William Russell, Heather Wilson: Excellence

A Vets4Russell web site will be appearing soon, and I urge everyone to visit it. Veterans are a critical constituency for Murtha opponent William T. Russell. There are approximately 50,000 veterans in Russell's 12th Congressional District of PA. We won't get all of them, but we will get the vast majority of them. The damage Murtha has done with his irresponsible comments about Haditha is incalculable.

I'll be one of the contributors to the site.

I also urge everyone to visit the Web site of the only female veteran ever elected to Congress -- Air Force Academcy graduate and Rhodes Scholar Heather Wilson. She's running for the New Mexico Senate seat to replace Sen. Pete Domenici. You can find her at: http://HeatherforSenate.com.

The absolute best way we can "support our troops" is to elect quality people like William Russell and Heather Wilson. Contributing to these fine people is the best step we can take to improve the quality of our government. Please do so today!

steve maloney
http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com
http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com

Moved To Other Sites, Please Visit

SmartPolitics101 is phasing out, and my efforts from now on through the election in November, 2008 will be directed toward: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com and http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com. Please go to either of those sites to see a column that incoprorates the image of heroism portrayed above. Also, as soon as you can, visit William Russell's http://williamrussellforcongress.com. He needs your support in his all-out effort to defeat John Murtha. God bless all of you!

New Column on Defeating Murtha

There's a new column on http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com. It deals with three issues that can result the election of Lt. Col. William Russell in his campaign against John Murtha. During the month of December, I'll be folding "SmartPolitics101" in with my two other sites, which are: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com and http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com.

The number of "Bloggers 4 Russell" continues to grow. Thanks for visiting!

MURTHA, ALTMIRE: PA'S ODD COUPLE

THE FRIDAY COLUMN IS NOW UP ON MY NEW SITE (CLICK). C'MON OVER!

By tomorrow morning (Friday), I'll have another column up on my new site: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/.

It will deal with the close -- and even somewhat disturbing -- relationship between Cong. John Murtha (D, PA 12th District) and Cong. Jason Altmire (D, PA 4th District). Both individuals are about as low as it goes in Pennsylvania and national politics. At one point in 2006, Altmire called the much-older Murtha "his campaign manager." Murtha apparently taught Altmire everything he knows about campaigning one way and voting another.

During elections, both claim to be "pro-life," but they don't always vote that way. Yes, I support Murtha's and Altmire's opponents -- William T. Russell and Melissa Hart -- and I do so for some very specific reasons. Russell and Hart are individuals of unquestioned integrity, and Murtha and Altmire most certainly are not.If you're someone who strongly wants Murtha "out" of Congress, you'll surely wish the same fate for Altmire.

During his football "career" at Florida State University, Altmire was nothing more than a bench-warmer. After his bizaree first-term as a congressman, it's time to return him to the political bench.

YOU CAN HELP DEFEAT MURTHA

Thursday, December 6, 2007

YOU Can Help Defeat Murtha
Thursday, December 6, 2007 (This column appears on my new, main blog, which you can reach by clicking on the link below. Your comments are always welcome.)YOU Can Help Defeat Murtha

Note: What if you're not in Jack Murtha's district? Should you care about the race there? YOU SURE SHOULD! If Lt. Col. Russell can defeat "The Prince of Pork," it would be the race-heard-round the world. It would have a tremendous -- positive -- effect in undermining al Qaida and other terrorists worldwide. It would let them know they can't play politics in the U.S.Also, the principles and tactics that will lead to Murtha's defeat will work in many other districts around the nation.

Murtha is widely -- and wrongly -- perceived as a "conservative" Democrat. That view of him is dead wrong.

As perhaps Nancy Pelosi's closest ally in Congress, Murtha is a critical component of the Democratic majority.Mrs. Pelosi is opposed to nearly everything that's important to 12th District voters. If you don't like Pelosi, the worst way to express that is to vote for Murtha.A loss by Murtha will send a message to all Democratic elected officials. It would show them that can't play "fast-and-loose" with the lives of American troops, as Murtha has done with his disgraceful comments on the Haditha Marines. I've said that Lt. Col. Russell deserves and needs your support. If you can make even a small contribution, it will be a factor in helping him defeat Murtha.

Let's just do it!

(Scroll down for columns exposing the myths that Murtha tries to perpetuate.) As I've noted before, I'm moving my main blog activity to: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com. Please visit and bookmark the site. Thanks.

Murtha: My "Problems" With Him

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

JOHN MURTHA: SNARES, DELUSIONS, & MONEY (please click on the link preceding).
I'll be focusing on my new blog in days ahead. But I even have a column today on this site. It's another "practical politics" piece about what Lt. Col. Russell is doing right -- and should do in the future, in my humble (?) opinion -- and what Jack Murtha is doing wrong.

I even mention a money-figure ($500,000) that I believe Russell needs, which is never done in politics! Of course, getting a significant amount of "early money" (almost a year before the elction) if you're a challenger -- like Russell -- is a little like pulling off a suntan in Johnstown on December 4. It's about 25 degrees and snowing in these parts by the way.

Today, I'm "suggesting" that the campaign get 1,000 tee-shirts (Russell for Congress!) for volunteers to wear proudly every day until they disintegrate (the tee-shirts, not the volunteers). I don't blame the people at Russell headquarters if they're rolling their eyes. To some of them I might as well be suggesting they buy 1,000 tiny mousetaps. "Mouskateers for Russell!"

The reason you never mention money goals is that (at least) three things can happen, all of them bad.

• You can be right on the number, which the media interprets as "barely met expectations."
• Or your number can be too high, which makes the press say "fell short of expectations."
• Or your number can be too low, which results in the story that you were "playing possum" and knew all along you were lowballing. (Mixed metaphor, I know.)

Please scroll down for comments on Murtha's claims about his legislative accomplishments, which are two parts snares, and three parts delusions. Some people in Johnstown know that but are afraid to say it. They're afraid they'll be tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail.

Not that http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com will be folding up its tent near the end of December, but http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/ will go, in the poet's words, "as long as forever is."

Please visit it, bookmark it, and recommend it to 500 of your closest friends (even if they won't get tee-shirts).

I love my many visitors. Their presence not only honors me, but also amazes my rational side. In Ambridge, PA, we keep our expectations low, which means we're rarely disappointed.

I'll be with you until Election Day -- and beyond.

Please visit my new "SteveMaloneyGOP" site -- link in this sentence and above. I hope you'll find it to be the kind of place you'll want to return to every day.

___________________________________

A friend asked me why I dislike John Murtha so much. I sent him the following explanation:

"My problem with Murtha is that I despise the guy so much he unhinges me at times. I think he's a phoney, and I believe he turned his back on our military in order to run for Majority Leader. God, that's a terrible thing to do. What kind of a "man" would do that?

Also, he's totally inflated his accomplishments in the District. If he's one of "Nancy's boys" how can he have any connection with the mostly good people in his own District? Dozens of kids from the District have died and been seriously wounded. I have never heard the guy condemn al Qaida."

"He's either an egomaniac or the most cynical man in DC."

RUSSELL: PUTTING HEAT ON MURTHA

As I indicated previously, I'm shifting all my "main" blogging activity to the following: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspost.com. My primary emphasis from now until Election Day, 2008, will be on the challenges offered by Democrats to Republicans. I'll be moving this column over to the new site, and soon SmartPolitics101 will be strutting its stuff at SteveMaloneyGOP.

I'll always stay away from the staple of most blogs, political "tidbits" largely culled from the MSM (mainstream media, for my Australian visitors, of whom I have many). I want to discuss practical steps that good GOP candidates can use to defeat less-good (and sometimes, awful) opponents. In short, I'll stay away from "tidbit journalism."

A generation ago, a political science professor, Seymour Scher at the University of Rochester, told us that "politics is the art of influencing public decisions." That's a good definition, and it covers everything from electing good candidates to having a positive effect on laws and regulations. Remember, a lot of apparently "social" activities have a strong political component.

By the way, don't ask me how I feel about this group or that group (e.g., Blacks, Hispnaics, older veterans, union members, young people, women professionals, and the like). I want their votes, and if you're a candidate interesting in operating "of, by, and for the people," you should also. The ideal is to get majority support from all groups.

On my other blogs -- this one and that one, as we'll affectionately call them -- I focus often on how to take votes away from "the other guy" (or "other gal") as well as how to find new votes.

In a district like the Pennsylvania 12th (now held by the odious John Murtha) registration (in either party) is low -- and so is voter turnout. Many of these non-voters are people who've given up hope on every influencing elections and public policy. For example, they're so used to John Murtha running unopposed that they're surprised on occasions when he does have a strong competitor.

There are tens of thousands of people in the 12th District who could (and I'd say, should) vote but don't. If he can figure out how to get a lot of these people registered, Lt. Col. William Russell -- Murtha's Republican challenger -- should get the lion's share of their votes.

At the same time, Russell has to accomplish something more difficult. He needs to tear away -- on analogy with ripping the bark off trees -- voters who have cast ballots for Murtha in the past. In short, Russell has to convince them that he's far the better choice. Doing so will mean convincing people -- tens of thousands -- that Murtha is not the man they've believed him to be.

The fact that Murtha's old (i.e., older than me) isn't by itself an argument against him. However, the fact that he makes daffy statements about the Iraq War and our soldiers is a sign that he's not aging well. His recent statement that "The surge is working," combined with statements the next day that it's not, calls into serious question the man's judgment.

His political "romance" with Nancy Pelosi is a problem for Murtha. If he believes a far-left social radical like the Speaker is an appropriate leader for his Party, then what type of leadership is he offering to his moderately conservative -- and pro-military -- district? He can't be one of the "Nancy Boys" and still be an effective representative of the 12 District of Pennsylvaia.

The 12th District, supposedly a "lock" for Democrats, is one that's long been tending Republican in national elections. There are a lot of nominal Democrats there, "Reagan Democrats," and a good chunk of them should be winnable by Russell.

If George Bush can win Murtha's Cambria County in 2004, that doesn't necessarily mean Russell can carry it. However, it means he can come a lot closer in Cambria than will make Murtha comfortable. Several other counties, including rapid-growth Washington, in the District should be winnable for Russell.

A majority of the voters in the 12th will cast their votes for Russell IF HE GIVES THEM GOOD REASONS TO DO SO. One good reason is that he's assuredly NOT Jack Murtha.

Also, if Russell can make real inroads in conservative Democratic areas like Uniontown, then this could be a real horserace. Murtha's recent bizarre statements about the War in Iraq show that he's already feeling the heat as the Russell Campaign begins to warm up.

Russell needs to think back to Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984. He carried some distinctly un-Republican places (at the time) like Massachusetts, New York and Michigan -- not to mention Pennsylvania. Voters may have Party preferences, but few of them qualify as robots.

For Murtha, let me paraphrase some famous words from Harry Truman: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the race. I have a hunch that on Election Day, 2008, The Prince of Pork is going to be sweating profusely.

If Russell can raise $500,000 in this election, he can win. There's evidence that, with the continued support of people like you, he can generate enough cash to get his message across. Murtha is on pace -- take a look at "Murtha" on opensecrets.org -- to raise $4 million. If he continues to demonstrate a constant state of anger and befuddlement, he may not be able to win with $40 million.

Look for him to enter "The Murtha Panic Mode" and start making wild charges against Lt. Col. William Russell and his supporters. He did the same thing against Diana Irey, and "Old Dog" Murtha refuses to learn any new tricks.

If Lt. Col. Russell, an authentic American Warrior, ends up congressman-elect, please don't faint from shock. When and if Russell wins, it might be the most significant victory in the history of the PA Republican Party.

Note: Please go to: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com and bookmark it for future reference.

I like SmartPolitics101, and I'm going to stick with it for a while longer. Tomorrow, I hope to put up a column about political guru Lee Atwater, who played a central role in the Reagan campaigns and in the first campaign of Bush 41. He was also a mentor to S J Reidhead of the legendary site: http://ThePinkFlamingo.blogharbor/blog.

However, my main purpose right now is to announce that I have a new main blog. I'll be moving away over the next 10 days or so from my CampaignVictoryA site and going to a new "blog home." It will be, forevermore I hope, http://SteveMaloneyGOP.blogspot.com.

I've decided that when it comes to my bete noire, John Murtha, that I am taking the gloves off. Today's column (and it will stay up tomorrow, Tuesday) is: The Most-Hated Congressman: Murtha

Has a nice ring to it, huh? On Wednesday, I'll have another column: "Murtha's Rancid Bacon," about his supposedly "bringing home the bacon." Actually, the 12th congressional district is largely what it was a generation ago when the steel mills and coal mines went bottom up: a chronically depressed area.

That will come as a shock to people, especially those in Johnstown, who look at Murtha as the economic savior of the region. He's not.

When someone has nothing to eat, you can always give him a slice of moldly bread. I'm sure he'll be grateful -- and perhaps even regard you as a kind of savior. And there we have the city of Johnstown. The rest of the district, 90%, with the exception of a few enclaves of Republicanism, is worse.

Come visit. We'll have fun together!

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS

My comment today to someone who thought I might be too vigorous on my condemnations of John Murtha: "This will not be a pillow fight." I stand by the veracity of every observation I've made about "The Prince of Pork," including my statement that "He has blood on his hands." Murtha has created his own political pig sty and calling attention to that is in no way "unfair."

Would I be spending so much time, energy, and money opposing Murtha if I didn't believe he was a total narcissist, someone out for his own good at the expense of nearly everyone else? Answer: NO!

Do I believe Murtha falsely condemned the Hadith Marines -- and emboldened the enemy -- for any reason other than this political gain? I do not. His anti-military messages were designed to curry favor with the far-left-wing of his Party, a group called "The Nancy Boys." There is NO evidence that suggests otherwise.

Also, do I believe Murtha has brought home the bacon anywhere in the 12th Distrcit other than a scant few of his favorite locations? The vast majority of people in the District have not benefited at all from Murtha's huge earmarks, directed to the rich and the few rather than the poor and the many. There is NO evidence that suggests otherwise.

Those are the reasons why I strongly oppose Murtha and all he represents.

__________________________________
If you're a conservative or moderate individual, merely "hoping" your favorite candidates win is not enough. That's especially true when it comes to Republican congressional hopeful who -- in most cases -- are not going to raise as much money as their Democrat counterparts. So, what can you do?

• First, make a financial contribution to the candidate you support. If you can't donate $50 or $100, then send in $20 -- or even $10. All campaigns need to pay the light bills and phone bills, and a Republican candidate like William Russell is a man of modest personal means. Unlike Murtha, he hasn't "sold out" to anyone.
• Second, make sure you're registered to vote. I've talked to several people who are strongly for Russell, but -- like tens of thousands of people in the 12th congressional district -- they haven't yet registered.
• Third, don't just keep your support in your own head and heart. Talk up the candidacy to your family and friends. Tell them briefly exactly why -- in 50 words or less -- that you support the candidate (e.g. "lower taxes . . . strong on national security . . . a solider who knows the real story in Iraq . . . a person of good character");
• Fourth, show visible signs that you support the candidate -- such as displaying a yard sign, putting a bumper sticker on your car, wearing a "campaign tee-shirt," and the like.
• Fifth, write letters-to-the-editor of the local paper or call a talk-show and promote your candidate;
• Sixth, volunteer to work at the candidate's headquarters where you can help stuff envelopes and meet and greet "walk-in" voters;
• Seventh, make phone calls in support of your candidate;
• Eighth, go door-to-door to show voters face-to-face that your candidate has good people supporting him or her (and always be courteous when you find people who support the opposition);
• Ninth, support the candidate on your blog -- or by using your e-mail list to tell people about him or her. For Lt. Col. Russell, you should also sign up at: http://joinrussell.com/.
• Tenth, attend as many campaign meetings and press conferences as you can to demonstrate support.

Actually, there are more than "10 commandments" for conservative (and moderate) activists, but this is a very good start. Understand that how well your candidate does on Election Day depends on the degree of support you provide.

Like everything else in life, politics has gone high tech. However, the same principles Abraham Lincoln used -- basically, being a good person and asking people for their vote -- still hold true today. As an individual, you need to leverage your political beliefs in every way possible.

Yes, you have only one ballot. However, if you work hard enough, you can influence 20, 50, or even 100 votes by other people. In the Russell Campaign, we're aiming for 1,000 dedicated volunteers, and they might influence 30,000-plus votes.

If you're committed to the William Russell campaign against Murtha -- and most people reading this are -- you can get important information at the main Russell site.

BLOGGERS FOR RUSSELL

"And as for YOU, you shall have NO earmarks for Christmas!"

Cong. John Murtha speaks authoritatively on The Surge:

“There is no way the surge will work.” John Murtha, March 2007

“I think the surge is working.” John Murtha, November, 2007




Generally, I don't cross-post between this site and my other one, but I'll make an exception thisweekend. You'll find a longer version of this piece at CampaignVictory2008A. Any ideas you want to share on defeating Murtha will be very welcome.

On my other site, you will see this weekend approximately 45 "Bloggers 4 Russell." All of them are "active blogs" who get a number of visitors every week. Some of the blogs may get 30 visitors in a week. Others, like The Pink Flamingo (Cindy's site), 911 Families (Tim's site), and the band of mothers (Bev's site) get tens of thousands of visitors in a week.

Michelle Malkin has one of the most popular blogs in the universe, and she's strongly supporting William. The Blogging effort does three things. First, it creates "buzz," that is talk about Russell's candidacy by many thousands of people. Second, it attracts volunteers who will mainly seek out voters. Third, it will draw contributors to Russell's site.

Right now, contributors are critical because a campaign can't run on "air." If you have a blog and support William Russell, you need to sign up now. You can do so by leaving a comment (with your e-mail address and/or blog link) or by e-mailing me at TalkTop65@aol.com.

By the end of this year (it's still 2007, isn't it?) we should have 100-plus Bloggers 4 Russell. By next October, a month before the election, we should have more than 500 -- and perhaps as many as a thousand. If bloggers approach the Russell-Murtha race systematically and frequently, they should attract (and include) thousands of voters in PA's 12th District.

They should also attract many contributors. Yes, we'd love to get the big bucks $2300 (or $4600) contributions that will flow into Murtha's coffers. But right now we're asking for $10, $25, and $50. Of course, we'll be overjoyed in those cases where we got larger contributions, as we have in several cases.

HILLARY'S FOLLIES, MURTHA'S JOLLIES: POLITICAL HUMOR

(Above) John Murtha Reacting to Lt. Col. William Russell's run for Congress

I promise today will not be a serious column. I shall instead look at the lighter side. I'm doing a separate light-side column on my other main blog. Please visit and tell all your friends -- well, at least tell both of them.

Why does John Murtha fear William Russell's candidacy? You might as well ask why a vampire isn't enamored with bright sunlight.

What does Murtha have in common with the Johnstown Flood? Both are all wet.
How long exactly has Murtha been in Congress? Since shortly before the Birth of the Republic.

Why did John Murtha cross the road? Because on to the other side he saw a lobbyist.

There's no truth to the rumor that Lt. Col Russell advocates re-naming Johnstown's "The John Murtha Cancer Center" and calling it "The American Taxpayers Cancer Center."

What did John Murtha change into when he stopped being a "hawk?" A chicken-hawk.

What was John Murtha's response when he got condemned for falsely criticizing the Haditha Marines? He asked, "Can't these people take a joke?"

Why does Hillary Clinton favor driver's licenses for illegals? Maybe she thinks one of them will run over Giuliani or Obama?

What will John Murtha's first TV ad look like? Him waving a white flag?Tuesday on NCIS Agent Gibbs said "There's no such thing as an ex-Marine." But has Agent Gibbs ever met John Murtha?

Hillary Clinton says there will be "no co-presidency" with hubby Bill. In that family, we know who wears the pants suits.

What's the difference between Washington lobbyists and Murtha? They write the checks -- and he signs them.

What will happen to Murtha's Johnstown cronies when he leaves the political scene? It will be forever known as "The Night the Lights Went Out."

What did Bill say when Hillary first confronted him with the Lewinsky rumors? "Liar, liar, your pants suit's on fire."

This is the year from "halves" in the Democratic Party -- Obama is half-Black, Richardson is half-Hispanic, Kucinich is half-grown, and Hillary is . . . half-baked.

Endorsement of the Week: "I support Dennis Kucinich because . . . I believe he offers an essential, viable and exciting option to the candidates who are more popular." (Larry Flynt, pornographer)

Why does Hillary really want to be President?

Oneupwomanship?

Votes For Sale: A poll of New York University students revealed that 20% would give up their vote in the next election for an iPod . . . Imagine that, college students with the right priorities.

CONSERVATIVE CHEAPSKATES? LIBERAL FAT CATS

Let's see, Republicans are the candidates with all the money, and the poor Dems have to run a bare-bones operations, right? Wrong, wrong, wrong. A recent analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) shows that the Dems are way ahead of Republicans might as well be selling pencils.

Here's what the CRP says: "Top industries and interest groups have increased their giving over 2004 by 46 percent, the Center finds. As money shifts to Democrats, giving from Republican strongholds is mostly flat.

"The sharpest increases since 2004 tend to be in the ideological sector. Democratic/liberal interests have increased their giving 396 percent since 2004, fueled particularly by Internet fundraising organizations such as ActBlue."

"Candidates have been donating money to each other at a greater rate, too. Contributions from candidate committees are up 164 percent compared with four years ago, and contributions from leadership PACs—political action committees formed by politicians to support other candidates—are up 88 percent over the '04 [election] cycle."

"The industries with the smallest increases [in political giving], and even decreases in several cases, tend to have Republican-leaning track records. The automotive industry, which has contributed 75 percent of its money to the GOP since the 1990 cycle, has decreased its contributions by 20 percent since 2004."

'Democratic donors seem unusually mobilized for this election," [one expert] said, "but those industries who've traditionally given to Republicans seem to be either nursing their wounds from '06 or sitting this election out."

"As interest groups and industries contribute substantially more money, they are also shifting their giving to Democrats, both to members of Congress now that the party is in control and to Democratic presidential candidates. The typical big-giving industry is now giving 57 percent of its contributions to Democrats, a shift of 14 percentage points from both 2006 and 2004, when the party and its candidates collected only 43 percent of the money."

The CRP article notes that the sectors increasing their political giving include the securities and investment industery, lawyers and law firms, and the entertainment business -- all traditionally big donors to Democrats.

What's the good news for Republicans in the piece? There isn't any.

CRP drives the nail in us by saying, "As interest groups and industries contribute substantially more money, they are also shifting their giving to Democrats, both to members of Congress now that the party is in control and to Democratic presidential candidates.

Overall, CRP says, "The typical big-giving industry is now giving 57 percent of its contributions to Democrats, a shift of 14 percentage points from both 2006 and 2004, when the party and its candidates collected only 43 percent of the money."

Clearly, the CPR story isn't exactly the kind of music that's going to get the GOP elephant dancing in the streets. It makes one think that the pasting we took in 2006 may be nothing compared to the beating we experience in 2008.

A major reason SmartPolitics101 exists is to discuss ways that under-funded Republican campaigns can still be winners. This blog's columns emphasize the need for organization and relatively low-budget communications, mainly those that take place over the Internet. Essentially, it means we have to knock on every door in order to get voters to support our candidates.

I'm also emphasizing the need to get people who have never contributed to a political campaign to turn over a new lead and become at least small donors. My assumption is that somebody who finally unlocks a wallet or purse and gives $25 probably will donate again. They'll be "invested" in a campaign in a way that will make them effective activists.

Specifically, there are hundreds of thousands of people (probably millions) who would really like to see Lt. Col. William Trower Russell defeat John Murtha. If 10% of the people who believe "MurthaMustGo" made even small contributions to Russell, he would have enough money to wage a winning campaign.

Being a conservative doesn't mean just having spouting off regularly on what's wrong with America. It also means doing what is necessary -- including making contributions -- to ensure conservative views get a real hearing in Washington, DC.

Frankly, we do more for terrific candidates than just wish them well. We need, as the saying goes, to start putting our money where our mouths are.

There are 85,000 military veterans in the 12th District of Pennsylvania. If one percent of that number -- 850 people --make a relatively small donation to William, which they should, it could add tens of thousands of dollars dedicated to his effort. He's making a big sacrifice, and all of us should make at least a small one.

The upshot: If you haven't contributed yet to Lt. Col Russell, please do so today. Otherwise, we'll all end up singing the same old sad song the day after the Election.

BLOGGER BARES ALL FINANCIAL INFORMATION!

I sent the following message to the Queen of the Blogosphere, Cindy at The Pink Flamingo, which has more visitors than Paris Hilton's boudoir: "SmartPolitics101 moved up 1.5 million spots on Technorati (meaning somebody showed up finally) Soon, I shall control the entire Western world. I'm now putting jokes at the head of each column. Yes, I've become a techno-slut.

If Ron Paul is so smart, how come he has two first-names?

If Ron Paul ran with John Murtha, what would their campaign slogan be? Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dummer.

On my other primary site, I put up the following plea today:

BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL!

LATER TODAY (TUESDAY), I'LL BE LAUNCHING A RENEWED "BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL" EFFORT. AS YOU SEE ON MY BLOGROLL SIDEBAR, THERE ARE ALREADY ABOUT 35 BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL ALREADY LISTED -- PEOPLE WHO STRONGLY SUPPORT AND WRITE ABOUT LT. COL. RUSSELL. MY PERSONAL GOAL BY NEXT SPRING IS TO HAVE 300 BLOGGERS 4 RUSSELL , REPRESENTING JUST ABOUT EVERY STATE IN THE UNION. I ASK EVERY BLOGGER 4 RUSSELL TO CONSIDER AT LEAST A SMALL FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO GIVE THIS CAMPAIGN A FOUNDATION FOR VICTORY. BECOME A BLOGGER 4 RUSSELL BY LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS SITE, OR BY E-MAILING ME AT: TALKTOP65@AOL.COM. THANKS! IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOG (YET), YOU CAN JOIN THE GROUP BY SENDING YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS

In all candor, why do I want to collect a long list of Bloggers 4 Russell?

One reason is that, at the early stage of a campaign, it's essential to create "buzz" (word-of-mouth) about the candidate. Lt. Col. Russell is running in one district (out of 435) in an area of Pennsylvania few people know much about. Bloggers are people who tell others what's going on, and Russell needs them a great deal at this time, even though it's 11 months prior to the election.

I have another motive: Many bloggers for Russell will contribute money to his campaign, and they'll encourage others to do so. People who go to William Russell's web site will be motivated to offer their support -- even if they live far away from the 12th Congressional District.

In 2006, Diana Lynn Irey ran against Murth and got a remarkable 7,000 contributions. In 2008, William Russell could get as many as 10,000 contributions, partly because so many people dislike John Murtha, but mostly because Russell is such an excellent human being.

In politics, many people feel strongly about issues and candidates. However, very few individuals -- fewer than one-in-50 voters ever contribute money to candidates they favor. In the case of "big donors" ($200 or more), they're a relatively rare breed. You can check the statistics by going to opensecret, which outlines who contributes and who doesn't.

John Murtha, William's opponent, isn't going to have any trouble raising money. If you check out his "contributions" for 2008 on OpenSecret, you'll note that he is approaching a million dollars at this point. In the last election, against Diana Irey, Murtha raised more than $3 million -- much of it from "contributors" he'd paid off with large piles of taxpayers' money.

You can see how it works by looking at this report: http://kxmb.com/News/Nation/178645.asp
or by checking out the Seattle Times extensive report on Murtha trading federal dollars for campaign contributions.

In short, Murtha gives lobbyists and companies your tax money -- and they give him a chunk back as a "contribution." William Russell, an honest man, won't be doing any of that.

Lt. Col. Russell is not some rich guy. He's an Army brat who served his entire adult life as a soldier -- in unfriendly venues like Desert Storm, the Balkans, and Iraqi Freedom.

I'm trying to generate funds for Russell by asking people to contribute a small amount. By that, it mean a sum around $25. My assumption is that people who make one small contribution will make another one or two in the future. Also, they might urge friends and family members to follow their lead in contributing money.

People who live paycheck to paycheck perhaps can't contribute money. However, they can contribute their time and effort, and that's eventually going to count for a lot.

A campaign can't run on thin air. It costs money for heat and light in a small headquarters. There are phone bills and travel costs. A few full-time staffers need to be paid, as they won't have time to work at another job.

What about me? I have never revealed what I contribute to campaigns, but I will now.

In 2007, as of today, I have contributed the following:

• William F. Russell $250 (actually, $249, but what's a buck or two among friends);
• Diana Irey for County Commissioner ($200),
• Melissa Hart for Congress ($100) -- check with me on how to contribute to her;
• Jean Schmidt for Congress ($25),
• Heather Wilson for Senate ($25).

I've told William's campaign that my contributions to him by the end of December will total $400. By Election Day, 2008, I may be up $1000 for William's effort. Yes, I believe in him that much.

I'll also give some modest support to Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina.

At my urging, one staunch McCain supporter (Brad) contributed $50 to William's campaign. I told him I would contribute $50 to Senator McCain's presidential campaign.

I'm not exactly "made of money" (to say the least!). I live in an old mill town in a house that cost an unremarkable $70,000. My wife has been disabled since 1991. We also have a partially disabled child living with us. I'm semi-retired, and I don't live in a mansion (to say the least!)

I'm contributing to William's campaign (and the others) because I want this to be a country my children and grandchildren will love as much as I do. I want William to run a campaign that will make John Murtha sweat -- and possibly reflect for perhaps a minute on the errors of his ways.

The candidates I support (and I'd add Gov. Sarah Palin and former Gov. Jim Gilmore, who is running for the Senate in VA) are truly exceptional people. Yes, they're all conservatives, but what they want to conserve is what's best about America. If we don't financially support good men and women, we'll end up with a Congress overflowing with John Murthas, Nancy Pelosis, Ted Kennedys, Howard Jeffersons (the man with $90,000 in his freezer), and Harry Reids.

So, please consider giving a small contribution (hint: large is also okay) to Lt. Col. William Russell. Trust me, you won't regret it.

William T. Russell: Thinking "Outside of the Box"

The 12th Congressional District's Favorite Sourpuss, John Murtha

William T. Russell is running for Congress in the 12th District, which is south and west of Pittsburgh. So why should William look to the 14th District -- centered in the city of Pittsburgh and represented by Democrat Mike Doyle, who always runs unopposed for support?

A little background: The 14th congressional District is a classically Democrat area. It includes all of Pittsburgh and several mostly working class suburbs to the east, south, and west. There's some green-lawn suburbia here, but much of the district is in the Monongahela Valley, where the steel industry once (but no longer) belched flames and provided jobs.

There aren't many Republicans or moderate Independents in such a place, right? Wrong!

Consider the 2004 presidential election, in which John Kerry won the 14th by 69% to 30% over George W. Bush. Perhaps Kerry's win constitutes a real skunking, but it hides an important truth.

In 2004, GWB's vote total in the 14th was 88,0000-plus votes. In other words, there are a lot of voters mostly unrepresented by Mike Doyle, a predictable tax-and-grab Democrat.

So, where does William Russell fit into this equation? Frankly, he needs to go into what many regard as enemy territory -- the 14th -- and seek contributions and campaign support from those 88,000 people.

If he spent a few days in the 14th in targeted meetings with Republicans, he could raise funds and find people willing to help in the 12th District race against Murtha. The 88,000 voters who cast ballots are not going to be friendly to Murtha. They can't vote for William, but they can help him in many other ways.

Of course, one of the important groups supporting Russell consists of veterans. In the 14th, there are more than 85,000 veterans, most of whom will not be fans of anti-military John Murtha.

I'm suggesting something almost unheard of in congressional races. Candidates just don't do that kind of thing -- going into "someone else's" district. Well, in this case, it's time to break with precedent.

Yes, Mike Doyle will take decent care of the Democrats in the 14th. However, William Russell should assure his supporters there that he'll take care of their interests -- especially keeping their taxes down -- when he's elected to Congress.

In the recent Pittsburgh mayoral election, Republican candidate Mark DeSantis received 35% of the vote. He also raised more than $300,000. Based on DeSantis' success, it should be possible for William to raise over time more than $100,000 in Pittsburgh.

Of course, William will need a significant amount of money to conduct a winning campaign, but his main emphasis will be on using volunteers wisely and generally conducting an effort relying on "outside-of-the-box" thinking.

Because of so many years of Democrat misrule, the 14th District is losing population at a rapid rate. A lot of people have given up hope on living there. William Russell can "keep hope alive" in Pittsburgh, while also benefitting his campaign for Congress.

(See the column below this one regarding declining population in Democratic districts, including Doyle's.)

Go for it, William!


Note: I'll cross-post this at some point on my main blog. If you'd like to contribute to Russell's campaign, you can do so by clicking on the link at the start of this column.

Trower Russell Against John Murtha, With a Word About Tomorrow's Column

The following column is re-posted from my two other sites: Campaign2008VictoryA and MurthaMustGo. In the future, most of the columns here will be distinctive, emphasizing practical steps political activists can take to ensure the election of outstanding candidates. Tomorrow, I'll be writing about the uses -- and misuses -- of immigration issues.

Many people are justifiably upset at the stream of illegal immigrants coming across our borders. At the same time, it's critical that the Republican Party refrain from seriously offending LEGAL Hispanics, who make up the largest minority group in the U.S. Frankly, the Hispanic vote is critically important in several important states -- including California, Texas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada. To win the presidency, not to mention state offices, Republicans need a significant level of support from Hispanic voters.

______________________________

Here’s a major mystery for you.

In my own Pennsylvania congressional district (the 4th, west and north of Pittsburgh), the number of votes cast in 2006 were just over 230,000. However, in the 12th District (south and west of Pittsburgh) – the one represented by John Murtha – there were only 200,000 votes.

What happened to the other 30,000 votes in the 12th? After all, every congressional district has about the same number of people (just under 700,000). So why are there dramatically fewer votes in the 12th?

There are several related reasons. One is that there more unregistered adults in the 4th. Another is that many people there don’t exercise their right to vote.Why don’t they?

In their heart of hearts, many residents don’t believe their votes really count. Sadly, they’re more right than wrong.In John Murtha’s own Johnstown and surrounding Cambria County. Generally, the only people – with rare exceptions – who get elected to office are Democrats. In most cases, Democrat officeholders run either unopposed or with token opposition.

In Murtha’s case, he’s “served” the people of the 12th District for 35 years. He almost never has anything like serious opposition. A partial exception was in 2006 when Diana Lynn Irey ran an intense campaign against Murtha, getting nearly 80,000 votes. Murtha got roughly 120,000 votes.

In many ways, Diana, my dear friend and political ally, out-campaigned Murtha. For example, she got a total of 7,000 contributions that came from every state in the Union. In contrast, Murtha got 6,500 contributions, although his average donations were much larger than Diana’s.

So, how on earth can William Trower Russell compete with Murtha? One way is to focus on all those unregistered (or registered but non-voting) people in the 12th.In my previous column,

Earlier, I've mentioned “Mel” (Melanie), an unregistered voter who favors Trower Russell. There are tens of thousands of people like her in the 12th. Trower and his supporters need to get them identified, registered, and committed to his campaign.

People like Melanie recognize that much of what Murtha has supposedly “done” for Johnstown and the 12th consists of government handouts. When Murtha is gone, the annual handouts will go with him.

In short, he's done nothing to help ensure that communities get permanent, sustainable jobs. What he’s “accomplished” is to hand out hundreds of millions in taxpayer money to companies that pay him off with lavish campaign donations.

(Read the Seattle Times "favor factory" story on how Murtha trades your tax dollars for campaign contributions.) What he does is legal, but of course it's highly immoral.

Trower Russell differs from Murtha in that he wants to bring REAL jobs to the 12th District – not government-financed, make work jobs. Frankly, most companies – the ones that provide lifetime employment – want nothing to do with a district represented by a corrupt, bullying tax-and-spend liberal like Murtha.

In my chat with Melanie last week at Johnstown's City View Bar & Grill, I said, “You know that eventually all those ‘jobs’ Murtha created are going to dry up?”

"Bingo, You Got That Right"

Melanie, a wise young woman, said: “Bingo. You got that right.”

If William and his supporters – of whom I’m certainly one – establish a strong, continuing voter registration program, it will be possible to eliminate a significant portion of Murtha’s lead.In short, voter registration is a key.

The Russell campaign can get people to register by telling potential voters this: “It’s true that in the past your vote didn’t really count. But there’s a ‘new Sheriff in town,’ and this time your vote is going to make a real difference."

Every weekend between now and the election, Trower and his supporters must be out registering -- and energizing -- potential supporters. There will have to be some handholding that might involve taking people to registration centers through the 12th.

In general, every new voter added with bring along at least one additional voter -- sometimes a spouse, sometimes a friend from work or school, and sometimes a neighbor. Register 10,000 new votes and, almost magically, the voter-getting-another voter "synergy" could result in about 20,000 votes.

A few thousand votes here -- and a few thousand votes there -- and William Trower Russell and all those who believe in safeguarding American security can perform a victory dance next November 5, 2008.

Please consider contributing to Trower Russell's effort. You can do so by visiting his site.

Smart Politics 101 Born: Beating John Murtha

Beginning Monday, SmartPolitics101 will come to fruition. The first column will be a re-post from my other blog, http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com. The main emphasis will be on how moderate and conservative candidates (mostly Republicans, admittedly) can solicit funds, attract volunteers, and win elections.

I now write at several sites on blogspot, including the blog listed above and at: http://murthamustgo.blogspot.com. I hope many people come here frequently -- and tell their friends about the site.

The following column will appear on my other site on Monday. After that, almost all the columns here will be individual posts for this site.

A lot of people in the U.S. believe Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania's 12th District is unbeatable. However, in politics NO ONE IS UNBEATABLE.

Do you remember when Congressman Thomas Foley of Oregon was a national powerhouse? Well, in the 1990s Foley was beaten by George Nethercutt.

Or do you recall Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota? He was for year the Majority Leader of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate. But he was beaten by John Thune.

In New Mexico, Heather Wilson supposedly had no chance of winning. The district she’s in (Albuquerque) is 43% Hispanic, and the Democrats ran extremely well-financed Hispanic-American candidates against her. But Heather Wilson won both those races – and now she’s running for the U.S. Senate and probably will win that race also.

Or think back to the 1990 race of Christine Todd (“Christy”) Whitman against Senator Bill Bradley, often mentioned in those days as sure-thing for the Democratic presidential nomination. In that race, Bill Bradley spent $11 million. Christy Whitman spent $900,000 – about one-twelfth as much as Bradley. She did very few TV ads, relying mostly on radio “chats.”

She didn’t win. In fact, she lost by a scant two points, but she ended Bradley’s visions of a presidential candidacy.

What about William Trower Russell in his battle with Murtha? One key to his winning is to lock up support from people who have a lot of influence in the district.

I’m not really referring to affluent people, although their support can be valuable – and their contributions are necessary. Instead, I’m talking about people who have a lot of contact with others.

Lately, I’ve been talking about woman named “Mel,” who is a hair stylist during the day and a bartender during the evenings at a popular Jamestown, PA night-spot. She’s thinking of going back to college.

Mel is pretty, funny, smart, and a great communicator. She’s an extremely social human being. She also likes what she hears about Lt. Col. William Russell.

Why are the Mels of the world important in political campaigns? Because they're the true "opinion leaders" of our time.

Over the course of a year people like here have contact with thousands of individuals, most of them voters. People who go to nice restaurants and top hair stylists are exactly the kind of individuals who vote. They also talk politics.

William Russell needs to target individuals who have a lot of contacts. They include hair stylists, barbers, bartenders, police personnel, real estate agents, insurance agents, ministers, priests, and rabbis. If they think well of a candidate, they’ll tell their friends, neighbors, and customers.

The key is to ask highly social people for their support – and give them a clear reason to do so. Also, ask them for help. Specifically, request that they talk to people about the importance of spreading the word.

One problem with Mel: she’s not registered to vote. That’s easily rectified. In fact, there are tens of thousands of people who are either not registered or just don’t vote often.

If most such people were inclined to register and vote for Murtha, they’d have done so. But they haven’t. Why? Because they recognize that Murtha symbolizes everything that’s unsavory about modern politics.

Nearly every day between now and the Nov. 5, 2008 election, William and his supporters will run into several people like Mel. The key is to get them registered (if necessary) and to have them serve as advocates for the Russell campaign.

The race won’t ever be easy, but with enough “Mels” behind him William Trower Russell can win. To that end, people like Mel are his secret weapons.

Note: Comments and Questions are always welcome! I'd love to hear from you.