in!

Tim*| 5.19.10 @ 7:45AM

This was both a Special Election for the remaining time on Murtha's seat , along side of separate Primaries for R's & D's . Tim Burns Lost To Critz in The Special Election & Burns and Critz ,each won their individual primaries.

Tim Burns was in a fracturing Intra-Party Primary with Bill Russell .
The Big Rematch Showdown comes on November 2nd.

We ,Tea Party Rebels will be there to support Tim Burns Election .

Aaaaand , This time The Real Conservative , Pat Toomey versus The Little Admiral Sestak Pennsylvania Senate Race will change the voting draw dynamics .
Specter couldn't muster the Democrat black vote in Philadelphia to defeat suburban collar county Little Admiral Sestak .

Bob K.| 5.19.10 @ 9:13AM

I suspect that Sestak will have trouble in this district because of his own lapsed catholic support of abortion and his unabashed support of gun control, not to mention his support for Cap and Trade which will have a bad effect on what is left of PA's coal industries. Toomey will have to attack him hard on these vulnerabilities.

You had better bet that Sestak will attack Toomey on his stance on Social Security and Medicaid and he will have big support from the MSM on this. It already started last evening on the Pennsylvania Cable News channel where three PA Journalists were discussing how this would play out.

But Toomey is very articulate and I have heard him explain it in very simple sound bytes about the demographic problems that are looming in these programs. There simply aren't enough young people working to keep paying taxes for the quickly aging Pennsylvania Population and have anything left for themselves as they get older. He has to remain on point on this theme.

Tony in Central PA| 5.19.10 @ 8:10AM

I live adjacent to the 12th district and the article pretty much summed things up. Murtha was the King of Pork, and even though his own constituents thought he was crooked for the most part, they continually reelected him. Its clear that in a down economy, most are afraid to risk the continued influx of federal project money and for some reason thought that Critz would continue to bring home the government bacon.

I think this is an example of the Democratic / Socialist power strategy. I recall hearing a story once about Joe Stalin's demonstration of this principle before a group of onlookers. Stalin had in his possession a chicken that had been hand raised and hand fed. The bird completely associated people with food. Stalin grabbed the bird and proceeded to torture it by pulling out all of its feathers in front of his audience. Surpirsingly, the bird continued to follow Stalin around afterward, presumably expecting food. Stalin explained to his audience that the same behavioral principles apply to human beings. This is a lesson that today's American Democrat strategists seem to have learned.

Mattled| 5.19.10 @ 8:10AM

All good points and I agree that the region is old and you cannot change the mind of a Dem voter. They vote for life for a "D".

The Russell factor is there as well. Let's dust ourselves off and wait a few months. A few votes by Critz in the House and we'll see his "pro" everything stance for what it is---much like Liberalism---a lie.

Ken (Old Texican)| 5.19.10 @ 8:18AM

Folks,
This should remind us again... We gotta' get 218 House seats Republican with some grit.

Support good ones with cash and volunteer work, where ever you are from.

Derek Leaberry| 5.19.10 @ 8:24AM

No matter how conservatives portray the Burns burnout loss, this is a bad defeat and a sign that a sweeping landslide is not in the offing in November. Yes, the Russell primary campaign probably derailed thousands of Republican votes from the Burns-Critz special. If you preferred Russell to Burns, why would you vote for Burns in the special? But the trends are allegedly against the Democrats, especially in older, more rural, whiter districts like Pennsylvania 12. Burns should have won but he was fairly handily whipped.

On top of the Burns loss, the Specter loss means the Pennsylvania senate seat becomes a toss-up rather than a Republican gain. One consolation, however, may be that the Republicans appear likely to win the governor's race and thus, with Pennsylvania due to lose one or two House seats, the current Pennsylvania 12 can be vivisectioned during redistricting.

NavyBrat | 5.19.10 @ 8:42AM

"On top of the Burns loss, the Specter loss means the Pennsylvania senate seat becomes a toss-up rather than a Republican gain."

Don't be so sure, Derek. I realize it's still early, but the polls say otherwise & have for quite a while now.
http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....-1059.html

Al| 5.19.10 @ 8:44AM

Now is not the time to get complacent. There is a lot of work to do and all the hype from the media about a Tea Party/Conservative surge is just that, "hype" to get us all feeling comforatable, complacent enough to stay at home. Things are looking very good for us politically and Obama is a walking disaster, but the democrat party is like a cancer that goes dormant but comes back with a vengeance. They bought and paid for Murtha's seat so getting rid of them is going to take a lot of work not just there but around the country.

Tim*| 5.19.10 @ 8:45AM

Specter was The Obama endorsed candidate and lost . There are negative Obama coat tails all over the country now.
Pat Toomey won his primary in an 80 Percent walk away spending hardly a dime of his War Chest .
Sestak's 7th District Congressional Seat is open .
Mike Fitzpatrick got 75 Percent in The 6th Didtrict Republican Primary & will go after Patrick Murphy's Seat.
The understandable Tim Burns -Bill Russell Intra-Party Fight is now over & Burns gets another bite at the apple on November 2nd against Critz.

We,Tea Party Rebels will be all over These Pennsylvania Elections.

Richard Baker| 5.19.10 @ 8:58AM

Regarding Murtha's seat. Day ain't over yet.

JP| 5.19.10 @ 9:06AM

The facts speak for themselves. Fewer than 45% of families earning $60,000 or less pay any federal income tax when you factor in things like the mortgage deduction and EIC. Much of the blames goes to GW Bush and the GOP led Congress, which added these subsidies and exemptions as part of thier 2001 tax cuts (Yes, the middle class did get a very large portion of the tax cuts).

A Flat or Fair tax would raise the taxes on these families; instead of recieving money from Uncle Sam they would actually be paying. This should be a lesson for the GOP concerning taxes and entitlements. In this case, the government will have no choice but to actually force middle class families to start paying taxes again. The question is how. The fairest way is to remove the "progressive" nature of the income tax and issue a flat 15% tax on all income, regardless of how much one makes. This would include removing all deductions. But it will take a fiscal crisis for something like this to pass.

PolishKnight| 5.19.10 @ 2:07PM

JP, great minds think alike. You beat me to that point.

The Republican's support for a flat tax, like libertarians, scares ordinary people and rightly so. There is no guarantee that a flat tax or a national sales tax wouldn't be just as bad as the current system. Will people be "audited" to prove that the contractor they hired to build a deck for them paid the sales tax on the lumber used in the process? What's to stop the same 20% tax being applied several times throughout such a process? Lumberyard buys the trees, Lowes pays the lumberyard, contractor buys it from Lowes, and you pay the sales tax to the contractor...

Although the laws behind the income tax are amazingly complex, for most people they are effectively simple if they have few sources of income and take the usual deductions. On the other hand, dealing with sales taxes would be virgin, and undeveloped territory for auditors. For example, have you paid sales taxes on all of your internet purchases?

Back to the topic: The left has often used misleading ads going back to LBJ's attack ad against Barry Goldwater portraying him as a atomic bomb crazy "extremist" for holding the same military policies as LBJ himself! "My opponent would rather see children starving... somewhere in the world rather than give up his own property." Well, nearly everyone does that!

A 12K loss isn't that major of a setback. It's not the rout that RINO McCain suffered in the last election. Republicans have been notoriously awful at media campaigns and half apologetic for the ones that have worked.

Burns totally could have played a number of cards that the left has gotten a free pass on. Affirmative action, or example. A commercial saying that whites wouldn't be fully eligible for those kickback defense contracts would totally take the steam out of Murthanomics. How about going after the left on their power policy? Like $5 gas? Then you'll LOVE cap and trade! Show Critz riding around in a private jet while making the point... You get the picture.

The left is so amazingly morally and economically bankrupt but they are not politically bankrupt. They have millions of people drooling over the prospect that socialists will be crooked enough to rob from others BUT honest enough to share the spoils with them.

And in that regard, the left is perfectly right to talk behind many of these American people's backs as suckers and rubes. Hey! I'm a Nigerian prince and I need you to send me money to transfer millions over to you. We'll split it in half...

1FreeMan| 5.19.10 @ 9:13AM

So what did we learn from this?

1) We now know what the lying MSM intends to do with a flat tax. Distort the truth so they can scare the uneducated, the seniors and fan the flames of a recession.

2) Your vote really really counts. If you believe the pols and thing that, "gee my vote won't count the Tea Party candidates will win" you will be mistaken. You MUST VOTE IN NOVEMBER.

3) The MSM will not stop the attack on conservitive values. This is a fight for our nation and it is just beginning. These little scattered elections are the first shot, November the first real battle, 2012 the full blown war for the USA.

4) The RNC had better get their act together. RINOs are not welcome and we are sick of selling our soul to the devil just so we can use the word "bipartisan" as a talking point. We are past that now and the RNC chairman needs to resign.

There will be more lessons soon. Obama, cornered like a rat, will begin to teach us about Chicago politics...

Anthony| 5.19.10 @ 9:13AM

Let me get this straight, Murtha's pork -barrel legacy is what allowed his aide to keep the seat, yet Specter's same 30 years of bringing home the bacon didn't? What am I missing?

1FreeMan| 5.19.10 @ 9:31AM

What you are missing is that the "good people" of Pennsylvania's 12th District liked the greed, the pork, the fact that Muthra was extorting the DOD and the rest of the Nation to fill his pockets and spread a little of that federal money around the 12th district. Those same liberals want more of the same... to hell with the rest of the United States. The "good people of Pennsylvania's 12th District are just as dirty as Muthra was.

Does that help clarify the situation?

Michael L. Hauschild| 5.19.10 @ 9:38AM

This is not as earth shattering as some here suggest. Any references to “D’s” or “R’s”, bitter clinger’s, or Murthanomics are incidental. The real key concerning many of the elections in November will be overcoming the redistricting “slant to the table” imposed by previous administrations. The gerrymandering “handicap” provided is, for lack of a better word, “bought” but the methodology of such purchase is not always the monetary perk mainstay of pork. It is instead “influence,” influence on contracts, personnel hiring, and the metastasizing of campaign staff into the victors administration. Occasional setbacks such as this will always occur; this one is temporary not hinging on candidate selection, stated “platform” positions, or the overall majority represented by this one race. Whether it can be reversed by playing their game on the same “field of play” this fall is certainly up in the air. The factors which contributed to the relative “close outcome” in Distict 12 are waxing and may actually overcome the stacked deck of the gerrymander. Focus, not so much on the platform constraints of your candidates but instead on “owning” the hearts and minds of those actually in charge of establishing the “real” physical boundaries of the voting units. Unlike candidates they do not waver and they have term limits decade long.

Derek Leaberry| 5.19.10 @ 9:50AM

As Mr. McCain moans at the possibility of a defeat for free market ideals that Reagan had apparently won 25 years ago, I would direct him at how the crushing of industrial America has wrecked havoc on culturally conservative communities sinice the 1980s. He should not be so obtuse not to realize that not all America gains from an absolutist free trade policy. And he should realize that many industrial workers are tempermentally conservative while many, if not most, flabby-fingered IT computer geeks are tempermentally liberal. Conservatives should see the world through the eyes of Burke and Kirk rather than the cultural nihilists at the Cato Institute.

Bob K.| 5.19.10 @ 12:30PM

Exactly! Mr. Leaberry. Well stated!

PolishKnight| 5.19.10 @ 2:21PM

I grew up in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and saw the place basically die. It was based upon cronism capitalism: Mafiasos ran the big industries and bribed/kickbacked the politicians to look the other way at their transgressions. When they finally got shut down for one reason or another, nobody else could start up since the remaining mobsters shut them down or demanded protection money.

In the meantime, local businesses also had an agreement of sorts of exploitist capitalism. Working class whites were paid minimum wage (probably still are. I have decided not to even visit there for at least 10 years!) and businesses had the attitude that they could replace you in seconds. On the other hand, Pennsvlvania is DIRT CHEAP and deflationary. For the money to buy a condo in Northern Virginia, you can buy a mansion nearly anywhere in the state!

Finally, Derek's observation about "conservative" industrial workers is half true. My family was FDR democrats bought out with carrots thrown into their pit generations ago. It's not as simple as that. Well, actually it is, the leading jobs and workers embracing conservativism are MEN and their families. Single mothers are the number 1 Democrat demographic since women's equality and "independence" is totally reliant upon a welfare, redistributionist state. When a male IT worker is gay or has a high salary, he may vote commie but most of the rest I know are amazingly conservative. Being expected to still live up to 1950's standards in our personal lives has that effect...

1/2 Polish, All American| 5.19.10 @ 3:49PM

The Mafiosi element has always been overplayed in Wilkes Barre/Scranton/Hazleton area to the detriment of those honest americans with Italian surnames. In reality the Italians were late immigrants to the area. The power here lay with the coupon clipping old monied English, Welsh and Lace Curtain Irish who controlled the Mines, the Banks, the local Press and the low paying mining and factory jobs. It is still largely that way here. These people thrive on analyzing the geneology and marital relationships of the power structure. It is like a parlor game! They have a vested interest in maintaining their position. That is why so many talented, ambitious and smart people left the area and why it has, on average, one of the oldest populations outside of Florida. It is also why it has been necessary to import hispanics here for employment in the low paying industries that settle here. The Catholic Church, which has lost much membership over the years, also needs these hispanics to revitalize their mission.

PolishKnight| 5.20.10 @ 10:40AM

My apologies to the Italian community. There is a Russian mafia around too, of course. (It chased out the crips and bloods in West Hollywood!)

PolishKnight| 5.20.10 @ 10:40AM

My apologies to the Italian community. There is a Russian mafia around too, of course. (It chased out the crips and bloods in West Hollywood!)

martin j smith| 5.19.10 @ 10:04AM

If you have a very blue district with a Democrat running as a pseudo"conservative" and voters as stupid as Murtha once intimated ( in rather disparaging remarks of his constituents ) then it is hard to beat that unless--conditions of an economic nature drastically effect the voters so0 even the stupid ones can't help but noticing. So, I am all for beating the left and encouraging running of better campaigns--but I think in the end-- "its the economy stupid" that will be THE factor unless we are hit very hard in a ( gd forbid ) terrorist attack--the all bets are off.

craig henry| 5.19.10 @ 10:12AM

Bravo Mr. Leaberry

Sheila| 5.19.10 @ 10:35AM

Excellent point, 1FreeMan. Just as with Greece, people demand the continuous flow of goodies into their own pockets, despite being awash in global economic reality. The people of PA voted for crooks like Murtha and Arlen Specter repeatedly; they have gotten the government they deserved. Unfortunately, the overweening national government of our crippled federalism has ensured that the rest of us have had to endure what PA willingly chose. Stop idolizing the voters, folks. That's where the politicians come from - they don't emerge, fully- formed, from the DNC (with the exception of Dear Leader, of course). The "people" are the problem.

Aelfgyva| 5.19.10 @ 10:48AM

Never underestimate a Democrat's ability to employ hypocrisy, distortion, prevarication, equivocation or any form of dishonesty to achieve success of his agenda. I strongly believe the greatest enemy this country has is Democrat party.

1FreeMan| 5.19.10 @ 11:32AM

"I strongly believe the greatest enemy this country has is Democrat party. "

... followed closely by the Main Stream Media

Brinksmom| 5.19.10 @ 10:53AM

I am thankful that some of the voters of PA had enough sense to oust Spector, but I wish they had not elected this porkette to replace Murtha. I suspect the new guy will have little of the clout Murtha had , but he will give it the old college try for pork, pork , pork.

Barratt Patton| 5.19.10 @ 10:53AM

The article refers to "ads accusing the Republican of wanting to impose a 23-percent sales tax "on just about everything we buy" -- a blatant distortion of Burns' qualified support of the Fair Tax..." This is indeed a blatant distortion, because the 23-percent number is a lie.
If you purchase an item for $1.oo, of which 23 cents is tax, you have paid 30% tax (23 cents tax on a 77-cent item.) I am actually strongly in favor of some sort of flat tax in lieu of income tax, but resent the dishonest manner in which this "fair tax" is presented.

Finrod| 5.19.10 @ 1:21PM

Same old FairTax sliming. When tallied as a sales tax, yes it's 30 percent, but if tallied the same way as the income tax it's replacing, it is in fact 23 percent. This is not dishonest, this is comparing apples to apples.

Your criticism is the one that's dishonest.

martin j smith| 5.19.10 @ 11:00AM

If there is anyone out there who does not understand how viscious the campaign in 2010 and 2012 then you need a quick education--very quick.
This is where the disadvage of the MSM for conservatives comes into play. But using social networking and other alternative media plus activism in demonstrations,( street threater ) voter registration, monitoring and fraud prevention things can be changed around. A good situation is in the Nutmeg state ( that would be Conn. ) where their AG has given Conservatives and Repubs a gift. In this and any other case take it and run with it all the way to election day itself. The big mistake is to waite around for the Left to do their next trick and then have figure out how to respond. No, what is needed is more agressive stuff. Take the fight to them,

Crusader| 5.19.10 @ 11:05AM

The simple explanation is the voters in that district are simple-minded morons. Is that simple enough? They like their low-paying jobs and drinking Iron City and beating their wives while eating burgers on wonder bread.

I mean really, is someone really going to ship your crap-a$$ janitor job overseas? How does that happen?

Rural whites and inner-city blacks are cut from the same gubmint handout loving cloth. Idiots.

Bob K.| 5.19.10 @ 12:37PM

Crusader,
Your comment kind of reminds me of Barack Obama's comment to the liberal "Know It Alls" in San Francisco about the people in PA "clinging to their Religion and Guns!" Do you want them to give those up too, as Sestak did with his religion, and as he wants to do with our guns?

Crusader| 5.19.10 @ 3:29PM

The difference between mine and the usurper's comments is mine is more accurate. If the people of PA-12 actually DID cling to God and cared about their guns they would not vote Dem. Moreover, as a native Pennsylvanian (don't live there any longer, thank God) I think I know of whom I speak. In fact, my grandfather was a typical white-trash lib dem. Always railing against the evil "rich" republicans, who were constantly holding him back. It wasn't his lack of education and addiction to alcohol, no, it was some evil rich guy in some big house. But he was ever so quick to take handouts from dems in gubmint. Yeah that was easier than you know, finishing HS or staying sober.

So no Bob K I could really care less about folks who continually vote D. The time has come for choosing sides and making hard decisions. I've chosen my side and made my decisions and made peace with them. Maybe you should stop criticizing me and do a little sould searching.

"The Truth always sounds like lies to the sinner."

Bob K.| 5.20.10 @ 9:05AM

Crusader,
To bad about your grandfather. It must have been very traumatic for you. But you are long gone from PA and your petty long range sniping, won't make any difference here. Maybe it would be better if you used your energy trying to change things where ever you live. Assuming, of course, that it is not already a conservative paradise!

Let us know how things are going in your home state. OK? Has conservatism triumphed there?

Crusader| 5.21.10 @ 11:41PM

To bad? Where exactly is that Bob K? And it must be very traumatic for you to be a f@g.

As a matter of fact conservatism IS triumphing in my new home state of VA. We elected a conservative governor, and there is a very active 10th Amendment movement among the people of this fine commonwealth. It is having a positive effect on the commonwealth's government.

You sure do have a hard on for PA 12 Bob K. Why is that? Are you a libtard self-hating whitey who has f@g dreams for the usurper? Like most fat, worthless, libtarded pices of white trash in PA-12?

As I said, the Truth always sounds like lies to the sinner.

J.P. Travis | 5.19.10 @ 11:37AM

All the political analysis aside, I just find it depressing that the people of the 12th are stupid enough to think that a long-time Murtha staffer is suddenly the conservative Democrat he pretended to be during the campaign.

Derek Leaberry| 5.19.10 @ 11:46AM

Always remember that a majority of voters are either stupid, ignorant, avaricious or evil and often times a combination of all four.

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Koczani| 5.20.10 @ 10:55PM

F*** the people in PA-12!! They voted, now they deserve what they get!!!

Yosemeti Sam| 5.20.10 @ 2:42AM

" ... Bill Steiner had a simple explanation for Tuesday night's result in Pennsylvania's 12th District.

"It's Murtha's ghost," said Steiner ...."

IOW - visions of hog heaven!

Neo| 5.19.10 @ 8:42PM

Well . . . I suppose that upon the election of a pro-life, pro-gun anti-Obamacare Democrat, Democrats can still hope that they can cobble together a few more Critz-like candidates and beat back a tidal wave. But it seems that, despite hope, they may not be able to change much . . . even when their hope produces a limited success like this.

Michael Tomlinson| 5.19.10 @ 7:44PM

Pork won! Independents didn't vote. Russell is acting like Charlie Crist lite and Republicans were too optimistic. Time to recover, refund, reorganize and re-energize GOP leaning voters in PA 12.

Michael Tomlinson| 5.19.10 @ 7:41PM

Pork won and independents didn't vote in this overwhelmingly Democrat district. Critz now has to vote and if he does a Murtha and supports Obama/Pelosi he stands to lose in November.

Finally, Russell needs to quit pouting and stop acting like Charlie Crist light and support Burns. If he's hoping to undercut Burn and win in 2012 (pulling a 2006 John McCain) he needs to be handed his ass by Republicans and publicly renounced by the party.

Wally| 5.19.10 @ 4:09PM

You conservatives are such WHINERS. You lost. In a district you boasted you would turn and should have turned! And now, all we hear are whiny excuses about how people like earmarks. OF COURSE PEOPLE LIKE EARMARKS. But that is every district. It is your hateful nonsensical messages, e.g. "Democrats are traitors," that is going to sabotage any normal midterm gains you SHOULD make in 2010.

Tim*| 5.19.10 @ 5:31PM

Hey Wally ,We'll shut your mouth in November.

The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.

Remember In November.

Mike Y| 5.19.10 @ 3:26PM

The election's outcome was no surprise. Go look at the lines of the district, they had to go down high-ways to get Democrat voters while excluding Republicans. This was a designer seat. The fact that the election was so close tells a lot about future fortunes.

Ike| 5.19.10 @ 2:31PM

"Murthanomics"? Nonsense. Politics as usual? Yes. Electing politicians on the basis of who can "bring home the bacon" - pig & pork references both intended - regardless of which party they belong to is ancient in America. That is what has to change, if we are to remain free women and men.

JP| 5.19.10 @ 1:05PM

I'm not sure who gave us the impression that the GOP would prevail in PA-12. There are over 100,000 union workers there; the Dems have a 2-1 advantage in voter registertration; and Critz ran as a Pro-Life Pro-gun Dem who campaigned against ObamaCare and Cap and Trade. That is, he ran against his own party.

In one repsect the voters in PA-12 will be disappointed. There is no way Critz will be able to duplicate Murtha in bringing home the portk. Murtha had over 30 years of House seniority built-up as well as having all of the contacts, lobbiests, and graft peddlers on speed dial. Critz will be a mere freshman. He will be lucky to land a committee that has oversite of Parks and Recreation. The days of pork being brought home to PA-12 are over.

Jeff| 5.19.10 @ 1:02PM

Murtha was and still is known simply as 'Mr.Murtha' in that area. They knew he was a crook but still felt he was looking out for them. Sort of like when John Gotti was arrested and the unions made noise to have him released. The only way those people will change is when reality hits them hard enough to force a change. Murtha said it best...his people really are ignorant.

Paul Streitz| 5.19.10 @ 11:58AM

"the keys to prosperity are protectionism"

Well, Murtha is right here and the voters know it. Somehow, shipping millions of job overseas, importing thousands of illegals and outsourcing is supposed to bring on a wonderful global economy. The workers of PA reject this. They have seen their factories close, and their friends lay off.

Unfortunately, a substantial part of the Republican party has become globalist, international, free trade and supports massive immigration and covertly illegal immigration (guest workers).

It should be noted that the Republican Party was the greatest supporter of protectionist policies since, Hamilton, Clay and Lincoln. It was always a part of their platform, until the Globalists took over.

The matra of free trade does not sit well with blue collar types, but is supported by Washington think tanks, academics and Wall Street.

Until, Republicans start ending free trade, they are never going to get working class, blue collar workers to vote for them.

On this one, Free Trade, Murtha is absolutely right.

Paul Streitz
author
America First, Why Americans Must End Free Trade, Stop Outsourcing and Close Our Open Borders.

JP| 5.19.10 @ 12:10PM

Paul,
While I agree with much of what you wrote, empircal evidence doesn't support the idea that protectionism leads to prosperity -not in the longrun, anyway. Just look at Europe where protectionism prevails in everything from agriculture, autos, appliances, to big ticket items like aircraft. Euope as a whole has suffered 10% + unemployment for almost 18 years. Ditto for Japan.

Personally I don't have the answers. Consumers will purchase for value more than for where the product is made. And in a global economy it is very difficult to say an item is made in the USA when most of its parts are manufactured overseas (here I am speaking of autos).

For the last decade Europe and Japan have seen a very slow downward slope in thier standard of living. Part of the problem lies with taxes and unemployment; the other in costs. The Europeans especially pay more for thier products. And the higher prices can be traced to thier protectionist policies.

Ken (Old Texican)| 5.19.10 @ 12:14PM

Derek,
That may well be the case.

Therefore....we got to get the message reaaaaal simple:
1. Democrats are stealing from you.
2. Democrats are bankrupting the country.
3. Democrats are baring our throats to a hostile world.
4. Democrats are going to turn off your heat/cooling/TV.
5. Democrats want to kill you at retirement.

...We productive people REFUSE to pay for the above.
ie: you starve in the dark.

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