Diatribe.

Good word.

I would have used “rant” (which is one more reason I’m not a Senator).

Specter may be surprised that Sestak “can dish out out but can’t take it”.

I’m not surprised.

Did Snarlin’ Arlen think that Sestak would let him take a free shot without a response? Methinks it is Specter who is the whiner here.

Poor Arlen. Always the whiner.

Sestak, that empty Navy suit, is out of his depth with the old coot. This is more embarrassing than when Nolan Ryan beat up Robin Ventura.

Judy-
For 30 years, he’s also been the “winner”. He must be doing something right.

Like running extremely negative campaigns against Democrats and trashing progressive ideals?

Sounds like your kind of guy, Diano.

David –
Puleeeeze!! I don’t care much for fence sitters and political opportunists. His switching over speech was one big long whine. Being a supporter of the Bush crime family is something to be proud of? Puleeeze!!

Jack and Judy-
You seem to have ZERO faith in the opinion/strategy of Obama, Biden, Reid, Rendell and Casey, as well as a multitude of county leaders (including Montco, which is in Sestak’s district).

Sestak supported the Iraq War, funding Cheney’s office, Telecom immunity and warrantless wiretaps. There are plenty of progressive Dems that realize he pulled the wool over our eyes in 2006, and feel he can’t be trusted with higher (or any) office.

With Specter, we know what we are getting. He’s to the Left of some Dem Senators we already have, like Nelson. Specter is socially liberal and he’s been a stand-up guy since his shift to the Dems. He stood with us, and defied his own party on the stimulus and other key votes. He paid a political price in the GOP, and the Dem leadership offered him an opportunity to help us further.

If Specter continues voting with the Dems and honors his commitments to us, then he deserves more than just the benefit of the doubt. He deserves our votes.

Sestak’s already proven (to me and others) that he’s the real conservative flight risk. Sestak belongs to the Sestak party, not the Dems.

When it comes to whining, take a listen to Sestak’s fake outrage about the need for primaries (Sestak’s NEVER faced one himself and made sure the field was cleared).

Specter bears the endorsement of Rick Santorum and George Bush from 2004. That’s all I need to know to support him. Go Arlen! We need good right-of-center Democrats like Casey in the US Senate!!!

Kettle: Takes one to know one!
Pot: Nah nah, na nah nah!

Keep it up idiots.

Vote Kortz.

“Specter is socially liberal and he’s been a stand-up guy since his shift to the Dems.”

He’s been a stand-up guy (that’s debateable) for all of about 2 months, in the midst of a challenge to his re-election. Oh Boy! We certainly can count on a guy like that.

Lee,
Brilliant! Right on!

Jack,
Brilliant! Right on!

Judy C,
Brillaint! Right on!

Dave,
Ohhhhhhhh pleeeeeasssssssssseeeeeee! You lemming!!!

Lee-
It’s been 2 months, and so far, so good.
When it becomes 12 months of good behavior, then what will you say?
How long is the probationary period?

Mike-
You seem to be the one heading to the edge of the cliff with the Sestak lemmings. I’m not supporting Specter because I’m a lemming for Obama/Biden/Rendell. I’m against Sestak because I think he doesn’t deserve to hold ANY public office.
I’d love to have a real liberal, like Daylin Leach to vote for (but, he isn’t running, and this is a year for party unity).
I can accept Specter. He’s a known quantity, and he’s got the experience. Sestak is a unknown quantity to most of you, but not to those that have seen the man behind he curtain.

David

That’s the most sensible thing you’ve written in quite some time. Specter’s probationary period will end when and IF he consistently votes, speaks and acts like a reliably progressive Democrat.

Where we differ is that you, in the name of party unity, are willing to take Specter at face value (and Rendell/Biden/Obama’s urging), even thugh Specter himself stated that he can’t be counted upon as a reliable Democratic vote. I want to see consistent action by him.

So far, he has shown little to outweigh his 8 year record of solidly supporting Bush, secret wiretaps, the invasion of Iraq, The Patriot Act, etc. He’s had every opportunity, for example, to champion Sotomayor and hasn’t. He’s got a lot of convincing to do.

Also, your praise of Specter might have more credibility if your hate for Sestak wouldn’t be so apparent and vicious. Your personal unhappy experience with Sestak seems to be more of a motivation for you than than the relative merits of Sestak vs. Specter. That kind of personal viciousness does not benefit the party and makes readers suspect of what you write.

Tell me something significant that Specter has done in the 2 months that he’s been a Democrat. (Note that the stimulus bill was BEFORE he switched parties.)

Lee-
I’m not taking Specter at face value, just for “party unity” (though I do feel that should be a factor).

1) Specter is more of an Independent than a “true” Democrat or Republican. So, I don’t expect him to be a knee-jerk vote. Much as I love the far Left, they go overboard sometimes too. Specter can help bring them inline with the mainstream and bipartisan approaches.

2) Sestak supported Bush’s Iraq War, Telecom immunity and warrantless wiretaps. (even Hillary voted for the initial war) So, Specter gets a pass on that in a comparison with Sestak. There is no question (in MY mind) that Sestak would have been a hawk and voted the same as Specter on these issues.

3) Specter’s support of Sotomayor will be clear in his vote and questions. Initially he held back the praise because too much praise got him the label of acting like a Dem shill. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t praise her.

4) My opinion of Sestak is shared by a great many people that have dealt with him. Unfortunately, some of them are still in or running for office in Delco and curse him (worse than me) only in private. I’ve been asked by some of them to pull back for my own political-future. They fear I’ll face some form of political retaliation from Sestak (because they think he’s a vindictive s.o.b.). Since I never intend to run for a political office, I’m not worried.
My “personal” issues with Sestak merely inform me of his unworthiness and give me insights into how he spins the truth and his lack of commitment to Democratic party ideals. My personal dealings with him were in 2006.
As late as April 2007, I was vigorously supporting him when he was attacked for speaking at CAIR event.
I didn’t “turn” on him until he voted to give Bush a blank check on Iraq, and then followed it up with voting with the GOP to fund Cheney’s office.
That’s when I began to piece things together and talk with other dissatisfied former Sestak supporters.
In late 2007, Sestak’s campaign refused to reciprocate for all the fundraisers we hosted for him in 2006 by hosting a fundraiser for our 2007 candidates. The response was: “Why should he? It’s not his contest. No one here did anything for him.” That is a direct quote from his brother, Richard, who is the campaign’s director.
That statement of utter selfishness and contempt was the final straw. On the day of the Nov 2007, Sestak wasn’t in Delco working the polls, promoting Dem candidates. No. He voted absentee because he was in New Hampshire stumping for Hillary (as one of her earlier anointers).
Missing out on an election day of touring the polling places and greeting voters is highly unusual (especially for a first-term congressman that is interested in getting re-elected or cares about the Dems in his district.)

There are plenty examples of Sestak failing to support local Dems (beyond lip service) and the various candidates that have been unable to get support, or volunteer lists, or funding realize that Sestak is in it for himself and doesn’t care about them or the Democratic Party.

Lee, Sestak puts up a great front. Even when I saw hints of this in 2006 (and others were telling me he was no good), I stuck with Joe because I believed he was smart enough to appreciate the value of cooperating with the people and party that got him elected. I was wrong to believe that his intelligence could overcome his ego and arrogance.

As for Specter, there was an article recently about he was with us on 17 out of 20 party unity votes. Personally, all I care about in the short term as “proof” is that he support us on blocking filibusters (even on legislation that he winds up voting against).
There hasn’t been much for him to vote on in the past two months. The key votes are in the upcoming months with Sotomayor, health care and EFCA as well as various budget issues.

I often felt sorry for Arlen, because the right-wing was pulling him away from his core. I think that in some cases he traded his vote on one issue in order to get GOP support (or political capital) for other issues he wanted.
Specter seems more comfortable voting with the Dems, and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s been a target to switch Dem for years. I think it’s counter-productive to future recruitment to vilify him, until we actually see his votes.
Sestak is basing his campaign on Specter as a political flight-risk, when in fact, it’s Sestak that betrayed the Dems with key votes in direct contrast to his 2006 campaign assurances.

Lee, I hope you come to Delco and get to see the Sestak behind the scenes.

From Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen:
Sestak, who routinely describes Specter as a “flight risk” for the Democratic Party, didn’t hesitate to issue a forceful response. Soon after Specter’s criticism, the House member explained that he was a registered independent throughout his 35-year career in the Navy — which is why he never voted in a primary — because he believes “military officers should be nonpartisan.” After retiring from active duty, Sestak said, he registered as a Dem.

As for Sestak’s “documented disinterest in the political process,” he added that there were several elections in which he voted with absentee ballots, which he said are routinely discounted for service members “because they arrive too late.”

But those details aside, the fascinating aspect to this is that Arlen Specter is questioning someone else’s party loyalty. Given the circumstances, that takes some real chutzpah. Sure, Sestak wasn’t officially a member of the Democratic Party until three years ago, but Specter was a long-time Republican until three months ago.

Isn’t this a subject he’d want to avoid?

David – your comments:
“You seem to have ZERO faith in the opinion/strategy of Obama, Biden, Reid, Rendell and Casey, as well as a multitude of county leaders (including Montco, which is in Sestak’s district).”
That’s exactly right, I do not have faith in the opinion/strategy of those you named. Let’s see….I really like Obama but not his advisers. They are giving him bum advice on the Wall Street financial meltdown, especially seeing that they are former (?) Wall Street insiders. Biden……..Mr. MBNA, voted against the working people in America how many times as Senator? Reid, I am assuming you mean Sen. Harry Reid…..Mr. I Can’t Stand Up to the GOP, Mr. We Need 60 Votes……is that the one you mean? He’s a fricking joke!! Gov. Rendell, gee….where do I even begin on that one! Sen. Casey……he owes his political future to that gutless group, he won’t say no to them on anything.
I do not care for people who think that they can tell me who to vote for. That is un-American. This group wants to subvert the political process here in PA to “anoint” Specter as the Chosen One. Do you need a history lesson? What would our founding fathers say about this? I know what they would say…..that these people condone tyranny.
I thought it was up to the Democratic voters in PA to decide who the candidate for US Senate would be. What’s so wrong with a good old-fashioned contested primary? Isn’t it WE the people, FOR the people and BY the people? Isn’t that what America is really about? It’s the PEOPLE who decide, not the party elites. Power to the people!!
And besides, I don’t take too kindly to bloviating assholes telling me who to vote for.

Stop with the “party unity” meme. I don’t march in lockstep with anyone. I want to know what the real reasons are that they are pushing so hard for Specter. For Rendell that’s not a hard one to answer……cronyism. Add Biden to that category too.
These people have their own agendas for seeing Specter get re-elected. It’s too bad they’ve put themselves above the people of Pennsylvania.

Judy-
1) It has been Sestak who’s been portraying himself as the “real” Democrat and questioning the Specter’s commitment. Specter is well within his rights to point out Sestak’s own shortcomings on this score.
Whether this is a good tactical move and whether the Specter haters can see through Sestak are different questions.

2) No one has “told you who to vote for”. They have told you who they are supporting/endorsing and why. You don’t have to agree with them, but you would be well served to keep an open mind since they are the party leaders and engaged in a long term struggle.
Sestak was part of the group trying to anoint Hillary with enough super-delegate votes overturn the Primaries (or discourage Obama supporters from believing they had a shot).

3) I’m not promoting a “party unity” meme. I believe party unity is an aspect Primary voters should include within the entirety of their decision, but that’s out respect for the party leadership and how their endorsements into the overall strategy.
I agree that Reid is a weak leader and that he should let the Republicans filibuster for for weeks on end so the country can see they are obstructionists. However, Specter is on our side now, and he deserves a chance to prove it.
We were suspicious of Sestak during 2006, but took a chance on him. He’s already proven himself no good with his votes and disdain for Dems in his district. To me, Sestak’s already disqualified himself from deserving elected office the Democratic party.

Sestak is an extreme liberal nutbag who is totally unelectable. Specter is reliably middle of the road, including on divisive issues such as abortion, which is why he had the backing of the Repubilcan establishment for 40 years. We have to be pragmatic. The country is in the middle of the road. Sestak is far too left.

I think Joe Sestak is a good Congressman, and Arlen Specter is a good Senator.

David – I think it’s exaggerating to say that Sestak gave Bush a blank check on Iraq.

Lee – I think Specter was a pretty decent Democrat even before the switch! And he’s been pretty clear on his support Sotomayor (while maintaining a Constitutional attitude of wait and see):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdBTXyQYF0

Everyone – I agree with waiting and seeing what Specter does in order to determine support. In fact, right after the switch, I think even Sestak himself said that a bunch of times. And since the switch, its been pretty clear to me that he’s going to be a good, if not great Democrat. He’s agreed to support many many candidates and local party organizations.

And truthfully, I think Sestak realized that Specter is going to be a good Democrat from now till 2016 and beyond, and changed his toon shortly after. Sestak realized that he’ll need to make his campaign about the past 8 years instead of the future 6 years if he wants to have any case at all. And I don’t blame him.

In the end, I think having Specter on the ballot strengthens the Democratic ticket overall in the general. And if he fulfills his promises to help campaign with other local Dems, then its good for the party in general. So while I respect them both, I have to confess that right now I’m leaning Specter. The door isn’t closed to Joe Sestak – he will just need to do less talking about Arlen Specter, and a lot more talking about Joe Sestak.

JFK Democrat-
Sestak is certainly trying to portray himself as part of the progressive Left. However, that is a fiction constructed for the campaign.

John in PA-
The Iraq War bill that Sestak voted for on May 2007, did not contain “timetables” nor any enforceable accountability for Bush. That bill is generally considered to have been a “blank check”.

Check out this 2008 entry in Young Philly Politics:
http://youngphillypolitics.com/joe_sestak_and_allyson_schwartz_vote_continue_war_unabated

From the Wikipedia entry on Sestak:
—
As a candidate, Sestak campaigned with much credibility on the need to end the war in Iraq. Once in office in 2007, he supported Congressional efforts to re-deploy forces but ultimately voted for the no-strings-attached war supplemental that the House constructed after President Bush’s veto, a bill that many critics of the Bush administration have called a “blank check” for the continuation of administration policies in the Middle East. Sestak supported the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which critics contend continues the Bush administration’s policy of warrantless wiretapping and provides retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies who participated in the National Security Agency’s “terrorist surveillance program.”
—

Actually, I’m pretty sure that Sestak was one of the few who wasn’t saying anything encouraging about Specter when he came over. The Specter switch was a major blow to the plans Sestak had been laying for months.

If Specter supports Dem candidates and organizations, he will wipe the floor with Sestak. Sestak is notorious for all-talk-no-action when it comes to real support for the local organizations. He will show up at some events (where he gets the benefit of meeting Dems to promote himself), but he never hosts any events or calls in his donors to help us out. He will have a VERY difficult time compiling a list of real actions he taken to help fellow Dems, beyond showing up at events that everyone else did the work of organizing.

Sestak has a thin voting record: only one congressional term completed and some problematic votes.

I don’t think Sestak has changed his tune, because he keeps referring to Specter as a flight risk. Demonizing Specter is the only strategy available, but it’s doomed to failure if Specter votes with the Dems. Once, Specter votes for EFCA, the unions will back Specter over Sestak.

Rendell already gives a great introduction or Specter with all his Dem positions and key votes over the past 30-40 years. By the 2010 Primary, that introduction will include a year as a Dem and some big votes.

My parents like Joe as their congressman, but believe that this entire senate campaign is an excuse to raise money and get his name statewide for a future race. They are convinced that Joe will not challenge Specter because he knows can’t win. It’s kind of ironic that they like him, but consider him to be a typical self-promoting politician.
My personal opinion is that Sestak has already crossed his Rubicon. He already looks like a fool for dragging out his inevitable announcement. If he’s gone this far and backs out, he’ll be permanently tagged as the little congressman that cried wolf.