Murtha says Obama will win Pennsylvania despite racism – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (10/16/08):

Despite “racist” sentiments in Western Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama‘s presidential campaign is building momentum and should win in Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. John Murtha said yesterday.

Mr. Murtha, a 17-term Democrat from Johnstown, told a group of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial writers that Pennsylvania voters seem to be warming to the idea of voting for a black man for president.

“There’s no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area,” said Mr. Murtha, whose district stretches from Johnstown to Washington County. “The older population is more hesitant.”

Murtha has since walked this back a bit, and I can’t really figure out why. I grew up in Pittsburgh, and spent a year in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham Alabama, and in many respects Western Pennsylvania is much more racist. Proof?

But it’s fun getting emails insisting that this kind of thing isn’t happening at every McCain/Palin rally.