Sestak’s pulling “something”.

From Politico:
“UPDATE: Sestak spokesman Jonathon Dworkin has issued a statement confirming that Sestak plans to launch a Senate bid, but asserting that the interview this morning didn’t break news — “This morning at 4:00AM, Congressman Sestak began a trip to the 67 counties in Pennsylvania over 3 weeks to listen and meet with the good people of Pennsylvania, including local Democrats and media. He does, as he has said recently, intend to get in the Senate race as he finalizes his decision with his family, who are very supportive.”

So, does this mean that Sestak’s starting a 3 week tour of the 67 counties to listen to people? Seems to me he should spend the 3 weeks with his daughter and get a permission slip to run.

Dan-
I think PA2010 and the other blogs should boycott any future non-announcements and press-releases. Rather, you and they should tell the Sestak campaign to call when he actually files campaign papers for the office.

Sestak filed his intent to run for reelection to the HOUSE on April 22, 2009. When he’s really ready to run, he can file the papers like a normal candidate.

I think the eventual headline should be “Sestak gets off the pot”.

The “something” that Sestak may well be pulling is an upset over Specter. If so, it will strengthen the Democratic ticket in PA and potentially revitalize the state party which, by annointing Specter as the establishment candidate, has pushed away activists and idealists — the very core and origin of Obama’s successful campaign and the future of PA politics.

Things Sestak is pulling:
1) a fast one
2) a slow one
3) your leg

The GOP is thrilled to see us having a Specter/Sestak primary. That should tell you something!!

They would love for Dems to spend over $10 million bashing each other and generating sound-bites and opposition research, as well as locking them into far Left positions that they have to move away from toward the Center for a General Election.

This is going to be the kind of cut-throat primary that damages the party. It’s a bad idea, and Sestak is too selfish to put the needs of the party and Pennsylvanians ahead of his own ambitions.

What the Republicans are salivating for is a shot at Arlen Specter, who they regard as a traitor and one who abandoned them after they, for the most part, put up with his disloyalty and continued to re-elect him time and again. The more conservative Republicans thought they were going to have a chance to finally defeat him in their primary with Toomey. They’re licking their chops to vote against him in the general election if he gets past Sestak.

Not only will Sestak not energize and enhance the Republican turnout (a Specter nomination would damage the chances of the Democratic gubernatorial candidiate and other Dems) and be more likely to defeat Toomey, but he’ll be a far more reliable senator than Where-Is-Arlen-Now? Specter could ever be. I know it’s hard for you to admit that because you are such a Sestak hater.

No one, not an incumbent, and not Arlen Specter is entitled to public office. If Sestak is being selfish by being a candidiate, then so, equally, is Specter. It’s not about whose ego is best served; it’s about who would do a better job in the office.

Finally, you incessantly harp upon the cost of a contested primary election as being a negative. I suggest that the answer to that “problem” is public financing of campaigns, which also would eliminate the influence of large campaign contributors such as lobbyists. However, while we still operate under our current system of campaign financing, I would never sacrifice the opportunity to engage in robust democracy and free elections in return for money. If these candidiates can raise the money to run against each other, then let them have at it. And we’ll decide who we want as our nominee.

Lee-
Interesting points about who would energize the GOP more. However, Specter has always captured the moderate Republicans, but there no way to be sure Sestak would appeal to them after trying to outflank Specter by running to the Left in a primary.

Sestak has enjoyed being unchallenged in his own primaries, but somehow that’s not good enough when he wants to unseat an incumbent?

How will you feel if the money wasted on this costs us 3 other senate seats? Look at the money Franken spend to defeat Coleman.

We’ve got some tough Senate races coming up, and the party can’t afford to be screwing around dealing with Sestak’s fools errand.

Specter is going to “prove” himself a Democrat with his upcoming votes on key issues. Sestak is wasting his time running against a Specter of the past (pun intended).

As for campaign finance, limit all contribution to $500 per person and eliminate all PACs and corporate donations/involvement. Correspondingly, have some deeply discounted rate for postage and TV/radio airtime for political campaigns.

“How will you feel if the money wasted on this costs us 3 other senate seats? Look at the money Franken spend to defeat Coleman.”

Assuming, for the sake of argument, the far fetched notion that a contested PA senate primary will cost the Dems 3 senate seats in other states, why is that Sestak’s fault any more than it is Specter’s? No one has a right to any public office.

You begin with the assumption that Sestak can’t beat Specter. I say that it’s far too early to make that assumption. In fact, it appears to me that Specter’s best chance to win is to convince voters and activists early on that his victory is inevitable: the same strategy used by Hillary last year. The longer this goes, the better are the chances for Sestak.

By the way, Franken’s election was worth every penny spent.

Lee-
I’m thrilled we finally have Franken. My point is that the Dem Senate committee is backing Specter and every dollar they spend on this fruitless primary, is a dollar they won’t have for the next Franken-like race in 2010.

I’m not assuming that Sestak can’t beat Specter. I’m actually quite concerned that short-sighted liberals could help him be competitive.
I AM declaring that Sestak isn’t worth millions of dollars over Specter, especially when it can cost us other seats. I also hope that if liberals wake up to this, they can stop the Sestak campaign from growing enough to cause any more damage. (We are already at risk of losing PA-7 back to the GOP, and it will costs millions regardless of the outcome.)

My own personal opinion of Sestak is that he’s not only a fraud as a progressive liberal, but that he’s far more self-serving than Specter could hope to be in his wildest dreams. Sestak doesn’t help the local party leaders (and is despised by many of them). He’s not a good “Democrat” that has shown the slightest interest in advancing the party’s interests.
There is GOOD reason for people like Obama, Biden, Rendell, Casey, etc. to not support Sestak. Many see his public persona, but those of us that have seen the man behind the curtain won’t vote for him ever again.

So, in the long run, I am convinced Sestak would be worse than a few more years of Specter.

If Specter votes like a Dem over the next year, Sestak’s going to have trouble finding any footing for his Specter fear mongering.

David

I appreciate your acknowledgment of your participation in the effort of the party establishment to stop Sestak’s campaign before it gains the momentum to compete on an equal footing with Specter.

You say that Sestak – Specter would be a “fruitless primary”. I beg to differ and assert that the fruit would be a winner chosen by the voters in a free and democratic election; instead of a nominee chosen by a few party officials.

As for your point “that the Dem Senate committee is backing Specter and every dollar they spend on this fruitless primary, is a dollar they won’t have for the next Franken-like race in 2010″, perhaps they should reconsider their backing and allow the residents of PA to choose who they want as their nominee for senator. Then they won’t waste any money in the primary and can use it in the general election.

You argue that Sestak is not worth millions more than Specter. The same (at least equally) can be said about Specter not being worth millions more than Sestak. It’s an irrelevant argument. The point is that we, the voters, should get to decide our nominee and not have him imposed upon us by people who don’t even live in the state.

You say that the Dems “are already at risk of losing PA-7 back to the GOP”. Don’t you believe that your guy Lentz can win?

Finally, it appears that your evaluation of Sestak vs. Specter is distorted by your personal dislike of Sestak. It was Specter, not Sestak, who voted with Bush 80% of the time during the last 8 years. Why should a few unenthusiaticly cast votes anticipated this year, when he is a candidate, fool us into believing that Specter is a reliable vote for the Democratic agenda?

I trust Sestak far more than Which-Way-Is-The-Wind-Blowing-Today Specter.

Ding-Ding-Ding

Spot on, Lee.

Lee-
I’m not part of the effort of the “party establishment” to prevent Sestak from getting on an “equal footing”.

I want to get rid of Sestak as a public official because I think is he fraud as a liberal and someone I consider not only to be untrustworthy and and unreliable, but unfit for high office. I feel that Sestak and his campaign are dangerous for the party, and even more so should he prevail against Specter, and become a Senator.

It’s not just a “few party officials” supporting Specter over Sestak, but a great many party officials of all levels from the President himself, and the chairman of the state party, down to numerous county chairman, including the Montgomery county (which contains part of Sestak’s district). Even the congressional aides know Sestak’s no good. Here is an unsolicited email I received just yesterday from a Montco committee person:
“back during the Obama primary, I was sitting next to a young woman in the Ardmore campaign office who had taken a leave from her job as a staffer for Specter. She absolutely loved him (and planned to return to her job after the election), and also really liked Casey. Had only negative things to say about Sestak – info
from the network of congressional aides. She said he works his aides like crazy in an unreasonable way”

Sestak is just not the sort of person that belongs in public office. He runs his congressional office like a sweatshop (12-14 hour days, 7 days a week for months without vacation or holidays). Hardly sounds like the sort of person that truly believes in Union principles or workers rights.

Sestak voted WITH Bush on Iraq (twice violating his campaign pledges on timetables and accountability), Sestak voted for Telecom immunity and warrantless wiretaps. Sestak voted against de-funding Cheney’s executive office.

Sestak has repeatedly shown himself to be untrustworthy and hypocritical. Privately, he’s described by many who’ve dealt with him directly, with words unsuitable to this blog’s standards. Personally, I think Sestak is fundamentally a conservative who cannot be trusted in the Democratic party, especially in the Senate. His rage, arrogance, outbursts and mistreatment of people under him should disqualify him from ANY position of responsibility, especial one paid for by the taxpayers.

Lentz is a great guy, but the reality is that the GOP wants that seat back very much and will pull out all the stops. Lentz will have a very difficult time (and I will gladly work hard for his campaign).
Ideally, this could work out by getting rid of Sestak by the primary AND getting Lentz. However, this is a low probability combination (and I strongly suspect that Sestak would not help out Lentz in the General).

Despite all the problems with Specter over the years, in my opinion, Sestak would not only be worse, but be far less reliable in the long run. Specter has a temperament more suited to the Senate as well as a depth of understanding of the issues that Sestak can’t match. Specter has shown the ability to work with leaders across the political spectrum, and Sestak has not. Specter has the experience and knowledge to be the better advocate for Pennsylvania than Sestak.

BTW, Lee, if you think Sestak is so hot, try working for him, then come back and tell us what you think.

“BTW, Lee, if you think Sestak is so hot, try working for him, then come back and tell us what you think.”

Those grapes tasting a little sour, David?

Nope. No grapes (sour or otherwise).

I helped his campaign as part of my efforts to help ALL the Delco Dems. I was ready to help my first two choices (Scoles and Lentz) if they hadn’t stepped aside.
Sestak was always my third choice (and I didn’t hide that from the campaign). I never wanted to work for him and never asked for a job. He made it very clear at an early meeting that he wanted people who would be loyal to him over the rest of the party and candidates. Secrets over sharing. I had no interest in that, and once the campaign got its footing by the summer, I helped the other campaigns who were abandoned by Sestak’s “team” (spelled with an “i”).

Friends of mine did work for him, some quit, and none of them had anything nice to say about him. I got the distinct impression they didn’t even vote for him in 2008. We’re eager to help Lentz.

So.. sour grapes: certainly not
buyer’s remorse: definitely

So let me get this right — this guy Dave Diano is bitching on this web-site that Congressman Sestak keeps his office open 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day for his constituents? That has to be the stupidest argument I have ever heard for not voting for someone.

Sestak just got my vote!

Heck,I want to know why my Congresswomen (Schwartz) is not doing the same?

Finally a Congressman who knows HE WORKS FOR US — the taxpayer — and should be keeping office hours for us, the taxpayer!!!

This is basic 101 — customer service, no wonder Sestak won his re-election by 20 points.

I’m tired of elected officals that only keep their office open from 9:00am -4:30pm, Monday through Friday and closed on weekends —- HELLO, we all work during the week till 5 or 6 pm, and have weekends off. The rest of them should get off their butts and keep extended hours, 7 days a week!

And if the staffers don’t like working for Sestak or Congresswomen Schwartz — or for me, the taxpayer … “f’em” … its a free country, they can find a job elsewhere! My taxes pay your salary, do your job!!

Bill-
He abusive and mistreats his employees, and has one of (if not the highest) turnover rate for staffers. I’m not just talking about being a tough for strict boss, but a total raging maniac.

Part of the reason he needs people working so many hours (at least from what I saw of his 2006 campaign) is that he’s terribly inefficient and mismanages the staff. Input of ideas is discouraged.

As a result, he gets the job done, but with twice a much effort as it should have taken. In the wake, he leaves talented staffers burnt out or disillusioned (some of whom quit without even another job to go to.) Often what remains are the sycophants, those with no self-respect, the short-timers waiting for a new opportunities, and the Kool-aid drinkers.

I’ve got no problem with having an office open 7 days a week, but it is ridiculous to make people work 12-14 hours days, seven days a week. If he needs that much man-power, have two shifts, but don’t burn out the staffers with over 80 hours per week.

I’m not sure if the staffers get overtime for all these extra hours, but I doubt it. The extra abuse is free of charge.

Bill, interesting coincidence … the name of the whip cracker that runs the Delco office is also named Bill. He and Sestak are like two peas from the same pod.

David,

You seem to have a “real problem” with the American work ethic.

I checked out Sestak’s congressional campaign web-site, it says his office handled over 10,000 constituent cases the last 2 years – the congressional average was 3,200.

Sestak and his staff are studs!!!!! Wow!!!

NO DAVID ….MY FRIENDS AND I WANT MORE PEOPLE LIKE SESTAK IN BOTH CONGRESS AND OUR STATE LEGISLATURE!!!!

I talked with my friends last night, and we are all on board supporting Sestak. We were one of the original Obama teams in Montgomery County last year and we’ve decided we are all in to work on Sestak’s behalf. This race is going to be a blast!!!

Bill-
The Montgomery chairman is supporting Specter. Most of the Montco committee Dems I’m friendly with are either uninterested, unimpressed, disillusioned or disgusted with Sestak.

Running a sweatshop-like environment and abusing workers may be the kind of old school, pre-Labor Movement,”work ethic” the conservatives like, but the Democratic party supports workers and treats them better.
I’m sure if you join the Sestak campaign, you’ll find it bears little resemblance to the Obama campaign, and there will be NO interest in helping out the Dem party and other candidates. Volunteers loyal to the party won’t feel at home.

The 10,000 number and 3,200 average are reported by Sestak (and not independently sourced). A “case” can be a simple thing like trying to expedite a passport. Even a frivolous request would get a “case number”. Also, it would be foolish to assume that all 10,000 have been appropriate, successful or resolved satisfactorily. A PROPER comparison would be look at Weldon’s performance in the same 7th district, as well as the manpower used and types of requests.
As it stands now, the 10,000 is meaningless without additional context about how it was derived and a proper breakdown of the types of requests and resolution and the worker-hours.

This sounds like a good investigative journalism task for Dan.

The Obama effort was successful because of not only the Teams (like yours), but the coordination, information and recruiting network from Obama’s unique approach and targeting software developed for him by Silicon Valley.

Obama still has his nationwide email list to target support for Specter.

The Sestak campaign “blast” will be more like an implosion.

Don’t forget, Sestak’s the guy that stood next to Hillary in March 2008 when she declared that she and McCain were ready to lead, but Obama wasn’t. Did Joe object, or did he do an imitation of a bobble-head doll and agree?
Joe was there with Hillary and other high-ranking ex-military specifically to promote the illusion that their military experience told them Obama wasn’t ready to be Commander in Chief.
Joe was one of the early Hillary party super-delegates anointing her (but now legitimate endorsements are bad anointment?). That might explain why during the November 2007 election Sestak wasn’t in his district working the polls to help local Dems get elected, but rather in New Hampshire campaigning for Hillary.

I suggest that you and your friends ALL jump in to help Sestak NOW. Right away, don’t delay! It takes a while for enthusiastic, idealistic workers to see through the inherent selfishness and hollowness of the campaign style, and for the short-sighted and the sycophants to find their niche. The sooner you guys get in, the sooner you’ll be able to leave in disgust.

Then, maybe, you can help your local commissioners, tax collectors, and common pleas judges get elected, who are more important than Sestak.

I guess your “team” will be covering its ears when Obama comes to town to talk up Specter and do some fundraising, lest they hear a rational argument for Specter from the man they fought to get elected.

David,

You must not live in Montgomery County, because your information is false.

As I mentioned earlier, I live in Montgomery County. I am also a member of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. Marcel Groen, the MONTCO Dem Chairman, is in the minority for his support of Specter.

In the last 3 weeks there has been a groundswell of support for Sestak, in part due to the endorsement by and words of former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, who garners greater respect in our county than Marcel Groen. There is now a decidedly larger pro-Sestak faction than a pro-Specter faction among party Dems in Montco.

As to the 10,000 constituent case files handled by Sestak and his staff versus the 3,200 Congressional average — which is so “f..ing cool” about Sestak and his team — you can confirm the numbers. Congress does track these numbers. I called the office of my Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and inquired what her number was the past 2 years. They told me they would have to get back with the information. I then asked if Congress tracked these numbers, and they said yes. I will post her numbers once I hear back from her staff.

As to the Obama Teams, it does not appear that were on one of his teams. You fail to crasp what the Obama Teams in PA was about, maybe different from other states.

For many of us original Obama Teams, our selection of Obama had more to do with the 2006 state pay raises then anything else. He was the non-establishment candidate. Most of us, as we grew to know each other in early 2007, saw that we could make a differnce in PA with an anti-establishment candidate as evidenced by all those state legislators thrown-out by that midnight pay raise during the 2006 elections.

As we got to know Obama better on the issues, and as a campaigner, we solidified our nascent teams around the state. For us, we never identfied ourselves as “having drunk the cool-aid” in support of Obama; rather, for us the Obama campaign was a continuation of the “citizen movement” that had begun in PA in 2006 when all those first-time candidates beat the establishment’s entrenched legislators.

And because of that shared philosphy of “citizen movement” that many of us had from the original Obama teams, we’ve stayed in contact. In fact, as Sestak has embarked on his 67 county tour of PA many of my friends across the state from the the Obama campaign are excited about Sestak’s campaign, espcially those that have met him, questioned him and heard him speak.

As to your mockery of my friends and fellow Obama supporters, that’s fine … we’ve found our candidate in Joe Sestak.

We were mocked before when we went to work on Senate Obama’s behalf, and that only fueled our fire — and we know how that race turned out! Likewise, your mockery adds fuel to the fire for us to work passionately across the state for Joe Sestak to beat Arlen Specter — and Joe Sestak will win, it’s just a continuation of the winning “citizen movement” that started back with the 2006 elections!

Bill-
Sestak is no Obama. If you and your friends think he is, you are headed for some serious disappointment. Sestak may not be the choice of the “establishment”, but he is very “establishment”. Sestak didn’t stand-up to Bush (as he promised). Sestak is very pro unchecked executive power, and very pro military force.

I’m encouraging you to go work directly for Sestak. It’s the fastest way to find out exactly how un-Obama he is and cure your naivete.

As I stated, what you need with the congressional average is what Weldon did in the same district, and the number of man hours. BTW, what were Hoeffel’s numbers when he was a congressman?

Also, Sestak’s 67 county tour is to meet with county Democratic leaders to introduce himself. Funny that he needs to introduce himself to the leadership of the three counties in his district.

Specter solidly supported Bush for 8 years, along with The Patriot Act, illegal wiretapping, the invasion of Iraq, etc. He sold out his independence to become chairman of the judiciary committee.

Lee-
Is there a single shred of evidence that Sestak opposes any of those Bush policies?

He was involved in “Deep Blue”, which was derived in the same post 9/11 mindset as the Patriot act. I wouldn’t be surprised if using the Navy to tap into transatlantic and other undersea cables was among the plans developed.

Sestak vigorously supported “invasion of Iraq” voter Hilliary Clinton. Clearly, that wasn’t a deal breaker for Sestak in a Presidential Dem primary, but somehow he considers it an issue in his Senate primary.

Illegal wiretapping: Joe voted YES.