One of the wonderful things about the unexpected thunderbolt
of John Murtha is his district, the 12th of Pennsylvania. On a
map,
it's the oddest-looking thing you
could ever hope to see -- clearly a classic gerrymander, occupying roughly
the third ring out from Pittsburgh (after the city core and the near suburbs).
A quick galnce at the Census results shows that it is, to say the least, decidedly blue-collar: The 2000 median household income was $30,612. Only 6% of families had incomes over $100,000. 20% of families with children under 5 were below the official poverty level. 14% of the population over 25 were college graduates.
As the guy says in the opera, Traulich und treu ist's nur in der Tiefe; falsch und feig, was dort oben sich freut. Loyal and true are the depths -- false and frightened, they who enjoy life on high.
