NEW YORK (CNN) - Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha has won re-election to his District 12 seat. He beat Republican challenger William Russell.
Murtha, serving his 16th term, recently fired up controversy after saying this about some of his own constituents: "There's no question western Pennsylvania is a racist area."
Murtha made those comments in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The video of that interview was posted on the internet. Murtha apologized for his words the next day.
But days later in an interview with a local television station, Murtha said his district, years ago, was "really redneck."
Former President Clinton recently campaigned on Murtha's behalf.
Murtha is an ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's and a vocal critic of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war.
He's well known for steering federal dollars to his state for projects and staunchly defends that.
From CNN Politics
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I said it eight months ago, CNN... Bye... I will never listen to this News Program again.. Pity!????????????????????
WHEW!!!
THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE MURTHA. WATCH WHAT YOU SAY NEXT TIME!
Murtha is a bigot. He won Pennsylvania. I am in shock.
He was right. Western PA is EXTREMELY racist. There was no need to apologize. He spoke the truth. The individuals who got mad by his comments would have been the ones who ARE racist.
You people deserve Murtha – I would be ashamed to live there!
Just shows that any of these crooks will get relected no matter how scummy they are as long as they can port up their District and people are ignorant enough to allow it to happen. Nothing will change in Washington, good job Pennsylvania
I want to thank Bush
for our wonderful and Historical achievement.
God bless AMERICA and GOD blees Barack Obama!!
Now let's all move forward together!!!
Peter
Quite frankly if Obama keeps his promise to bankrupt the coal industry, Pennsylvania voters and residents deserve to suffer the consequenses.
This district deserves him and his thoughts/actions.
So good to have him back to add to the discourse with such intelligent statements.
Self-interest wins again, and the King of Pork-Barrel reigns on.
Congratulations Rep. Murtha! YES WE CAN! YES WE DID!
Its a shame he won
HARD, HARD, HARD to believe you re-elected Murtha. However, I hope you get EXACTLY what you voted/wished for!
Now we can say, "YES WE DID!" instead of Yes we can. GREAT NIGHT FOR AMERICA! OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, OK then. Your member of Congress twice insults the character of you and your fellow residents of his district. Yet you return him to Congress. Western PA gets exactly what it deserves then.
So Pennsylvanians ARE as stupid as Obama thought.
How dumb are you people in Pennsylvania? This guy slapped you all in the face and you re-elect him? He's a piece of crap. Thank God he's old...
You go boy!
Some people are really willing to forgive. Murtha needs to watch what he says. He might think some of these things, but he shouldn't say them as freely as he is allowed to think them. He could have lost and I don't know how close the race was. He might not make it next time.
yes we can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
murtha is a simpleton putz.... plain and simple... murtha and anyone who voted for him is an uneducated delinquent.
CONGRATULATION Murtha. God Bless You.
OBAMA / BIDEN
this old man needs to retire
So, if murtha got re-elected, i guess he was right; his constituents are racist rednecks..........
So, Murthat got re-eleted. I guess his voters are proud that he considers them racists and rednecks.
Thank God !!
I tip my hat to you for being a great American and truthful.
If the people of PA are stupid enough to re-elect this toad after what he said, then they deserve what they get. Idiot rednecks
This is one guy that should go away
Murtha represents everything that is wrong with politics today. I'm a Democrat and even i hope he loses next time out.
yaaaaaaay!!!! Obama won!! Woooo hoooo!!!
It is hard to beat an incumbent even when he bad mouths his own constituents. Good luck to murtha,Pres elect Obama and our country
Are you kidding me! Murtha was right, the people that live in that part of the state are red necks. He stabbed our troops in the back over and over again, and yet you re-elect him. You deserve what you get.
Americans has show the world that their is hope for every body living in the USA by the election of OBAMA as the next American president. LONG LIVE OBAMA LONG LIVE THE USA
As a person raised in Western PA, I find the guy disgraceful. He's an old and obviously senile jerk that needs to hang up his hat.
What really amazes me, is the people he offended voted for him.
congrats to MURTHA for he is one to speak the truth. Martini in Playa del re california
if he can win why not obama
Congratulations Mr. Murtha. I hope that you use all of your experience to avoid future problems.
the comment about Murtha trafficing money into western Pa is true. He also uses his connections to bring jobs to the area. Even though he is not well liked the general population will continue to vote for him. Once he is gone, so are the jobs that he has brought to the area!! So can you really call the people of western Pa stupid rednecks for wanting to stay employed?
shaking my head as to why he won after calling us racists rednecks and then asking for our vote.
He's not afraid to speak the truth. I grew up in southwestern PA, he didn't lie, it's an incredibly racist area.
What's really amazing here is that most of you think it's an insult to be called a redneck. I consider it an honor.
If you lived in murtha's district you would want him to win as well. Research the area & understand the economics that have been significantly boosted by him. We all say things we wish we could take back, but sometimes the truth hurts. For people who know that area racism boils under the surface. It may not be obvious but murtha's statement wasn't far off
ANew dayhas come,finally we have shownthe world what democracy really means and a good model for the whole world congrats America and GOd bless USA