BIll Russell: Murtha Wrong on Racist Charge

Press Release

BILL RUSSELL: Murtha Wrong on Racist Charge

Lt. Col. Bill Russell (ret), the Republican nominee in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District, responded today to new comments from Rep. Jack Murtha calling Western Pennsylvania "a racist area."

According to an article published by the Post-Gazette, Murtha made the following statements to reporters regarding Barack Obama's prospects the upcoming presidential contest: "There's no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area." Murtha would make similar comments to the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review saying, "Obama has got the problem of the racist issue in Western Pennsylvania."

Russell responded saying, "Once again Mr. Murtha is using the prestige and platform of public office to make wild, reckless statements about the people he represents in Congress." Adding, "Because the people of Western Pennsylvania aren't wholeheartedly embracing Barack Obama's values and positions on issues like the right-to-life, taxes and the 2nd Amendment doesn't makes us racist. That's the cheapest of cheap shots."

Russell said Murtha's latest comments reveal a "strange, arrogant disconnect from the people who live and work in Western Pennsylvania. He forgets that this is a melting pot of hard-scrapping immigrants. My wife Kasia is a Polish immigrant, my neighbors in Johnstown trace their ancestry to all corners of the earth. He needs to apologize. He needs to set the record straight."

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