Bill Clinton campaigns in race for Murtha seat

May 17, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

JOHNSTOWN, Pa.

Former President Bill Clinton sought to soothe the concerns of discontented voters in a tight special-election race to replace the late Rep. John Murtha, stressing it was the Democratic nominee who could best bring more jobs to the blue- collar district.

Candidate Mark Critz, a top Murtha aide, hopes to parlay an appearance Sunday at the half-hour rally with Clinton into more votes at the polls Tuesday as the campaign against Republican businessman Tim Burns draws to a close.

Clinton’s campaign stop, on the heels of U.S. Sen. Scott Brown’s rally in Washington, Pa., last week with Burns, underscores the importance the national political parties have placed on the western Pennsylvania race as both sides seek momentum going into the fall’s congressional midterm election.

Clinton said the reason the race is close is that “times are tough, and things are all up in the air, and people are disoriented.” He said sometimes people wind up voting “for the very thing they don’t want.”