JOHNSTOWN -- Bill Clinton told the crowd gathered Monday afternoon at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown how lucky he thinks they are to have had U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) representing them the last 34 years in the 12th Congressional District.

"I'm telling you, this man cares," Clinton said, "and he cares about you."

Giving the longtime lawmaker two more years in office should be a no-brainer, the former president said.

"You've got one of the finest people to serve in Congress in my lifetime, and I hope you re-elect him," Clinton said.

It was an impassioned plea from the former president, who called Murtha one of his best friends in Washington. Still, the most important aspect of Clinton's speech wasn't any one phrase or idea.

It was the fact that, one day before Nov. 4, the former president had to campaign for Murtha at all.

Murtha is clearly in the fight of his political life as he tries to fend off Republican Bill Russell. The most recent polling available shows the congressman leading only by a few points, and even Russell has predicted he will win by 4.

Clinton and Murtha spent much of their time at the stump rallying support for something that has become synonymous with Murtha -- earmarks. 

Russell has made Murtha's reliance on pork one of his campaign's themes, saying the federal money hasn't helped pull the region out of its economic doldrums.

But Murtha said although "earmark" has become a bad word in Washington, they have created thousands of jobs in the 12th district. He also touted the millions of dollars he has funneled to diabetes and breast cancer research.

Clinton, who spoke after Murtha, also bemoaned what he called Russell's unfair ads, which he said mirror tactics used by the GOP for years.

"Let me tell you something," Clinton said. "How many times have they run this scam on us? And how many times have we been punished because we stopped thinking?"