It's John Murtha. That's explanation enough right there.
Murtha fears Western Pennsylvania will vote McCain, so he drags out the racist label. No doubt he figures, or at least hopes, that some of those folks will subconsciously pull the lever for Obama to prove that they aren't racist. That may seem pretty absurd, but I have little confidence in the average American voter's intelligence, so it seems plausible to me.
It's also a different version of what has been the theme this entire election: If you stand against Barack Obama, you're labeled a racist. Whether you're a comedian who pokes fun at him, a talk show host who criticizes him, an opposing candidate who dares speak negatively of him, or, now, someone who will vote against him. We'd hear the same being said about the South, except it's already a foregone conclusion that we're racist down here.
Only in PA.....................
