It’s all about Obama. Everything. Life and death. As Beth posted earlier Congressman Jack Murtha died yesterday due to complications from gall bladder surgery and the politico’s wasted no time in sizing up how Murtha’s death would affect the President and the democrats. In essence, the democrats are worried about another lost seat due to Murtha’s death; they’re worried about another special election that will take place before the November midterms.

Jack Murtha held the 12 Congressional seat since 1974, and dems are worried about the special election that will take place in May. They haven’t fared to well thus far in special elections; losing gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, and of course the biggie, the Senate race in Massachusetts which was long held by Ted Kennedy.

Momentum is definitely on the side of any GOP candidate who happens to run for Murtha’s now vacated seat. Right now, Nancy Pelosi has been passing controversial bills through the house on a straight party-line vote. With Murtha now gone, her majority has shrunk by one and democrats are worried about losing the Murtha seat permanently in the special election.

I read an interesting story in the Guardian out of the UK. While it does touch on Murtha’s death and briefly on his career as “the king of pork”, the story is mainly a piece about how the death of Jack Murtha adds to the woes of Barack Obama. From the Guardian:

His death came on a day that saw Barack Obama’s poll ratings fall further. A Marist poll found that only 44% of voters surveyed approved of his job performance, down 2% on December. More alarming for Democratic strategists, 57% of independents disapprove of his performance.

Really? Those who loved and cared about Jack Murtha probably couldn’t care less about Obama’s sinking approval rating and the fact that he has lost support from a majority of Americans on most issues. The democrats are worried about another lost seat due to Murtha’s death. How callous, how cold.

It didn’t bother them so much when Kennedy passed away; they assumed the seat was in the bag. They simply didn’t bet on a great candidate like Scott Brown, a terrible candidate like Martha Coakley, and they sure didn’t bet on the huge Obama backlash that exists.

Why are the dems worried about another loss due to Murtha’s death? Momentum for one thing. This year is going to stink if you’re a democrat and there isn’t much that can happen to change that. Another reason quite frankly is Murtha himself. He wasn’t exactly the poster boy for a beloved political figure from either side. If memory serves me correctly he didn’t exactly come to the defense of his constituents when Obama mocked them, saying they were “bitter clingers.” Yes, it was Jack Murtha’s constituents who were the famous “bitter clingers.” But don’t worry, they’ll use the occasion of his death to promote their agenda just the same.

I believe the main reason democrats are worried about another lost seat due to Murtha’s death is this; the Obama factor. It’s the one thing most democrats are afraid to discuss openly. Obama’s numbers are tanking, and that new car smell is gone. Barack Obama is to blame for much of the democrat party woes so far, and he carries much of the blame for the woes to come later this year. The death of Jack Murtha just magnifies that fact.