PolitickerPA.com Reports from Uniontown

By Alex Roarty | PolitickerPA.com

UNIONTOWN — Bill Russell knows how to make an entrance.

Now can he do the seemingly impossible?

Just past midnight Friday, the Republican congressional candidate literally roared into his first campaign event in three months, driving his motorcycle into the center of Uniontown with the help of the military veterans biker group “Rolling Thunder.”

After shaking hands with many of the 40 supporters gathered to greet him, Russell wasted little time taking aim at his opponent, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown). In a prepared 15-minute speech, the candidate said Murtha’s 30-year tenure in Washington had warped his values and put him “out of touch” with the 12th Congressional District.

“Americans throughout this district, and indeed throughout this nation, have joined me in saying that we want our country back from career Washington politicians who have lost touch with people back home,” Russell said. “Liberty was born in Pennsylvania. Let us join together and give it a rebirth, today.”

Russell still faces a Herculean task to defeat a political institution like Murtha, but Friday’s event was his first attempt to capitalize in person on a campaign that has already received more national attention and fundraising dollars than anybody expected.

Russell has had an unusual campaign — the former Lt. Colonel has not been a part of his own campaign the past 90 days while on active duty in the U.S. Army. Military rules forbid personnel from participating in any kind of politics.

After officially retiring Thursday in Washington, D.C., Russell did not and will not waste any time returning to the campaign that has been run exclusively by Campaign Manager Peg Luksik in his absence. After his midnight event here, Russell was scheduled to appear on a talk radio show at 7:30 a.m. before taking part in a full-day of campaigning.

“I told him, ‘You better have slept before you got here,’” Luksik said.