Rarely in the annals of American politics has the much-used David-Goliath analogy been so apropos. U.S. Rep. John Murtha is literally and figuratively daunting -- literally because he's 6 feet, 3 inches tall and broad-shouldered with a booming voice; figuratively because he's a giant in Congress, a 32-year veteran of the House of Representatives. And his challenger, Republican Diana Irey, is the opposite -- soft-spoken, slight, barely clearing 5 feet, a neophyte on the national stage. We know how the Bible story ended. But can Mrs. Irey slay this towering Johnstown warrior?
Since earning a surprising victory in her first run for political office, when she defeated an incumbent to secure a seat on the Washington County Board of Commissioners in 1995, Mrs. Irey has been a favorite among Pennsylvania's GOP notables such as former Allegheny County Chief Executive Jim Roddey, and Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum. A West Virginia native, she married into a family with some clout. Her late father-in-law, Frank Irey, was GOP chairman in Washington County. For years, there had been speculation that she'd be recruited to run for higher office, but, until now, she's balked, citing her young family and her comfort with her role in Washington, Pa.