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Murtha in trouble after calling constituents racist

By matt carter ⋅ October 23, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

From The Hill:

A new independent poll shows Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) leading his opponent by only five points, just a week after he suggested residents of western Pennsylvania are racist. 
Forty-six percent of voters in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district said they supported Murtha, while 41 percent voiced support for his Republican challenger, retired Army Lt. Col. Bill Russell. Eight percent of voters said they were undecided, 4 percent said they preferred another candidate, and 1 percent refused to answer.

Murtha has found himself in hot water after telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that there is “no question” western Pennsylvania is racist. Murtha subsequently apologized, only to make another controversial statement about his constituents earlier this week.

“This whole area, years ago, was really redneck,” Murtha told a Pittsburgh television news affiliate earlier this week.

And his Republican competition is getting airtime as the result of Murtha’s comments.

Tags: murtha, Pennsylvania, racism