Diana Irey

Diana L. Irey (born August 20, 1962) serves as a County Commissioner of Washington County, Pennsylvania. She was first elected in 1995 and has been re-elected to four consecutive terms. Irey lives in Nottingham Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania with her three children Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania, She is a 1981 graduate of West Virginia Business College] . She was a Republican Congressional candidate running against Democratic Congressman John Murtha in the United States House election, 2006 in Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district. [http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd108_named/ind_loc_pdf/PA_CD12loc.pdf]

2006 Congressional race

Irey entered the 2006 Congressional race as a long shot to defeat Congressmen Murtha. At the same time, she was the first serious Republican candidate to run in the 12th District for years. Her fledging campaign gained national attention after Murtha made repeated controversial remarks on the Iraq war.

= Political views = Irey's campaign platform was based on a health care reform package that includes a tax-free Health Savings Account and lowering health insurance. For immigrants, she opposed amnesty and argues that “a policy that allows people who are here because they broke our laws is a policy that will encourage more people to come here in violation of our laws.” [http://www.irey.com/issues/contentview.asp?c=34733] She also supported research into alternative fuels and freeing investment from Middle-Eastern oil to diversifying the United States oil acquisitions domestically. [http://www.irey.com/issues/contentview.asp?c=34735] Fiscally, she supported the reduction of taxes and the adoption of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that would require Congress by law to balance the federal budget. [http://www.irey.com/issues/contentview.asp?c=34734]

For the Iraq War, according to Irey, “we must continue to support efforts to strike pre-emptively, [before] the bombs go off.” [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207169,00.html] [http://www.irey.com/news/contentview.asp?c=35426] She stated “the best defense is a good offense — that, rather than wait until after the bombs have gone off and thousands, or tens of thousands, of innocent lives [have] been lost.” [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207169,00.html]

The Haditha controversy

Commissioner Irey stated that Congressman Murtha “defamed” American troops serving overseas when he accused U.S. Marines of killing innocent civilians in Haditha. Congressman Murtha's statements came during an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; they came before Murtha was briefed by Marine Corps Commandant General Michael Hagee on the Haditha killings. However, according to Mark Zaid (an attorney for one of the accused) Murtha maintains that he had been “briefed by several Defense Department officials” on the matter before making his statements. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/18/murtha.marines/index.html] [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20060802-015524-8104r.htm] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/03/AR2006080301385_pf.html] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,206915,00.html] In addition, Irey claimed that “Jack Murtha was wrong when he said Frank Wuterich and the Marines under his command ‘killed innocent civilians in cold blood’ before the first Marine was charged, before the first court-martial was convened, before the first soldier was convicted.” [http://www.irey.com/news/contentview.asp?c=35282] As of 2 August 2006, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich filed a lawsuit against Congressman Murtha for character defamation during an ongoing investigation into the Hadithaincident. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/02/AR2006080200493.html] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,206915,00.html] Donald Ritchie, associate historian in the Senate Historical Office, said “that such defamation suits happen from time to time but that they tend not to go anywhere because of the constitutional protections members have.” [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080101345.html] Murtha's statements are said to be based on a report prepared by the military in July. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/world/middleeast/18haditha.html?ref=middleeast]

= The Schiavo controversy =

Irey gave several interviews to Jim Robinson, founder of the Free Republic Internet forum. Irey condemned John Murtha in the interview for what she claimed was a vote Murtha cast as a congressman that allowed “Terri Schiavo to starve to death”.

External links

* [http://www.co.washington.pa.us/generalpage.aspx?menuDept=3&genPageID=47 Official Website of Commissioner Diana Irey]