Interesting. Not even Sestak’s congressional colleagues from his own delegation will come out and support him. That speaks volumes. They know what a self-serving fraud he is.

Cris Matthews said it best: it’ll be a tight squeeze, but Specter will come out ahead. Then the 7th district will finally elect a Democrat who not only lives there and calls it home, but who truly has its best interests at heart.

George Brendt: Indeed. No PA congressional delegation members voiced support for Sestak, and this is telling. But Sestak did recieve endorsements from congressman Barney Frank (who was chastised by the House Ethics Committee when it was revealed that his male lover was operating a prostitution ring in the apartment they shared), and ex-congressman Eric Massa (who allegedly fondled the genitals of his male comrades in the Navy and male members of his congressional staff), neither of them PA reps.

You think only R’s have a machine that intimidates incumbents to tow the party line?
Kirkland endorsed Sestak, and then withdrew … you think that had nothing to do with pressure from above?

HS: quite to the point. Obviously I am not a fan of this man’s, but even to impartial observer, this is hugely telling and hugely TROUBLING. Not a single endorsement from the ANY of the other eighteen House members? Really? NOT ONE??

The United States Senate is a collegial chamber where trust, reputation, and record of accomplishments carry the day. Sestak has none of those as a congressman – not with his colleagues in the PA delegation, and certainly not among those of us in DelCo who’ve been used as a stepping block at have seen how this man operates.

To the UNDECIDEDS who may be reading this blog: even if you find our blustering rants and raves tiresome, heed the advice of Congresswoman Schwartz. Please do not vote to send Joe Sestak to the U.S. Senate.

Kirkland is a PA rep, not a U.S. Congressman, and does not work with Sestak as a colleague in the national legislature.

Given that Kirkland seat is in Marcus Hook, I have no idea why he would have withdrawn his support. Perhaps he just came to his senses.

Candidates get deluged with questionnaires from every type of legitimate and not-so-legit interest group. Sometimes it’s just impossible to answer them all. In fact, you might even wonder about a campaign that DOES have the time to answer them all. You can’t fairly judge a candidate based on this. Any Democrat is going to be sensitive to disability issues.

It is disappointing that Allyson Schwartz didn’t have the courage to stand up to the party bigwigs who are trying to impose their candidate (Specter) from the top down. But it’s more encouraging that the better candidate, and the one who has the best chance to defeat extremist Toomey in the fall, i.e., Sestak, has a good shot at winning the primary.

I have to give Specter the best laugh of the day award, though, for claiming that Sestak is the one who makes everything political. Mr. Consummate Politician Specter, who is a Dem only because he didn’t think he could win reelection as a Republican, and who makes his own political success paramount to any set of principles, whining that his opponent acts politically in the course of a campaign. Got to give Specter credit for being able to say what he did with a straight face.

Lee, I would disagree with you. Schwartz has enough currency of her own, and could just as easily have stayed silent and surreptitiously supported Sestak in other ways if she truly felt bullied by anyone on the DCCC.

The fact that she’s emailed her supporters and affirmatively supported Specter is a noteworthy display of action.

This race is over. Pundits all over the place are writing Specter’s political obit.

The latest: Newsweek’s Joe Klein.
http://tinyurl.com/24l38oz

This is a devastating piece, and every word drips with Klein’s obvious conclusion that Specter cannot win next Tuesday. It ends with Klein’s description of Specter’s disasterous appearance on Tuesday in Pittsburgh:

“It was a sad, disjointed speech, a series of stale jokes that didn’t go over and promises of pork that were cheered. But the substance, such as it was, was overwhelmed by another Specter gaffe….”

http://tinyurl.com/24l38oz

Lee-
You (and the avid Sestak fans) are implying that not a single member of the PA House caucus is endorsing Sestak, and that the reason is out of cowardice.

Do you consider that some of them may simply not like Sestak because of his lone-wolf behavior, and feel it doesn’t have a place in the Senate?
Do you consider that some of them may honestly believe that Specter has the better shot against Toomey (like 60% of rank-and-file Democrats already do), especially considering the fundraising issue?
Do you consider that some of them might have had unpleasant dealings with Sestak and his staff?
Or maybe, they’ve picked up some Sestak ex-staffers and have some inside-info?
Or maybe they feel that win-or-lose Specter in the General could help them in their district with some demographics?
Or maybe they feel Specter will be a better partner in joint fundraising events?
Or maybe they feel Specter will be a powerful Senator who can help them with their own legislation, rather than a newbie like Sestak?

But, oh, no, it’s all got to be a big conspiracy against the besieged Sestak and he’s the only one with the honor and integrity to stand up for blah, blah, blah. It’s like a jukebox with only one record and it has a scratch in it.

Face it. After only 3+ years with him in Congress, they figured out he’s a selfish @sshole who wouldn’t give them the salt off a pretzel and they aren’t going to stick their next out for him, even if they don’t like Specter.

Ha, I almost fell out of my chair at the absurdity of Sestak sharing the stage with another candidate. It was either the uproarious laughter at the image, or the pig that just flew into my window.

Lee, watch the video of Sestak’s “endorsement” of Bryan Lentz, and how Sestak squirmed when Lentz mentioned that he’s “looking forward to campaigning with [Sestak] in the fall.” That’s the man you want to represent your interests in the U.S. Senate?

Oh, and since it hasn’t been said enough, Bryan Lentz is an outstanding candidate for PA 7th, and deserves a massive support effort. He’s what we’ve deserved since the days of Bob Edgar.

Face all you Specter Lovers Specter would not Piss down your throat if your throat were on Fire He is a creepy Creep that Must be dismissed

schwartz, specter, rendell…been supporting each other for years…not surprising…better that all the party leaders endorse specter in this climate…that is why joe is rising

I guess Joe must really be confident in this “impending victory” of his. DD has just uncovered from the May 7th Voter File that Susan Sestak, the congressman’s wife, isn’t even registered to vote in Pennsylvania.

Most likely, she’s registered in Virginia, where she resides with their daughter, who also goes to school there.

Sestak supporters, WAKE UP, this man is a FRAUD! He doesn’t even make a paltry effort to at least put on a front that he resides in the district that he purportedly represents! COME ON!

George, you are right, I have all the support of the delegation. Congresswoman Schwartz knew that if she wanted to keep her post at the DCCC she had better start kissing up to the boss man, and now I have her support!!

Specter, History, Toast Guy-
We aren’t interested in your golden shower fetishes. Closing one’s mouth would extinguish a fire, and prevent someone from urinating into your throat. “Shutting your mouth” sounds like advice you should take to heart.

sick of it all-
On one thread, you were saying that blacks couldn’t be trusted with Specter “street money”.

Now you’re here talking about Jewish conspiracies
schwartz, specter, rendell…been supporting each other for years…not surprising Why, because they’ll all Jewish?

What other groups are you bigoted against and planning to stereotype?

David-

Very kind of you to say what I implied. Problem is that you are wrong. I didn’t imply anything but what I said, i.e., that it is disappointing Schwartz acted without courage or independence.

I realize that it’s the last few days of the campaign and that Specter may be left without any ammunition for the final push; but it really is a sign of desperation when you have to twist around the meaning of what I say, instead of simply disageeing with it.

You’re right, but also, I just read an article yesterday somewhere that Jack Wagner was the only candidate at a forum about autism. Does that mean the others don’t care about autism? Doubt it, but if somebody wants to twist it, it works both ways.

Specter’s smears have turned off voters across the state.

The view from Central PA:

From today’s Daily Item in Sunbury
http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x433567890/Specter-Sestak-in-dead-heat

Valley Democrats and political observers are pondering what led to the erosion of Specter’s support. It’s rarely a single event. But in this case, many are pointing to a series of negative attacks by Specter on Sestak’s military service record as a turning point in the campaign.

“The military ad threw me into the Sestak camp,” said Union County Commissioner John Showers, a Democrat.

“As a 35-year veteran of politics, I am concerned about where politics is headed in this country,” he said. “This swift-boating of Sestak by Specter, I have no time for this.”

Showers, a former state representative, also noted that Specter’s age might be working against him. “He’s been in the Senate a long time, and a lot of people are wondering if maybe it’s time for a change.”

Showers admitted that Specter, who is on the Judiciary Committee, has done a lot of good.

Snyder County Commissioner Peggy Chamberlain Roup, a Democrat, said she is undecided about who she will vote for on Tuesday.

“I don’t care much for negative campaigning,” she said. “And I didn’t like Arlen Specter attacking Sestak’s military record. It was the wrong thing to do. His ads talked about Sestak’s missed votes. As I understand it, Sestak missed minor votes and mostly because one of his relatives was seriously ill. I think that kind of advertising misleads and confuses voters.”

You’ve got to love Schwartz and Specter. They support a President who less than 10 percent of Israelis trust and ask people to vote for them . . . because they’re pro-Israel. It’s a dying style of politics, I think, and the only question is if it dies sooner or later

Yeeeouch! I’ve Diano-whiplash.

David, you’re complaining here about some unstated “Jewish conspiracy” posted by a Sestak supporter?

And yet the reality is that you’re the one who’s been posting in that vein for a long time here.

Like on May 1:

“The suburban Jewish vote is going to Specter, even stronger than it has before.”

Or just a couple of days ago, May 12:

“Arlen’s been the “Senator from Israel” for the Jewish community. He’s on a first name basis with anyone important in the mid-East, like foreign ambassadors and heads of state…”

So I guess when it comes from you, it’s A-OK, but when you perceive it coming from a Sestak supporter it’s somehow perverse?

I’ll check back for your denial and excuses after I visit the chiropractor.

Diano=Confused over what alias to use next!

The Research 2000 poll is in and it’s Kos-tastic for Sestak:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/14/866125/-PA-Sen:-Sestak-takes-(statistically-insignificant)-lead

While this polls shows Joe leading Arlen, it, too, falls into the dead-heat margin of error. However, all trends are up for Sestak, down for Specter.

And Kos also shows the trend lines vs. Toomey for each candidate, making it clear that Sestak runs a much better chance of winning the seat in the general than does Specter.

Some vintage quotes in the piece from Markos:

After taking a look at what TJ Rooney said earlier this week about a “cataclysm” if Sestak wins:

“T.J. Rooney, chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.”

And after considering all of the polls and trendlines, Kos concludes:

“At this point, nominating the real Democrat also gives us the best chance in the general election to hold the seat. There is zero reason to stick with the untrustworthy Specter.”

Hey David…go fight with Kos!

“

While I’m disappointed in Allyson Schwartz, Rick Taylor, Ed Rendell, et al., Specter IS the endorsed Democratic candidate and it would not be in their best interests, or perhaps may even be contrary to the state party’s by-laws, to come out for Sestak.

This is therefore a moot point not worth discussing.

DD-stope trying to play teh game of the republican specter and interject race or ethnic issues where none exists…just stating facts that ar eborne out by history with respect to schwartz, specter and rendell…not recalling anything about street money being paid out by specter but him getting little in return…do you think that happens? As to Specter being the “endorsed” candidate by the “Party” this is a primary…Democrats should not be bullied or intimidated…vote your conscience and for the candidiatethat you believe best exemplifies democratic party values…don’t feel compelled to vote for someone because a person in the party leadership tells you he/she thinks that person best exem,plifies democratic party values

Rendell was not endorsed in the primary for mayor or Gov the first time-How did that work out.
Endorsments dont work in high profile elections with heavy ad wars
comitteemen and drum beaters also cant move voters at this point.
I a voter comes out on Tuesday- they have ther minds made up and you just get out of their way.

Of course Hoeffelis for the handicapped. His governing partner Jim Matthews is integrity-challenged and needs Hoeffel to prop him up.