John Murtha is known in the 12th congressional district as the man "who brings home the bacon."
Unless the "bacon" is a metaphor for low household incomes through the district, then it's the wrong term. The median household incomes in the 12th District are among the lowest in Pennsylvania. Population in 12th District has been in a steady decline -- including Murtha's hometown of Johnstown -- a sure sign of economic distress.
What I'm saying about median household income will come as news to quite a few people in the 12th. If John Murtha has been so good for the district, why are economic conditions so bad?
If you have any doubts about what I'm saying, go to the web site dedicated to outlining conditions in towns across America. It's called epodunk.com.
Fill in the names of towns in the 12th, including Johnstown, Windber, Latrobe, Monongahela, Monessen (hometown of Joe Namath), Waynesburg, and even beautiful Washington, PA. Check the median household incomes against the national averages -- and against Pennsylvania averages. The web site use data from the U.S. Census Report.
William Russell's campaign manager (Larry Stiles) tells the story of meeting two middle-aged women in Johnstown. Both of them were quick to sing the praises of Congressman Murtha. But when Larry pressed them about economic conditions, one woman said, "Well, the kids get a good college education, but when they graduate from college there are no jobs for them, so they all move away."
If you're a corporate executive, a lobbyist, or a cancer surgeon in the 12th, John Murtha probably done well for you. If you're member of the other 90%, he's done little or nothing for you.
What's wrong with that picture?
What's right with the 12th District in this election cycle is William T. Russell.
The people in the 12th District are wonderful, and the area is beautiful. It deserves better than Jack Murtha.
Stephen R Maloney
Showing posts with label " William T. Russell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label " William T. Russell. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
POLITICAL ACTIVISTS DOING "THE WAVE"
SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS COLUMN FOR THE "SARAH PALIN WAVE."
If you're a sports fan, you know about -- and probably have participated -- in something called "The Wave." It's a sports phenomenon that has significant political implications.
The Wave occurs when people throughout the stadium – section by section -- stand up and raise their arms. The effect is to make tens of thousands of people behave in a way that resembles the rise and fall of an ocean wave.
It sounds like an exercise in silliness, but increasingly researchers studying human behavior and leaders have studied The Wave. They believe that it exemplifies a situation where the actions of the few – the people who start The Wave – end up influencing the behavior of the many – nearly everyone else.
To perceptive researchers, that sounds suspiciously like something similar to management and leadership. In fact, The Wave is a metaphor for those things.
Leadership -- in society, business, and politics -- means getting people to act spontaneously to influence others. It also means having them work in concert to achieve an end.
The Wave occurs because people want to do something that helps the home team win. In politics, “the home team” is a candidate who wants to win and needs popular support to do so.
The Wave occurs when a few people start a movement. Quickly, people throughout the stadium being reacting in the same way – and influencing the actions of others near them. Soon, the people throughout a stadium are moving in unison.
Recently, I’ve written about a number of “wave-makers” who are assisting in the Russell Campaign. One of them is Pennsylvanian Melanie, a highly social and insightful restaurant worker.
There's also Cindy in New Mexico, who posts on the extremely popular site named ThePinkFlamingo. She's a professional writer who has a huge following and is directing many people to Russell's web site.
Another one is "Samantha West," a businesswoman who lives in Texas and is vigorously raising funds for Russell. Also, there’s “Jenn of the Jungle,” a Californian with a popular show on BlogTalkRadio and someone who recently interviewed William Russell. Douglas Gibbs of Political Pistachio radio has strongly supported Russell and had him on his show. As you've probably noticed, I'm a Pennsylvanian trying to "Make Waves for Russell."
Another extremely important figure in the Russell camp is Brad Marston from Massachusetts. He’s devoting most of his current energy to supporting John McCain’s effort to win the Republican presidential nomination – but he’s also a solid supporter of Russell.
The following is an e-mail Brad recently sent to "1,000 of his closest (political) friends":
"Political muscle is built by talking to one person at a time. That is why I am reaching out to you today. This e-mail is going out to over 1000 people because I talked to 10 people who in turn, talked to ten more people. Help us make it 10,000 people simply by forwarding it on to your friends, family and contacts."
"So, 'What have you done today to make you feel proud?' It is a line from one of my favorite songs, 'Proud.' Another lyric is 'We need a change...Do it today...I can feel my spirit rising!' I think that says it perfectly. We do need a change."
"To make it happen, we need you to JOIN US ! We need you to DONATE , whether it be time, talent money or some combination thereof! Let's all end each day knowing 'I did something for the future of this nation I love so much. I did what I could to elect John McCain and I am proud of that.' If you can do that, I would be both proud and grateful. And so will the hundreds, perhaps thousands more who join us."
Sincerely,
M. Brad Marston
National Chair
McCainVictory08
Brad started small – like “The Wave” – but has quickly built a strong base of support for his candidates. His e-mail above has gone to 1,000 people. He’s asking each of the recipients to contact at least ten friends and political allies. In fact, I’m doing just that in this column.
Do you want to change the political outlook? If so, you need to emulate people like Brad, Melanie, Samantha, Cindy, Jenn, Douglas, and others. Someone like Brad is potentially influencing the votes – and contributions – of tens of thousands of people.
And that translates into real political clout!
Note: If you'd like to join Bloggers 4 Russell, please either leave a comment or send me an e-mail at: TalkTop65@aol.com. Thanks!
THE SARAH PALIN WAVE!
Hey Palin fans,
This showed up on Instapundit this morning:
"THE SARAH PALIN JUGGERNAUT is gathering steam!"
The link will lead you to yesterday's endorsement of our movement by Charleston (WV) Daily Mail columnist Don Surber, which is big news in itself.
Instapundit is one of the biggest conservative blogs on the entire net (probably THE biggest); and if they call you a juggernaut, you're a juggernaut.
-- Adam Brickley,Founder, "Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President"palinforvp.blogspot.com
If you're a sports fan, you know about -- and probably have participated -- in something called "The Wave." It's a sports phenomenon that has significant political implications.
The Wave occurs when people throughout the stadium – section by section -- stand up and raise their arms. The effect is to make tens of thousands of people behave in a way that resembles the rise and fall of an ocean wave.
It sounds like an exercise in silliness, but increasingly researchers studying human behavior and leaders have studied The Wave. They believe that it exemplifies a situation where the actions of the few – the people who start The Wave – end up influencing the behavior of the many – nearly everyone else.
To perceptive researchers, that sounds suspiciously like something similar to management and leadership. In fact, The Wave is a metaphor for those things.
Leadership -- in society, business, and politics -- means getting people to act spontaneously to influence others. It also means having them work in concert to achieve an end.
The Wave occurs because people want to do something that helps the home team win. In politics, “the home team” is a candidate who wants to win and needs popular support to do so.
The Wave occurs when a few people start a movement. Quickly, people throughout the stadium being reacting in the same way – and influencing the actions of others near them. Soon, the people throughout a stadium are moving in unison.
Recently, I’ve written about a number of “wave-makers” who are assisting in the Russell Campaign. One of them is Pennsylvanian Melanie, a highly social and insightful restaurant worker.
There's also Cindy in New Mexico, who posts on the extremely popular site named ThePinkFlamingo. She's a professional writer who has a huge following and is directing many people to Russell's web site.
Another one is "Samantha West," a businesswoman who lives in Texas and is vigorously raising funds for Russell. Also, there’s “Jenn of the Jungle,” a Californian with a popular show on BlogTalkRadio and someone who recently interviewed William Russell. Douglas Gibbs of Political Pistachio radio has strongly supported Russell and had him on his show. As you've probably noticed, I'm a Pennsylvanian trying to "Make Waves for Russell."
Another extremely important figure in the Russell camp is Brad Marston from Massachusetts. He’s devoting most of his current energy to supporting John McCain’s effort to win the Republican presidential nomination – but he’s also a solid supporter of Russell.
The following is an e-mail Brad recently sent to "1,000 of his closest (political) friends":
"Political muscle is built by talking to one person at a time. That is why I am reaching out to you today. This e-mail is going out to over 1000 people because I talked to 10 people who in turn, talked to ten more people. Help us make it 10,000 people simply by forwarding it on to your friends, family and contacts."
"So, 'What have you done today to make you feel proud?' It is a line from one of my favorite songs, 'Proud.' Another lyric is 'We need a change...Do it today...I can feel my spirit rising!' I think that says it perfectly. We do need a change."
"To make it happen, we need you to JOIN US ! We need you to DONATE , whether it be time, talent money or some combination thereof! Let's all end each day knowing 'I did something for the future of this nation I love so much. I did what I could to elect John McCain and I am proud of that.' If you can do that, I would be both proud and grateful. And so will the hundreds, perhaps thousands more who join us."
Sincerely,
M. Brad Marston
National Chair
McCainVictory08
Brad started small – like “The Wave” – but has quickly built a strong base of support for his candidates. His e-mail above has gone to 1,000 people. He’s asking each of the recipients to contact at least ten friends and political allies. In fact, I’m doing just that in this column.
Do you want to change the political outlook? If so, you need to emulate people like Brad, Melanie, Samantha, Cindy, Jenn, Douglas, and others. Someone like Brad is potentially influencing the votes – and contributions – of tens of thousands of people.
And that translates into real political clout!
Note: If you'd like to join Bloggers 4 Russell, please either leave a comment or send me an e-mail at: TalkTop65@aol.com. Thanks!
THE SARAH PALIN WAVE!
Hey Palin fans,
This showed up on Instapundit this morning:
"THE SARAH PALIN JUGGERNAUT is gathering steam!"
The link will lead you to yesterday's endorsement of our movement by Charleston (WV) Daily Mail columnist Don Surber, which is big news in itself.
Instapundit is one of the biggest conservative blogs on the entire net (probably THE biggest); and if they call you a juggernaut, you're a juggernaut.
-- Adam Brickley,Founder, "Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President"palinforvp.blogspot.com
Monday, December 10, 2007
MURTHA & ALTMIRE: "NANCY'S BOYS"
In PA’s 4th congressional district (represented by Democrat Jason Altmire) and PA’s 12th congressional district (represented by Democrat John Murtha), most voters see them as “conservative Democrats.”
Of course, if most voters didn’t see them that way, they’d soon be ex-congressmen. So, they both do their best to keep the ideological fiction alive.
Admittedly, Jack Murtha opposed Steny Hoyer of Maryland for the post of Majority Leader. Then, Hoyer’s advocates leaked stories to the press about ABSCAM and Murtha’s other examples of ethical deficiency.
Murtha accused his critics of “Swift-boating” him. In fact, they were “Truth-boating him, and he lost badly. His colleagues know he’s a crook, even if some of his constituents find that hard to comprehend.
Steny Hoyer is a piece-of-work. He likes to vote no – except when it comes to raising taxes.
He voted no on banning partial-birth abortions, no on Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (which saves me, my wife, and other senior thousands of dollars a year. He also voted no on banning same-sex marriages, no on banning human cloning, no on the Bush Tax Cuts, and no on restricting weapons makers’ liability.
Actually, Steny and Nancy Pelosi are a good team. She voted no on all the same things.
It makes you wonder why Murtha, the supposedly “conservative” Democrat, voted for Nancy Pelosi, the militant liberal, as Speaker of the House (she won unanimously). It makes you wonder why Jason Altmire, the other “conservative” Democrat also voted for her.
Of course, the Speaker of the House – with advice from the Majority Leader -- determines critical committee assignments. In other word, she doles out the real power in the House of Representatives. A Jack Murtha has one vote, powerful as he is in other ways, but the Speaker has the equivalent of many.
One wonders, given the conservative nature of their districts – I live in the 4th – how Murtha and Altmire can justify voting for her. She, along with Hoyer and many other Democrat leaders in the House, is totally out of step with Murtha’s and Altmire’s constituents. She’s influencing policies and legislation that goes against everything most people in western Pennsylvania believe.
Of course, Murtha’s explanation – which is no explanation – would be “That’s the way we DO BUSINESS here.
One other way he does business is to provide votes for his Party leftists when he can – as he did when he voted for federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Supposedly “pro-life” Altmire voted the same way.
Another strange vote was Murtha’s against the Prescription Drug Plan, one that’s probably saved seniors in his district roughly a hundred million dollars. Altmire also opposes prescription drugs for seniors for reasons which aren’t clear.
Murtha voted for the Iraq War timeline – in line with Pelosi and other anti-military types. Altmire also supported the timeline – after saying in his campaign that he would not.
Murtha and Altmire will vote “pro-life” (except when they can get away with not doing so) and pro-guns, but when they vote for leaders who are neither pro-life nor pro-Second Amendment.
Generally, when they can, they vote with leftist Democrats.
When they need political cover – for example, on abortion and guns – they are apparently allowed to vote “conservative.” Eventually, their skillful balancing act gives them so much power and access to campaign money that they don’t have to pay much attention to what their constituents think.
Hopefully, that’s going to change – and soon. If you don't like what's going on, let me direct to someone who's an agent of change: http://williamrussellforcongress.com.
Of course, if most voters didn’t see them that way, they’d soon be ex-congressmen. So, they both do their best to keep the ideological fiction alive.
Admittedly, Jack Murtha opposed Steny Hoyer of Maryland for the post of Majority Leader. Then, Hoyer’s advocates leaked stories to the press about ABSCAM and Murtha’s other examples of ethical deficiency.
Murtha accused his critics of “Swift-boating” him. In fact, they were “Truth-boating him, and he lost badly. His colleagues know he’s a crook, even if some of his constituents find that hard to comprehend.
Steny Hoyer is a piece-of-work. He likes to vote no – except when it comes to raising taxes.
He voted no on banning partial-birth abortions, no on Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (which saves me, my wife, and other senior thousands of dollars a year. He also voted no on banning same-sex marriages, no on banning human cloning, no on the Bush Tax Cuts, and no on restricting weapons makers’ liability.
Actually, Steny and Nancy Pelosi are a good team. She voted no on all the same things.
It makes you wonder why Murtha, the supposedly “conservative” Democrat, voted for Nancy Pelosi, the militant liberal, as Speaker of the House (she won unanimously). It makes you wonder why Jason Altmire, the other “conservative” Democrat also voted for her.
Of course, the Speaker of the House – with advice from the Majority Leader -- determines critical committee assignments. In other word, she doles out the real power in the House of Representatives. A Jack Murtha has one vote, powerful as he is in other ways, but the Speaker has the equivalent of many.
One wonders, given the conservative nature of their districts – I live in the 4th – how Murtha and Altmire can justify voting for her. She, along with Hoyer and many other Democrat leaders in the House, is totally out of step with Murtha’s and Altmire’s constituents. She’s influencing policies and legislation that goes against everything most people in western Pennsylvania believe.
Of course, Murtha’s explanation – which is no explanation – would be “That’s the way we DO BUSINESS here.
One other way he does business is to provide votes for his Party leftists when he can – as he did when he voted for federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Supposedly “pro-life” Altmire voted the same way.
Another strange vote was Murtha’s against the Prescription Drug Plan, one that’s probably saved seniors in his district roughly a hundred million dollars. Altmire also opposes prescription drugs for seniors for reasons which aren’t clear.
Murtha voted for the Iraq War timeline – in line with Pelosi and other anti-military types. Altmire also supported the timeline – after saying in his campaign that he would not.
Murtha and Altmire will vote “pro-life” (except when they can get away with not doing so) and pro-guns, but when they vote for leaders who are neither pro-life nor pro-Second Amendment.
Generally, when they can, they vote with leftist Democrats.
When they need political cover – for example, on abortion and guns – they are apparently allowed to vote “conservative.” Eventually, their skillful balancing act gives them so much power and access to campaign money that they don’t have to pay much attention to what their constituents think.
Hopefully, that’s going to change – and soon. If you don't like what's going on, let me direct to someone who's an agent of change: http://williamrussellforcongress.com.
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