First Casualty Among the Veterans for Congress

It isn't completely over yet but isn't it ironic that the first casualty is the challenger to John Murtha. Meet LTC William Russell

A state judge yesterday ruled that the lone Republican running in the primary for the Western Pennsylvania seat did not collect enough signatures to make the ballot.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson said Republican candidate Bill Russell's nominating petition contained only 993 valid signatures, seven fewer than required.

That left Mr. Murtha, 75, a Democrat, without opposition in the primary or general election.

Mr. Russell, 45, left the Army two years short of retirement and moved from Washington, D.C., to Johnstown to challenge Mr. Murtha. He said yesterday that bad weather and other factors made it difficult to collect enough signatures in the heavily Democratic district.

For more information on veterans running for congress go here.

All is not lost for Mr Russell however.

Mr. Russell, citing a lack of money, said he was not planning an appeal to the state Supreme Court but would entertain a write-in nomination. To qualify as a write-in, Russell would need at least 1,000 votes and would have to be the top vote-getter in the Republican primary.

He still has one more shot, so I implore all Republicans in this PA district get out the vote and this piece of garbage, Murtha, out of office. I hope he is enjoying himself at his little pork barrel celebration tonight.