U.S. Congressman John Murtha, an influential Pennsylvania Democrat died at 77 this Monday. He had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery and died yesterday in Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Turkish Zaman daily reports.

Pennsylvania Democrat was actively opposing the resolution on Armenian Genocide in U.S. Congress.

After the draft resolution on Genocide was adopted in the House of Representatives in 2007, Murtha organized press conference with 4 other senators and called Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi not to involve the draft resolution on the agenda of general council.

Meanwhile, Murtha’s death comes to be another test for Barack Obama, The Guardian informs. The democrats have been panicking since losing Ted Kennedy's Massachusetts Senate seat to the Republicans last month.

In May, special elections will be held and the Democrats should do their utmost to win seat in the House of Representatives.

L.A.