Racist and redneck remarks may cost House seat for Murtha

John Murtha, Democratic Congressman from western Pennsylvania, is in a battle to retain his seat in the House.

Rep. Murtha (pictured), well-known for his rants on the floor of the House of Representatives, came under fire recently when he accused western Pennsylvania of being racist.

Even though he is a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, his disdain for the military is well-known.

On the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington he once accused some Marines of murdering civilians in Iraq during the ‘Haditha incident.’ During his rant on the House floor, Murtha made slanderous remarks against the Marines involved.

The Marines were later exonerated and two of them are suing Rep. Murtha.

Now the sometimes out-of-control Murtha is fighting another battle -- to keep his seat in the House.

The 76-year-old Murtha has apologized for the racism remark by backpedaling completely, saying he meant to say that skin color is a factor in the battle for the presidency between Obama and Republican John McCain.

Murtha also said that many people in western Pennsylvania were “rednecks.”

This is apparently not setting well with voters in his district. About 54 percent of voters among those polled say it's time for someone else to represent them in Congress. About 35 percent say Murtha deserves to be re-elected.

The Murtha election struggle is here. The lawsuit story of a Marine suing Murtha is here.