Dear Mr. President-
Joe Sestak and his closest supporters backed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Joe abandoned the Democrats in his own district on Election Day November 2007 to be in New Hampshire to stump for Hillary. Joe flew out to Nevada prior to their primary.
On March 6th, 2008 Joe sat next to Hillary at a press conference with other former high ranking military officers. Joe had a sign in front of him labeled: “Vice Admiral” (not Congressman)
At that conference, with Joe as backdrop nodding in assent, Hillary declared that she and McCain were qualified to be Commander in Chief, but Obama wasn’t.

So, thank you, Mr. President for supporting Arlen Specter over a weasel like Joe Sestak, who fought hard against your election.

Diano: “At that conference, with Joe as backdrop nodding in assent, Hillary declared that she and McCain were qualified to be Commander in Chief, but Obama wasn’t.”

What do you know – Joe was right about something!

I sent an email to the White House praising the President for his support of Specter over Sestak.

Again, these attacks on our President smack of desperation. What’s going on with Sestak’s campaign?

DaveB-
The majority of Americans do NOT agree with you (or “Joe”) since they voted President Obama into office. Get real.

Obama dithered on troop strength for the Afghanistan surge, gave the Generals 3/4 of what they asked at a minimum, and now the surge is bogging down.

What other conclusion can you come to, other than he is unqualified to lead and unqualified to command at a time of war?

DaveB-
We’ve got a Commander in Chief who understands the role of diplomacy in working with our allies to track down our enemies, and how this balances with our military. The “approval rating” of the United States is up, globally. This means that fewer people hate us, and our enemies have fewer places to hide.
Your buddy, Bush, gave the Generals less than half of what they needed to secure Iraq in the aftermath of the initial attack. This resulted in a prolonged conflicts with thousands of lives needlessly lost.

Like it or not, folks, this is a good ad. I still have difficulty understanding why it took so long to get started; but if Sestak’s campaign consistently can produce ads of this quality, we are going to have ourselves a very close primary election.

I like the video and agree with its message and know that there are many people who don’t agree with the President’s endorsement of Specter. They also don’t understand why Democrats were so quick to rally behind Arlen Specter as one of their own. I’m voting for Joe Sestak … and I shared that video on my facebook. Sure, I’m young and naive and superficial and not privy to many legislative issues but I also remember how the local Democrats in my voting district at the time were against Arlen Specter and were trying to figure out ways to get his base of Jewish voters to not blindly vote for him just because he is also Jewish. Maybe that is also a factor in this new support and why Democrats are glad to finally capture his base of Jewish voters in PA. And yes, he attracts a more conservative and moderate crowd. But is that the heart of the Democratic party in PA? Maybe, maybe not. If it is then we will see more of a split between the progressives and the conservatives which will mean even more division within the party. Perhaps, this is a good thing. Perhaps it means the Democrats will be forced to redefine who we are and what we stand for which will later make us stronger in the long run. I don’t know- I’m just hypothesizing. that Sure, there are political games to be played and alliances to keep and favors to return and seniority to consider but there are also boundaries that need to be drawn on principle. I don’t think it sends the right message to fall in line behind Specter after his history. Yea, Im familiar with the RINO and DINO names but that doesn’t make it right. You gotta stand for something. My soapbox just broke.

Lee-
I agree that the ad itself is nicely done. But, the hypocrisy of Joe having worked VERY hard for Hillary and against Obama, and then expecting ANY favors is preposterous. To take it a step further and p1ss on Obama, instead of either Specter or Toomey is politically stupid.
What’s Obama going to say? “Sorry. Remember that endorsement of Specter I gave? Never mind.”??

Sestak, in Specter’s place, could never have pulled in Snowe and Collins. Had it not been for Specter, the stimulus bill would have failed and he economy would have collapsed.

But the commercial is too long (at over a minute) and Joe would deplete his funds quickly trying to air it.

This is another Sestak gimmick that’s going to backfire.

The aim of the feature is not to bolster a floundering Senate bid. The aim of the feature is to pressure President Obama and influential Dems to intercede on Sestak’s behalf with the Justice Department. Representative Sestak is a desperate, desperate man employing desperate, desperate, tactics to avoid imprisonment. How is lambasting the incumbent Democratic President going to advance his Senate bid? Clearly, it does little more politically than provide fodder for the GOP and Fox News pundits. Why would a legitimate Democratic candidate knowingly undertake a strategy that undermines the Democratic Party? And why would any legitimate Democrats sanction or condone such a strategy? Answer: they would not. Sestak is seeking to further his own narrow legal interests, not those of the Democratic Party or the common man. He is undercutting the Democratic Party to save his own skin, and it is deplorable.

Of ocurse, this is readily apparent – even to an imbecile. Sestak has ulterior motives. His principal concern is warding off the Philadelphia Field Office of the FBI – and preventing them from hauling his deranged backside off to the penal system. Unfortunately, his tactics are likely to provoke a more terrible and vicious response than he ever thought possible. The FBI has mountains of evidence against him and his racketeer ally, Wendell Young IV. And now, it is improable that they will exercise restraint.

Its getting harder and harder to dismiss HateSestak’s arguments. He’s right – this thing doesn’t help Sestak’s Senate effort in any way, and it certainly doesn’t help the Democratic Party. Attacking Obama isn’t going to help him win many Democratic primary votes! So why is he doing this? There’s obviously something else going on here. If Sestak is facing some kind of federal charges, his actions would make sense.

Doesn’t this guy realize that these attacks on Obama are only making people wonder what the @!# is going on – and whether there really is a federal investigation?

This ad is awesome! Bold, clever and right on!

For those calling Joe a hypocrit, all I can say is that you are missing the real message.

And as far as saying that the economy would have collapsed without stimulus is just plain rediculous. How do you know that? You can’t. With only a small percentage of stimulus dollars even having hit the streets yet, your argument looses steam.

Dave — If every Democrat in Pennsylvania who rabidly supported Hillary ends up on Obama’s s-list, we’ll all need to buy hip waders. Once the nominating convention was held, once Barack and Hillary hugged it out, once he appointed her as Secretary of State, all sins were pardoned and we all sang Kumbaya around the campfire. Yeah, Joe backed the wrong horse in the Presidential derby, but once Obama had the nomination, Joe (and Ed and even, maybe grudgingly, Marcel) got behind Obama in full force. The ad just says loudly what so many of us have been saying to each other: what the hell are they (party leaders, including Obama) thinking?

ChescoDem: Exactly. Sestak, by villifying the incumbent Democratic President, is giving credence to my version of events. Democratic primary contenders do not denounce incumbent Democratic Presidents. I know of no precedent for such tactics. But the current situation – a Member of Congress/Senate candidate, Joe Sestak, accused of accepting bribes from a labor racketeer, Wendell Young IV – is obviously unheard-of. Sestak is in a dire predicament, and he has been forced to adopt a risky, ultimately catastrophic strategy. He is attempting to blackmail the incumbent Democratic President. Representative Sestak continues to literally dig his own political grave.

Dave Diano gives some weight to this HateSestak guy, but I don’t know. I’ve got this picture of a Curt Weldon flunky with a Sestak vendetta, waiting four years to get his revenge. Remember, in addition to being a loony-tunes conspiracy freak, Weldon was also raided by the FBI right before the election, making him appear to be a CROOKED loony-tunes conspiracy freak. So what die-hard Weldon fanatic wouldn’t love to turn the tables on the guy who kicked Weldon’s butt in 2006 by cranking out some half-baked “Sestak’s in legal trouble” hokum.

The louder this guy (or woman) yells, the more I’m thinking it’s all a ham-handed smear attempt. I’m actually a bit surprised that a website like this that wants to be taken seriously allows it to stand.

Intelligent Voter: Representative Sestak is a lawbreaker facing imminent federal prosecution who has launched a frantic, frenzied and foolhardy effort to ward off the Philadelphia Field Office of the FBI. Nothing more. The stagnant economy and the plight of the common man are of no consequence to him. Representative Sestak is a self-absrobed, self-concerned, self-interested individual. Neither your well-being – nor that the average American – matter to this charlatan. And maligning the incumbent Democratic President (who has held office for one year) does not advance the interests of the average American. Sestak and his racketeer accomplice, Wendell Young IV, could potentially face decades in federal prison. And they are acting accordingly.

For the love of god people just relax. Your bickering is pathetic at best. HateSestak believe it or not we know you hate Joe Sestak you type the same message every day. Diano lets not even get started with you. Let the man do something without your ridicule. Yeah he worked against Obama as did a shitload of other good Democrats. PA democrats are becoming very progressive and especially in the SE. Look at Hoeffel, Trivedi, etc. Pike is running a campaign along with Obama’s ideas and how is that going thus far? Even though it is obvious that progressive views will not completely prevail right now our state is grabbing onto the idea. A lot of people in the state, especially the SE, are running with progressive ideals. I make calls every day as a volunteer and all I here is the President hasn’t created change we’re through with him. While most of us understand that it takes more than a year people are turning their backs already. So please for the love of sanity just relax even if for an hour. And let the ridicule on my comments begin…

…And HateSestak decades in federal prison? Relax dude you may be so cool as to consider yourself an insider but, calm yourself and stop acting as if you know all that no one else does. Sestak has been “investigated” for about 6 months thus far. In fact my professors wife is the one who brought all to attention so just calm down it is going to take quite some time for things to shake out.

If Sestak was smart he’d be running AGAINST Obama, not comparing himself to that clown. Doesn’t he look at the polls? Apparently not, since he still thinks he can win the senate.

Jeff -

Thank you for pointing out that Hate really has nothing left to add to the site.

Bruce -

Well said.

Diano and Hate -

Still not convinced its not just both Diano, either way, Dave, what do you say to all the electeds across the country that supported Hillary? Honestly, you two are like conjoined morons. And no matter what either of you idiots says, Sestak’s support of Hillary was fair and he never attacked Obama, as he proudly claimed when he immediately backed Obama upon Hillary’s exit from the race. I hope you are bad mouthing Rendell, who backed Hillary, and was recently trashing Obama. Also, Specter backed McCain/Palin. Please, please, for the first time ever explain to all of us why this no longer matters. Please explain to the rest of the more than 1/10th brained world what type of independent leadership Specter showed in backing Bush, Dole, Bush, Bush, McCain? Even Lieberman (who we both hate) had the balls to stand up for what he believed in. Specter has been a GOP hack for 30 years. You two are both sad, sad people. Obama has been a huge disappointment, I supported change, not gridlock. Specter didnt save the stimulus anymore than the moderate Ds in red states or the other GOP Senators that voted for it. How has he done with the Jobs bill? Nothing. Health Care? Sure he supported it, did he do anything, NO. He hasnt done shit!

Not-So-IntelligentVoter-
You don’t have to believe me on the economy. Just check the consensus opinion of the top economists. Look at the indicators before and after. We narrowly avoided another Great Depression.

Hater and ChescoDem-
I’m getting suspicious that you to (and AnotherDem) are the same poster. Unless ChescoDem got the same docs I did, he’s got no reason to sound as convinced.

Bruce-
My “Joe for Hillary” point was that Joe’s got no street cred or brownie points or chits or political capital with Obama. Joe’s a hypocrite about how he’s “against anointing” when he was falling all over himself to anoint Hillary with an early super-vote. So, instead of getting off Obama’s sh1t-list, Joe decided to climb to the top.
As for Hater, here’s what I know (have been told): Hater appears to be a friend/colleague of the Source making the charges against Sestak. The Source has provided multiple copies of the docs to friend, so isn’t quite sure of Hater’s identity either.
According to the Source, Sestak, Young and a local DA tried framing the his wife for some crime in retaliation for something (probably whistle-blowing). I know, it sounds like something out of a movie. I haven’t the exact timeline of all this quite figured out, as I still have bits and pieces. So I’m trying to avoid too much detail here, lest I make a “whisper-down-the-lane” error accidentally.
But, these are the general brushstrokes. The Source is convinced that Young and Sestak are looking at serious jail time on a range of charges, though Young, supposedly, is in worse trouble.
This does not seem to be any Weldon payback (outside of Karma), as the accuser has filed, signed and notarized affidavits to the FBI.
Bruce, much as I hate Sestak, I was looking for him to just leave in political disgrace with some fines. I wasn’t looking for or expecting to hear of criminal activity. It doesn’t match my impression of Sestak, as I’ve considered him too much of a coward and weasel in civilian life to take the kinds of risks he’s being accused of.
However, the one thing that does match my understanding of Sestak is that (supposedly) his ego got in the way and he used a stick instead of a carrot (and the stick has become dynamite).

Verifying this is going to take FBI and/or some ace reporters.

Jeff-
This is the first hint that you know a little bit about this and who is bringing the charges.
It’s been 3 1/2 years since Weldon, so I know these things take long.
If the Toomey campaign has this information (and I suspect they do), and if Sestak wins the Primary, they will not hesitate to release it.
If true, this is going to be a black eye for the Dems and Unions. The question is: when is the least damaging time to release it?
Do the Feds do it before the Primary and get accused of interfering? Do they wait and get accused of delaying justice? If they wait too long, and Sestak wins the primary, they completely change the General election.

The answers to a lot of this stuff is above my pay-grade.

Daveb

Sorry but, unlike Liberal George W. Bush. Obama gives the orders to the Military not the other way around.

Water boarding and first stike “fill in the blank” military policy is not a hallmark of American values

Haverford Dem-
Hater seems to add a lot to this site. It seems that he and Diano know more than the rest of us.

Diano-
Toomey’s campaign has this info? Then Sestak better withdraw from this race ASAP. Toomey’s people will release it if Sestak wins the primary – blowing all hope of a Democratic win in the general election.

MY GOD! What the $%^*% is Sestak thinking? How about putting the Democratic Party and the people of this state before your own egotistical @ss.

Diano,

While I know that Toomey may have wind of what is going on. If “papers” are out there why do you think Specter has not brought it out up until this point?

The thing about “signed, notarized affadavits” is that they’re worth about as much as the paper they’re printed on — that is, hardly anything. Just because I swear I saw a leprechaun dancing in my backyard (right after I finished that bottle of John Jameson) and have my statement to that effect notarized, it doesn’t make my vision anything close to reality. And to hear all this stuff third-hand on an anonymous comment thread — well, like I said, I think this is nothing more than a badly handled smear. Nothing more. Somebody knows how much grassroots support Joe Sestak has and they’re looking to start the same sort of ugly online rumor mill that Hillary’s campaign used against Obama in the waning days of her doomed campaign. I give it a zero on the scale of believability. Though you’ll never find his fingerprints on it, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Specter’s somehow involved with planting this — it’s how Republicans usually handle a close race.

Regarding Sestak’s support of Hillary (and criticism of Obama) during the Primary: Obama did not respond or retaliate with an add blaming Sestak for not endorsing him. Now, Obama supports Specter, for some very good reasons, and Sestak then retaliates with this ad, quesioning Obama’s right to endorse the candidate he thinks has the best shot to keep Pennsylvania blue. There’s the difference. Sestak has proven to me, once again, that he is all about himself.

I am only interested in views from the 7th CD. Since this man is my congressman I have nothing to say good about him. He has always put himself before the people of the district and should and will be defeated. I have been a Democrat all my life and have never seen anyone as bad as this jerk. He should go back to the navy where he came from and was looking for a job. Soon we will be rid of him and have a great Congressman in Bryan Lentz as it should have been 3 years ago before the pressure was put on him to step aside. Only those that don’t know him will support him but Sen Specter will win. The most important thing is to work the polls and destroy him like he never existed. He is as much of a Democrat as Cheney!!! The President, Democratic State Committee, the Young Democrats and the Gov. have endorsed Specter and the all can’t be wrong.

Lana — As a voter, committee member and municipal chair in the 7th District, it’s hard for me to figure out where you’re coming from. I haven’t agreed with Joe’s stance on some issues, and I think he could have been more in touch with his constituents up here in the Montgomery County portion of the district, but he still gets decent grades for his overall involvement. Where it breaks down for me is how eager you are to be told who to vote for. If you’re a Democrat, why on Earth would you go all gaga over an old man who’s been fighting tooth and nail against everything you believe in for the past 30 years. Did you enjoy the Reagan, Bush I and Bush II administrations? Well your pal Arlen did everything he could to make them happen. He is not your friend and he is not a Democrat in any real sense of the word. He is a crass political opportunist who is using our party to keep himself in power.

I didn’t hear Bryan Lentz crying when Ed Rendell ‘anointed’ Joe Sestak for Congress in 2006. Sestak has a short memory- he was the chosen one then, he isn’t now. Suck it up Joe! And why you are at it why not start treating your staff like they are human beings.

Bruce-
My understanding is that this started back in 2007, and involves issues from Joe’s 2006 campaign.
So, based on my current understanding of the timeline, it long preceded any potential Sestak-Specter matchup.
As signed/notarized, there are penalty for filing false complaints. Leprechauns are one thing. Accusing a sitting Congressman is something else. So, I wouldn’t dismiss it so lightly.

I do agree with you about the heavy-handed way endorsements are made from the top-down. As well you know, I’ve devoted considerable time to my voter system to support underdog candidates against the anointed.
I wasn’t crazy about Bob Casey Jr, at first, but I’ve found him to be a decent, thoughtful, ethical guy (even if I don’t agree with him on all the issues). Plus, he kicked out Santorum which is worth a lot.

Lana-
You and I agree on much.

Jane-
I think you meant that you didn’t hear Sestak crying when Rendell anointed him. You’re right.

Holy cow Diano, just when I thought your points couldnt get any worse.

Why are you constantly bringing up to the forefront the Toomey Shestak alliance, like its a bad thing? These things – the grass roots tea party groups – are the makings of political success.

You are then pointing to Shestak’s jacket. How did it come to be that he wears this thing while out campaigning – “poly, meet esther, esther meet poly”, and the rest as they say is history.

You and Bob Guzzradi, your pal, should should start a blog about how to make uninsightful comments on the internet.

Thats really the only way the tea party crowd can be deterred.

Just some words from a guy who spent the summer of ’68 at the haight!

Anyone hear if Sestak is collecting sigs for his congressional seat back?

Jeff-
Specter probably didn’t released these “papers” because Specter DOES NOT need to. Sestak is waaay down in the polls, out fund-raised, loosing key staffers, and has no name recognition. Sestak doesn’t have a chance of winning.

Also, Specter is new to the Democratic Party – may be doesn’t want to rock the boat. Releasing these “papers” would cause a Democratic Party scandal.

This website is supposedly well read by many political insiders and reporters. Has any of these reporters called Sestak’s campaign to inquire about an FBI investigation or about an Office of Congressional Ethics investigation?

I’d like to hear Sestak deny the allegations (if he can).

Seems to me Diano and HateSestak are one and the same. If you can’t say something nice, Hate, don’t say anything at all. You’ve always seemed to be a Specter shill to me.

Sestak has it all over Specter any way you look at it, and there were plenty of Dems who were Hillary supporters before becoming Obama supporters. That’s all really besides the point.

I didn’t hear JOE SESTAK crying when Ed Rendell ‘anointed’ Joe Sestak for Congress in 2006. Sestak has a short memory- he was the chosen one then, he isn’t now. Suck it up Joe! And why you are at it why not start treating your staff like they are human beings.

THANK YOU DAVID

Mancini-
Holy Bovine!
Of course the Sestak-Toomey love fest is bad for Dems. Sestak is treating Toomey like a reasonable moderate, rather then the right-wing-nut he actually is. Also, he’s helping generate free press for Toomey, which translates into extra GOP fundraising.

Try vedi-
No chance on Sestak collecting sigs for 7th districts. Sestak’s dug himself a hole and has ordered more shovels.

Chesco Dem-
I suspect the Specter campaign will sit back and let the FBI, OCE and Justice Dept do their jobs. They can beat Sestak anyway, and have no need to piss off Dems by airing things that are better left to law enforcement.

LoveSestak-
Hater makes me look like the president of Sestak’s fan club, by comparison. The increase in similarity you perceive is only because he has shared/explained some of information and sourcing.
You might want to take Sestak off that pedestal, before you get hit by him falling off of it.

Jane-
Joe may have a short memory, but the rest of us have long ones.

CD, you wrote: “I’d like to hear Sestak deny the allegations (if he can).”

If I wrote that you beat your spouse every day, which I assume is false, would you dignify that ridiculous allegation with a denial? It’s the oldest smear tactic in the book.

Is that really what you want campaigns to be about? If you use a tactic in one campaign, then you had better expect others to use it against candidates who you favor in other campaigns. Is that really how we want to choose our public officials?

Finally, as if this should need to be said, it’s not incumbent upon Sestak to deny an unsubstantiated allegation. It’s the responsibility of rational people to provide proof of an allegation (if it exists).

As hungry as the media is for scandal, there is a reason why this rumor has not been written or broadcast by any of them. There’s nothing more to it than a naked allegation of a self admitted “hateful” individual, abetted by the wishful thinking of a few Specter supporters. Just because he repeats it ad nauseum doesn’t make it any more truthful.

Once again, we see the worst of politics rearing its ugly head. This is one reason why people don’t participate in the political process. Supressing the vote, by drowning out intelligent conversation about the issues with phoney “dirt”, is another ignoble tactic used by campaigns. It’s a good rule of thumb to be suspiciouious of any campaign which tries to reduce voter turnout.

Lee-
Hater is merely an (outspoken) advocate for the people pressing the charges against Sestak. I understand why people might think he’s a plant by Specter, Toomey or even Weldon. However, I’m confident that is not the case.

While YOU have not see the substantiation, others have. Don’t assume the claims are unsubstantiated nor that they cover the full range of what’s going on.

You may see this story breaking in the very near future. My understanding is that legitimate reporters are actively working on the story and you will soon be seeing non-anonymous accusations by the principles in this matter. Some forces are holding back the story, but it’s only a stopgap, as more reporters look into it. One way or another, I expect this will break sooner, rather than later.

Based upon what I’ve heard, Sestak should resign from congress NOW so that a special election for his seat can be ready for May 18th.

LOL David I think you and “Hater” are stooges for the Republicans. Arlen and Toomey are just different sides of the same old Republican coin. Joe Sestak will beat Spector in the primary because real Democrats who have voted against him for the past 30 years don’t trust him. I heard him speak at the Chester Co. Democratic committee meeting last week (he failed to get their endorsement) and he claims he knows how to beat Toomey. Does that mean he will have George W. and Rick Santorum campaigning for him again?