I guess Sestak needs the votes of Vets, because Joe doesn’t believe that active personnel should be registered with a political party. So, I hope all the PA Dems currently in the military understand that Sestak doesn’t want them participating in Primaries or their votes next May.

Two things:

One: Arlen Specter has been a strong advocate for Veterans his entire career, improving services of vets and their families and expanding verterans affairs by billions of dollars while he was chairman of the veterans affairs committee.

Two: criticism isn’t “swiftboating” if it’s true.

I would warn Mr. Sestak and his supporters not to manipulate and equate objectively true facts about himself to “swiftboating” tactics for selfish and personal political gain. Specter has been good and works hard for veterans.

Actually, criticism is Swiftboating when it IS true.

“Actually, criticism is Swiftboating when it IS true.”
Actaully, NO. the Swiftboating refers to false accusations.

As for the VoteVets organization, I suggest that they reach out to Vets that actually served under Sestak to learn more about how “honorably” he treated them.

People seem to forget that Specter is a vet himself. He served admirably in the Korean War and has been serving vets in the senate ever since. Right near me in North Hampton, PA, they created a new outpatien facility for vets. That would not be here if it wasn’t for sen. specter. Thank you Senator.

Sorry David, people now use the term swiftboating in an attempt to discredit their critics, but the attacks on Kerry by his fellow Swiftboaters were factual.

Thomas J-
Bullshit. Kerry may have disagreed with you on policy, but it is absolutely shameful for anyone to even suggest that he is anything less than courageous.

Thomas J-
The attacks on Kerry, were NOT factual. The accusations disagreed with the contemporaneous records of the time. The Swiftboaters making the accusations were NOT members of Kerry’s crew. Kerry’s crew (who had FIRST hand knowledge) backed Kerry’s account.

The swiftboaters are like the “birthers”, deniers of climate change, and various other right-wing attempts to falsify the records.

It’s funny how people’s memories can be so selective. The swift boat ads brought attention to John Kerry’s attempt to portray himself as a patriot and a war hero. The ads focused on his betrayal of his brothers in arms upon his return to the U.S. and they used actual footage of John Kerry. Kind of hard to argue with that being less than factual. John O’Neill’s criticism of Kerry during his presidential campaign was the exactly the same as it was in the early 1970′s.

The usual Specter defenders sound pretty nervous today. VoteVets is a very well-funded effective, and not to mention combative, advocacy organization. This is a huge get for Sestak – just one of many prominent national progressive organizations slowly and steadily lining up behind the Congressman. MoveOn recently polled their PA members on their views on the race, and DailyKos, one of the most widely read national political blogs, has been diligent in laying the groundwork for netroots support, making no bones about their intention to turn this race into Lamont/Lieberman 2. With no other Senate Democratic primaries, this will be the only national contest for progressives to get involved in in the Spring. Expect this race to become the favorite cause of online progressives, drawing truckloads of their cash.

Dear Jonathan Geeting,

Thank you for sharing with all of us what Sestak people say to reassure themselves in the group-think echo chamber.

Please explain the growing support movement for Sestak as it relates to Sestak’s more than 2 dozen campaign stops with a turnout of less than 6.

Thomas-
You talk about the footage of Kerry. However, what you don’t seem to realize (or are ignoring) is how Kerry’s speech before congress was selectively edited to give a different impression.
On Hannity, he would start the clip with Kerry saying “… they killed women and children, burned villages, etc..”

What Hannity ALWAYS left out was Kerry saying that he met with veterans who asked him to related their stories. The clip started mid-sentence. Kerry actually said “They told me they killed…”
Hannity (and the swiftboaters) cut out the “They told me” part.
Kerry wasn’t accusing people, he was telling their stories.

As far as O’Neil, he was hand-picked by Nixon to attack Kerry (and we all know how honest and forthright Nixon was).

So, Thomas, go look up the original transcripts and video to see what Kerry really said, and stop getting your misinformation from Fox News.

Jonathan-
The VoteVets is a good “get” for Sestak, but it won’t be enough. Besides, Sestak’s on record that military shouldn’t be partisan and should be registered Independent. Clearly, he doesn’t want them voting in primaries. He if feels so strongly, he should decline their endorsement as partisan politics.

Anonymousse-
Sestak’s got more support in his head and his family than outside of them. Sestak is strictly amateur hour, trying to use his image as Admiral to mask his record as Congressman.
He’s got NO support in Montco, Chester or Philly. The only place he’ll win is Delco, and that’s partly because the majority of committee people and voters are ignorant of his record on Iraq, Cheney, and other issues where he voted against the Dems. Besides me, those that do know who Sestak really is behind-the-curtain have been intimidated into silence by the political reality that challenging him is a no-win scenario for their political future. I don’t have that burden. I’m tech-support, and nobody can call Sestak when they need the kind of help I provide.

David,
John Kerry made his political bones as a rabid war protester which greatly offended those who fought in the war. He then tried to run for President as a war hero. Those soldiers/sailors/Marines who were offended chose to express their version of events to include his war opposition, hence the tv ad.

John O’Neill was already a high profile, outspoken critic of John Kerry and other war protesters which Nixon recognized him and asked him to help make his case. He was no more hand-picked than Kerry was. I have read a lot of your posts on this site and you seem to have rational thoughts on many issues but here you are operating from page 1 of the liberal playbook; “Attack the messenger, not the message” Your attempt to weaken my point by making an association to Nixon, Hannity, Fox News, birthers, and deniers of climate change does nothing to strengthen your message. It is little more than name calling.

Sorry, Thomas, but you’re not winning this one. I appreciate where you’re coming from, but the very fact that John Kerry served before protesting the war lends him more credence than had he simply gotten deferments or dodged. The man fought for America, earned his purple hearts, saw the war firsthand, talked to the people, and then came back to protest, arguably respectfully.

Considering that the “Swiftboaters” were taking extreme liberties with the truth and, at times, outright lying in spite of overwhelming evidence against them. In that respect, I’d say they have a lot in common with “Birthers” and “Truthers.” You’re using their arguments, ergo it’s understandable to conclude that you are guilty by association.