John Murtha's comments that some of his constituents would vote against Barack Obama because of long-held attitudes on race could hurt the Pennsylvania congressman's bid for re-election, a new Republican poll shows.

The Susquehanna Polling & Research survey, conducted 10/21 for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, polled 400 likely voters for a margin of error of +/- 4.9%. Murtha and retired Army officer William Russell were tested.

General Election Matchup
Murtha........46
Russell.......41

Russell has long flown under the radar as a surprisingly well-funded Republican challenger. Through the end of the third quarter, he'd raised a stunning $2.5 million, though he has blown through all but $333,000 of it. Murtha had pulled in nearly $2.2 million and kept $500,000 on hand.

The one-day sample, conducted for the paper after Murtha's remarks (which came at a Tribune-Review editorial board meeting), doesn't mean Murtha is toast, but it does indicate at least a little blow-back. Aside from the Tribune-Review, Susquehanna largely conducts political polls for GOP clients.