I’m going to ride the football metaphor to death.

Everything that has gone on before this week is the pre-season. Some good players on both teams got knocked out. There were surprises from some new players. Lots of trash talk and finger pointing.

The real game begins.

Forget most of what has happened. It doesn’t mean anything any more.

The House elections, all 435 of them, are mostly about local issues. Anybody that thinks that they can win on the issues of abortion, the war, or George Bush’s syntax is sadly mistaken or running for a “safe” seat. Diana Irey needs to remind her voting public that Jack Murtha is a big spender, a man who will vote against tax breaks for most of the people in his district in order to follow the party line on the estate tax, which affects a handful of folks in his district. Forget the horrid anti-war posturing he’s done. Show the voters how he’s taken money out of their pockets for 32 years and spent it on pork.

The Senate will be more about national issues. To run against Hillary Clinton, John Spencer has to beat her like a drum. Ethical lapses, and the fact that the people of New York will loose her services for a year or more as she runs for President. She’s a big spender, and a carpetbagger, to boot. Lots of things to attack her about.

Across this nation Republicans must be focused. The distractions of the pre-season are over. It’s the big game, fourth and goal, and we need to preserve our lead.

Given a choice between helping the taxpayers and promoting the secrecy and wasteful habits of an out-of-control Congress, John Murtha sided with the Washington elite and not the people of the United States. The Line Item Veto Act came up, and he voted NO.

John Murtha doesn’t like the notion of repealing the estate tax.

So, to take that political stand, he voted against:

1. an increase in the minimum wage
2. an extension of the work opportunity tax credit
3. an extension of the deduction for higher education expenses
4. an extension of the deduction for teachers for their day-to-day expenses in the classroom
5. mine safety equipment
6. improved access to lifesaving vaccines

Just who do you represent, Mr. Murtha? The people of your district or the liberal Washington establishment?

Retire John Murtha. Elect Diana Irey to Congress.

The Rightroots campaign has begun. In an effort to bring the power of blogging to the conservative political cause, several prominent bloggers have created Rightroots. It is a campaign, and a PAC, to support conservative candidates like Diana Irey. I sent her some funds back in mid-May and have been writing about her campaign against John “pork pie” Murtha ever since. Now, the combined “might and fury” of the conservative blogosphere can be brought to bear in this race, and many others.

We’re going to raise some money, write some posts, and surprise the pundits in the Fall with gains in the House and Senate.

The latest fundraising reprot show some improvement for John Murtha’s opponent, Diana Irey.

Go to the link and help Diana retire John Murtha.