check my website for Toomey’s moderations of the past..

Only Revolution will solve DCs problems..

I’m concerned that Sestak and the DSCC are not doing enough to define Toomey early. He has one of the most right wing voting records for a member of Congress, but he’s being allowed to portray himself as a moderate, unchallenged. The health care event with Sestak was a huge mistake for Sestak. Unfortunately, you can see how this race is going to end – a nasty highly ideological scrap. Toomey knows that Democrats are going to win this by turning him into a rightwing boogeyman by amplifying his horrifying House votes, Bork-style. He’s going out of his way to seem likeable, and the guy has great public speaking skills, so he’s succeeding. I’ve watched his TV appearances and am disturbed at how reasonable he sounds spouting off the most disgusting positions. Democrats need to ruin Toomey while his name recognition is still low. Sestak cannot do any more touchy-feely events with him, or let him gain symbolic middle ground on less charged issues like Supreme Court appointments or non-issues like the phony outrage over Obama’s speech to students.

Jon—

Thats the problem. Sestak is helping by defining Toomey. I was not being mean. This guy (Toomey) is anti- everything. Sestak is “aiding and abetting” by helping prop up Toomey, a right winger as someone who should be taken seriously. The debate forum helped Toomey more than anyone. Sestak is willing to help make his own crew (the PA Democratic Party) walk the plank if he isnt declared captain of the ship. Thats how it comes across to some.
Toomey and Specter hate each other. It will be a great fight.

Jon-
Specter beat Toomey in GOP primary 2004 by showing what a right-wing lunatic Toomey was. In an general election, that will be easier case to make. Sestak was foolish to prop-up Toomey. Sestak’s running against Specter not Toomey (talk about the cart before the horse).
Sestak’s already ignoring the Nov 2009 elections and the local Dems in his district. Now, he’s pretending to ignore May 2010.

Sestak is positioning himself on the Left, and Toomey and FOX news are pushing him out there even further. Carl Cameron (covering Allentown townhall) referred to Sestak as a “life-long Democrat”. This is of course 100% false, as Sestak did register as a Dem until he decided to run for Congress.

In a general election, Specter will still capture the Left and also the middle. Sestak (in his phony portrayal as a liberal) will be a far stretch for some moderates, who are content with Specter.

Toomey’s a lunatic? How is that?

Toomey’s pro life. Does that make him a right wing lunatic? Isn’t Sen. Casey (and dozens of others in the senate) also pro life?

Toomey wants to rein in federal spending, lower taxes and stop trillion dollar bailouts. Does that make him a right wing lunatic?

Toomey headed an organization that advocates limited government and lower taxes.

Those sound like pretty sane positions to me.

Anyone who doesn’t believe that Pat Toomey is a serious candidate is seriously ill informed.

Toomey has been re-invented as the sensible, likeable guy that moderates and independents can support. Sat down with Sestak for a beer, now he praises Obama’s education speech.

It was a boneheaded move for Sestak. I thought for a bit that it could’ve gone either way, since both Toomey and Sestak are trying to make the same case against Specter. And I happen to think that given the choice between a generic conservative and a generic liberal, Pennsylvanians will pick the generic liberal. That’s just the way voter registration numbers break down. In hindsight, every day Toomey gets a chance not to be the boogeyman we’re going to make him is a bad day for Sestak or Specter.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for Sestak and will work for him in the primary. His voting record is a down the line moderate, not especially liberal Democrat. He has a short political career so it will be very difficult for Toomey to succeed in calling him some kind of left winger. David is right that his record is not as left wing as many in the Democratic base would prefer. But I think that sort of misses a key point about his popularity with netroots advocates. In 2006, Daily Kos backed pretty conservative Democrats like Jon Tester and the more moderate Blue Dog Patrick Murphy. DK wouldn’t be backing Sestak if they thought he was ideologically out of step with PA. They don’t automatically back any left wing primary challenger. The problem with Specter is integrity. It’s about being able to get a clear picture of how your Senator is going to vote on the issues you care about. I can’t trust that Specter isn’t going to partner with corporate Dems like Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh to water down bills. His record is all over the map. He can say of almost any issue that he’s voted for it on one occasion, against it on another. The Senate is structurally too conservative to risk even one more defector on key votes. Republicans are proving to be a very effective opposition party, but can only do serious damage when they partner with conservative Democrats. If we want to get Obama’s agenda passed, we have to have a way of holding our caucus together like the Republicans do, and the only way I can see is through constant unrelenting primaries. This contest is the first of those primaries.

Jon-
We are more in agreement than we usually are. I do think Sestak would partner with corporate (especially military contractors). Sestak loves raising money and corporations have lots of it. The vote for Telecom immunity wasn’t what I would call an anti-corporate vote.

Your points about Toomey are well taken. He is an extremist and having him treated like a moderate doesn’t help the Dems.

I’m not sure I get your point that the only way to hold our caucus together is unrelenting primaries. Unless, you are talking about the defectors. If Ben Nelson votes with the GOP then, yes, Primary his @ss! But, by the same token, if Specter votes with us, why break his b@lls in a primary and waste millions of dollars, that can’t be used against Toomey?

Chimesy-
Toomey’s got a 0% NARAL rating.
Toomey helped write the House resolution that led to repeal of part of Glass-Steagall Act.
Toomey’s Club for Growth is all about the rich avoiding their share of taxes and the false claims about how lowering taxes raises revenue, without ever specifying an equilibrium point. They have no regard for key government services, especially ones that help the poor, so “pay” for their cuts in revenue (because revenue goes down) by cutting programs: medicare, privatizing social security, cutting education, public transportation, etc.

Limited government = limited oversight

Bob Casey is pro-life, but he also didn’t let it get in the way of voting for a qualified judge like Sotomayor.
Though Toomey did come out in favor of her, I can’t tell if that’s how he’d really vote if elected or if it was a ploy to make him more appealing to moderates.

Toomey needs to appear a moderate on certain issues to appeal to independent swing voters. His support for Obama’s speech I believe is a step to interest independents who voted for Obama last November. Toomey shares Obama’s views on personal responsibilty for education. Too bad that Obama’s heathcare plan would make the taxpayers and Feds responsible, not the individual.

Toomey was so far right during his term in Congress that he even made some of his conservative colleagues squirm. This is a political move, though understandable, to garner more of the vote in a leftward shifting state.

Yes Gregorios,

And Sestak aiding and abetting… this will not him any favor with those working hard for victory in 2010.

Toomey is doing the Texas Two Step to gets votes and Sestak is a glory seeking buffoon. Arlen Specter on the other hand has been consistent for 30 years. He didn’t change, the face of the Republican Party changed. Barry Goldwater defined conservative Republican politics for years but if he were alive he would be seen as too moderate for todays so-called Conservatives.
Best wishes,
Barry OConnell
Williamsport Pa.