Updated I– scan down to see William Russell’s reply (for anyone who does not know it, Russell is in what is believed to be a close race for Murtha’s Congressional seat).

Update II: Mark Levin played audio and commented about Murtha’s referring to his own constituents in Pennsylvania’s 12th District as racists. Was Murtha referring to the black voters in his District that by many estimates 95% of which will vote for Barack Obama? No, he was not:

(Note: also see Update III below)

Seven of the eight Marines originally charged with either murder or related charges in connection with the November 19, 2005 deaths of 24 (9 insurgents and 15 civilians) in Haditha, Iraq have either been acquitted or their charges have been dropped. In addition, the charges against SSgt Frank Wuterich have been reduced to nine counts of voluntary manslaughter and may never be brought due to ongoing appeals. Despite of those facts, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has this report about Congressman Murtha (D-PA, 12th District):

U.S. Rep. John Murtha stands by a controversial remark he made previously that U.S. Marines killed women and children “in cold blood” in Haditha, Iraq, in November 2005. The blunt description changed how American troops engaged Iraqis and improved overall conditions in the war, Murtha, an 18-term Democrat from Johnstown, said today during a wide-ranging interview with Tribune-Review reporters and editors. “There are all kinds of things that have happened that have made a difference, but one of the big differences is that we are not bullying our way through like we used to,” said Murtha, a former Marine and decorated Vietnam combat veteran. “The rules of engagement are clear — and it’s changed. One of the things that has made it better in Iraq is we are no longer just breaking down doors.”

Which proves (once again) how clueless John Murtha is about the surge. For his information, back at the beginning of the surge even the New York Times reported that General Petraeus reduced the Rules of Engagement contraints imposed on our troops in Iraq and ordered lower-level commands to not locally construct unit ROE. That was because the cautions imposed by the theatre-wide ROE were getting our troops killed and the ROE varied greatly from one unit to another, impairing joint operations. During the surge, our troops moved off their bases, worked closely with community defense forces and the Iraqi army, and aggressively hunted down and killed al Qaeda and insurgents.

Yet further evidence that a very haggard looking John Murtha is losing the last of his marbles were these remarks by him to the Tribune-Review about the people of his own Congressional district:

Iraq War veteran Army Lieutenant Colonel (retired) William Russell is running against John Murtha this year:

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.”

Let’s stand up for our troops and against the race-baiting, slandering Murtha.

Update III: National Review Online editor Kathryn Jean Lopez reports Congressman Murtha tried (and failed) to apologize to his constituents for calling them racists:

October 16, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Murtha Statement on Comments made about Western Pennsylvania Yesterday

JOHNSTOWN, PA — Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was quoted yesterday in remarks made at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (www.post-gazette.com ) and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (www.pittsburghlive.com ). He issued the following statement today: “I apologize for making the comment that ‘Western Pennsylvania is a racist area.’

“While we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election…

The 2000 census shows PA’s 12th District had then a population of 646,249, with its ethnic composition 95.3% White, 3.3% Black, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% Hispanic, 0.1% Native American, and 0.1% other. How can Murtha’s, “…we cannot deny that race is a factor in this election…” comment this morning be considered anything other than a non-apology apology and more race-baiting? All the lipstick he painted on after those words didn’t make that pig any prettier.