The right’s predictable pants-wetting in reaction to the good news that KSM will get his just desserts from the city he attacked is the very definition of giving in to the terrorists. The terrorists’ aim was to shock our political system into undermining our core values which have been our primary source of strength in promoting democracy. KSM himself couldn’t have devised a better Al Qaeda recruiting tool than the Bush administration’s torture program and network of black sites and secret prisons. These policies foolishly play right into their key narrative about themselves. It is no surprise that the people who advocate the “toughest” most cartoonishly ham-handed displays of bombast are the ones acting like the biggest babies. Why don’t they have any faith in America’s world-class criminal justice system?

Do people on the far Right really think any of these detainees is going to get acquitted? I’d be willing to bet they’re all going to get the death penalty. They’re not going to get a jury of their peers, they’re going to get a jury of pissed off New Yorkers, getting tried a few blocks away from Ground Zero.

At least we’re giving them access to due process and a (more or less) fair trial. I’d rather keep the moral high ground than abandon the Constitution in favor of mob justice.

NOTE TO SPECTER CAMPAIGN:

“Rush” to Joe’s defense (pun intended).

Publicly call Limbaugh a tub of lard or something else he’s as smart as. Get Limbaugh to attack you.

Double-bonus points for your Dem street cred.

Joe’s response to Rush was okay except for: “Rush Limbaugh’s attacks on a Veteran”.

Joe being a “Veteran” or his military service had absolutely nothing to do with Rush’s criticism. Hey, Joe, Rush is wrong, but stop acting like “attacking Joe = attacking the military”. I realize that your whole strategy it to get elected based on the respect voters have for the military officers (rather than you personally). Rush was prefers military trials (followed by a rapid execution) over civilian trials, so he wasn’t attacking the military, but rather the civilian justice system. Next time, try listening to what Rush actually said before you respond.

I laughed when Rush called Joe a left-wing ideologue. One more example of Rush being clueless.

BTW, I was at an Outback in Montco last week and was sitting near some Republican committee people, when I heard them talk about Specter/Sestak. One of them said: “When Joe first ran, I liked that he was a military officer. Now it turns out he’s just another politician after all.”
Talk about me being in the right place at the right time. That was better than dessert.

What does Sestak being a vet have to do with anything? Why would his campaign even bring that up? Since he is a vet, is he no longer accountable? Can he no longer have his views and decisions criticized by the media? If John McCain was fair game, why can’t Sestak be as well? I never really knew much about Sestak, but the more I hear about him the less I care for the guy.

Frank-
You know that expression “Wearing your heart upon your sleeve”?

Well, Sestak wears his stars on his sleeve. Notice how his campaign posters have 3 stars on them. The whole campaign is “I was a three-star Admiral” and negative attacks on Specter for not being “one of us”. Well, Sestak isn’t one of any “us” other than the trio: “me, myself and I”.

Joe’s response is kind of ironic. It’s the same kind of answer you get from Rush or Hannity if you criticize stuff about the war that they like: “Why do you hate the military?” or “Why do you hate America?”.
Joe’s a pretty welcome Dem over at Fox. I wonder if they sense a kindred spirit?

Other than Specter going after Joe for missing a lot of votes, Specter’s been running a pretty positive campaign on his accomplishments for PA and is support of Obama. Joe’s the one who has been going consistently negative.

Frank-

Sestak has come to the defense of any Veteran, regardless of party, who has been unfairly attacked by any member of the media, and that includes McCain.

Dave-

For once there is a point I agree with you on, Joe Sestak is proud of his service to his country. I am glad we have found common ground. As for the rest of your idiotic claims, Sestak’s entire campaign is not “I was a three-star Admiral”, his campaign is a principled campaign based on issues. It is a shame you are blinded by your personal vendetta against Sestak. No matter how many times you deny being dismissed from the campaign it will never change the fact that you were. Its a fact, acknowledge it and move past it. I understand that you like to think you have done so much for local campaigns, but the truth there is, you haven’t done much. Your ‘services’ are hardly still useful, and it appears the technological side of campaigning has passed you by. But I have digressed from my point. The point here is that while Sestak has run an honorable campaign, you have spent what must be every waking minute of your day on sites like this writing slanderous statements about a Congressman. I would hardly call Sestak’s campaign negative, unless you are acknowledging that Specter’s record is abysmal for a Democrat and it is insulting for him to claim to be a Democrat. Sestak has maintained an honest campaign, highlighted his never ending work on behalf of the 7th District while at the same time making voters aware of key votes Senator Specter has cast that go against the core values of our party. Your ignorance to this is appalling.

Recently on this site you also mentioned that you believed that Cliff Wilson was doing [a great job?]. My how blind you truly are. Bruce couldn’t be doing any worse than Cliff is. It is long past overdue for Cliff to move on. Mario makes excellent arguments that local races take very little money and a great deal of effort. Effort is something the Cliff crowd is greatly lacking. Knocking doors is a time consuming and tedious task, but it is the key to winning, and its just not something you or the Cliff fan club do. If you look at the Democrats that have been successful in and around (and by around I mean they represent some portion of DelCo) Delaware County, they have avoided the party because the party is the key to losing. If you want a group of liberals to tell you its ok, you lost, and this is why, and we will get them next time, go to the party, they are great at that. But, if you want to win and create change, go to Sestak, go to Leach, and Lentz, who have put together campaign teams that are not products of an unsuccessful party. Ironically there are great political minds that reside in the 7th and in Delaware County, and the party knows little about them. Dave, do you, or Cliff, even know who Deborah Hinchey is? She lives in DelCo and worked for Sestak, and I am guessing you don’t know why she is important.

I will conclude by saying, Dave, you clearly have a passion for politics, and its something that Democrats need right now. But your personal vendetta against Sestak (and hard work) make you only a dead weight that the party has to drag along. Get out there, knock doors. Do something to get Democrats elected.

Also, check out the donations made by Sestak to local candidates:

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/expendetail.php?cid=N00028049&cycle=2008&name=Pennsylvania%20Democratic%20Party

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenddetail.php?cycle=2008&cmte=C00455741&name=Committee+To+Elect+Kevin+Lee+Rn

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenddetail.php?cycle=2008&cmte=C00455741&name=Chester+County+Democratic+Cmte

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenddetail.php?cycle=2008&cmte=C00455741&name=Committee+To+Elect+Brian+Lentz

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenddetail.php?cycle=2008&cmte=C00455741&name=Committee+To+Elect+Paul+Drucker

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expenddetail.php?cycle=2008&cmte=C00455741&name=Montgomery+County+Democratic+Cmte

Here is a summary of more donations to Democrats (local and national):
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/expend.php?cmte=C00455741&cycle=2008

The more interesting thing is that Limbaugh is attacking Sestak in the first place. Obviously the granddaddy of rabid right wing ranting thinks he is much more than a long-shot primary challenger. Rush isn’t the first person I’d expect a compliment from, but in a Democratic primary contest, the extent of his vitriol certainly helps to make clear that Sestak is the real Democratic candidate and the one who can win the seat.

Mario Cimino
D – Morton Borough Council

Mario-
Sestak is all over FoxNews (he was on O’Reilly) and at least two other FoxNews shows on this issue, as well as CNN.
It’s understandable that Rush would comment against Joe after he’s been on the air REPEATED on this issue. Joe might as well be waving a red flag at a bull.

I don’t think Rush’s comments have much to do with the PA Senate race, but are more directed at the policy question about where to hold the trials. Rush is wrong as usual, but Joe is trying to turn it into something it’s not.

Joe is already “playing the victim”, instead of acting like a Congressman. Joe just put out a fundraising letter where he’s using Rush’s attack invoke sympathy for himself. Joe writes:

‘And while I wore the “cloth of our nation” to defend Rush’s free speech….”

and

“As an Admiral, I led this Nation’s fighting men and women into harm’s way….”

Joe, we get it, you were in the military.

Then Joe writes:
“Please contribute $15, $25, $50, $75, $100, $250 to respond to Rush Limbaugh’s ‘right-wing, ideology’ attack.”
and
“We’re fighting back.  Please make a contribution of $15, $25, $50, $75, $100, $250 to help us send a message to Rush Limbaugh … and in support of the President’s decision.”

WHY DOES JOE NEED TO RAISE MONEY TO RESPOND TO RUSH????

Joe can go on all the cable news networks (that will tolerate him) to respond. Does anyone think Joe is going to spend one dime “responding to Limbaugh”?? Seriously??

This is a desperate and pathetic attempt by Joe to “cash in” on his military credentials to raise money. He’s artificially creating an issue that Limbaugh was attacking Joe’s military service, rather than attacking an Obama supporter on a policy issue.

BTW, Rush and Toomey would like nothing better than for Sestak to beat Specter. Sestak’s is no liberal, but portraying himself as one to outflank Specter on the Left. Toomey and Rush are happy to push Sestak further to the Left, so Toomey can capture the middle.
Toomey CANNOT capture the middle from Specter. Specter holds the patent on the middle.