Laura Vecsey's Blog
Laura Vecsey's Blog
Middle Ground
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Specter camp should stop attacking on flip-flops
Or maybe that should be in the name of Jimmy Buffet.
No matter. When it comes to the issue of flip-flopping, it’s probably time for Arlen Specter’s campaign to find another way of attacking Joe Sestak. If there’s a vulnerability that Specter carries into his first Democratic primary, it’s the fact that he could be equally accused of flip-flopping, too. Card check. Health care.
That’s just for starters.
But for every legitimate cry of foul over a change in a candidate’s position, some of which are done for political expediency, there are issues where a candidate’s position legitimately evolves, especially if legislation language changes.
This week, Specter’s campaign took on Sestak on his position in the re-importation of prescription drugs.
“And as a candidate for Congress in 2006 through the start of his Senate campaign this summer, Cong. Joe Sestak’s campaign literature said he supported ‘health courts,’ an alternate dispute resolution method for medical injury litigation that restricts a plaintiff’s right to a jury trial,” Specter campaign manager Christopher Nicholas said in a release. “But now Sestak says he opposes the creation of such ‘health courts.’
“These flip flops and stumbles come after Sestak was criticized in July by two prominent state Democratic Party leaders for putting ‘words in their mouth’ and ‘misusing” their quotes,’” Nicholas said.
Meanwhile, Sestak appears to be broadening the scope of his challenge to Specter. He criticized the fact that Senate voting was shut down early soso Specter could attend a fundraiser with President Obama. Then Sestak was featured in a New York Times article Tuesday in which he took aim at what Sestak implied was a contradiction of Obama’s own campaign.
“The Democratic Party under Barack Obama did not come into office because of political calculation; it got there because of audacity,” Sestak said. “To be seen like you are selecting winners and losers in a party-boss way will breed some resentment, and in a longer term it won’t bode well.”
And when he wasn’t directly challenging the tone and tactics of Specter’s campaign, Sestak pushed in other ways, too. For instance, Sestak has a petition going asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Sestak has also been out front and on MSNBC so regularly they ought to give him his own show. He called Obama’s change of missile defense a great move and will appeared again Wednesday night to talk about Afghanistan policy.
In other words, Sestak is pushing issues and heading left while Specter’s campaign wants to stick with the flip-flop defense.
Time for Specter’s camp to go all-in on the one issue that secures his station as a Democrat—his vote to pass the stimulus package. And then hit home hard on his Senate experience and his proven ability to deliver for Pennsylvania.
Does anything else matter for Specter?
September 23, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Tags: Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak
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Bio: Laura Vecsey is a political reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
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Julie
Sep 23rd, 2009
If Joe Sestak is going to criticize Arlen Specter for changing his position on issues, then I think it’s fair for Arlen Specter to criticize Joe Sestak for changing his position on issues.
David Diano
Sep 23rd, 2009
I’ve got no problem with Specter taking it to Sestak, but the situation reminds me of the story of the young bull and the old bull and a group of cows.
The young bull runs down the hill, but is too out of breath to “engage” more than one cow.
The old bull takes his time and can be with all of them.
Specter is getting Amtrak funding and doing his job. Sestak’s running around like a little kid saying “Look at me! Look at me!”
Sometimes, less is more.
Sestak’s scrambling to find a message that will stick, but it never seems too. His game of “I’m in the race… but not really… I’m in.. after I check with my kid and the family dog… I’m touring 67 counties, but I’m not really in… Oh.. wait.. now I’m in” grew tired.
His “Specter isn’t one of us” has flopped as Specter took a public beating for health care in some town halls.
His “Specter can’t be trusted as a Dem” gets weaker every time Specter makes a good vote.
His “Obama really likes me in his heart-of-hearts” talking point was silenced by Obama and the $2 million he raised for Specter.
It looks (to me) like Specter is running his own race, building support, building a track record, and letting Sestak continue to look like an amateur. BTW, It’s not clear if Sestak would be happier on MSNBC or FOX.
WESTPADEM6
Sep 23rd, 2009
Hey, this isnt the minor leagues and Joe should not have a free pass. Sestak is having a hard time staying relevant, his negative campaign tactics ill serve the democractic party in 2010. We need to focus on party building and coming together, whereas sestak never gave Specter a chance, and only sees a promotion.
Jon Geeting
Sep 24th, 2009
What else can Specter do? He certainly can’t run on his own record to win a Democratic primary. Look, primaries are the time when party activists get to take back the reins and remind DC who is in charge. We’ve got Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, and Evan Bayh watering down bills and diluting some of Obama’s major initiatives to smallball stop-gap measures. It’s pitiful. That means that in every seat where Democrats can a Senator who both fits the state’s leanings and can vote as a progressive on all the issues they need to beat conservative members of the caucus – both to get better votes and to send a message to other rogue members to fall in line.
Kipp Lanham
Sep 24th, 2009
Speaking of flip-flopping, Specter’s shift on card check before the AFL-CIO last week will come back to haunt him when negative campaign ads start airing and debates begin. Earlier this year, Specter opposed card check. But then he became a Democrat.
WESTPADEM6
Sep 24th, 2009
Looks like a lot of party activists not to mention President Obama are lining up behind Specter, now doesn’t it Jon???
David Diano
Sep 24th, 2009
Kipp-
As I understand it, Specter has a good record when it comes to unions.
As for card-check, the non-secret ballot was dead-on-arrival with too many Democrats and was never going to pass, with or without Specter. Specter made it quite clear that if that one aspect was modified, he’d be behind the bill.
When EFCA passes, there won’t be any negative ads (except from Toomey and anti-union GOP).
Once Specter votes for EFCA, what kind of ad could Sestak run? “Specter said he would do the wrong thing. But when it came to a vote, he did the right thing. That darn Specter can’t be trusted.”
As long as Specter votes with the Dems, Sestak has no case.
Jack
Sep 24th, 2009
WESTPADEM6 (notice Diano doesn’t get on your case for anonymity)-
If we listened to Party Activists (including Sestak), Hillary Clinton would be president.
If we listened to Arlen Specter, John McCain would be president.
I’m okay ignoring both.
David Diano
Sep 24th, 2009
Capt Jack-
I already know WestDem’s real name and identity (and I’m pretty sure I know yours as well).
Fortunately, we got Obama instead of Hillary.
It was the activists that got us Obama. Hillary was the establishment, non-activist candidate. Joe isn’t a party activist. He’s barely a member of the Dem party, but rather the leader of the self-serving “Sestak party”.