Sestak Edges Ahead of Specter

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Sestak Edges Ahead of Specter


The latest Muhlenberg/Morning Call tracking poll in Pennsylvania shows Rep. Joe Sestak (D) has taken the lead over Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary race, 44% to 42%.

does Sestak have a shot at winning in Nov against Toomey/ PA doesn't seem to be known for its liberal politicians but maybe the climate has changed.

But he didn't help the Bush Crime Family get away with murder (literally) like Specter did, so he is clearly the least of three evils here.

League of Conservation voters gives him a 93. Arlen gets a lifetime rating of 40.5.

Defenders of Wildlife, in particular, seem to love Sestak; giving him consistent 100's. Specter, on the other hand, usually gets a 40 or 50.

Arlen supported all those Bush rollbacks on clean air and clean water, as well as drilling at Anwar. Of course drilling at Anwar seems like an antiquated issue right now, considering all the other drilling going on. :(

I don't recall him calling Bush out at all. Actually, some of his voting record shows a lot of support for Republican legislation.

And implying that the Bush family was responsible and that Specter helped cover this up because he sat on the Warren Commission.

Something you may not be aware of:

Throughout his time in Congress, Sestak has continually held regular events with constituents. Typically these are events like small business conferences, veterans group meetings, union meetings, stuff like that, with the occasional general public town hall. If anyone's ever done a study, I bet he is in the upper quartile of meeting with constituents.

He also has held quarterly 'parties' for his volunteers. Not extravagant affairs - quasi- pot luck with someone springing for pizzas and sodas and stuff. At these volunteer meetings, as well as to some extent at the other events (so far as I know), he as ALWAYS taken Bush and republican policies to task.

(edited for clarity: I am referring to Joe Sestak)

...would be stopped by a loss in a Democratic Primary. It's much more likely that he'd pull a Holy Joe and run as an Independent. Maybe that would be enough to split the right and hand the seat to a Dem?

and hand it to the Rs. This one is a tough call, but I'd like to see Sestak take it all.

but I don't live in PA so don't really know the ins and outs of the PA electorate. All I know about sestak is what I've seen on TV. He seems like someone I could support.

but isn't PA the state that gave us Rick Santorum? Gotta wonder what folks are thinking when they vote for loons like Rick.

rating from the ACLU.

Specter's was 57.

Some think we need to support him because the republicans might like him.

Maybe Specter is now the better one for the job. I don't claim to know for sure. It was just my impression based on years of seeing Specter in the Senate as an R -- hard to know if someone can really change their spots that drastically. So far he seems to be voting the right way most of the time, but who know if perhaps Sestak is pushing him leftward, which isn't a bad thing if that's the case.

Sestak doesn't NEED a government job. If he loses to Specter he has lots of options. But he's done the country a HUGE favor by putting his job on the line (he had to give up his congressional seat, can't run for both), to pull Specter to the left. 538.com did some analyses between Specter's switch and just after Joe's formal announcement that he was running. Specter's voting patterns only moved slightly left when he switched. But when Joe got in the race, Specter became a reliable dem vote. Gee, wonder why? And I wonder what happens after the primary ... hmmm....

But, if it was his chance to continue to be our Senator and to beat out Sestak and Toomey, I would say go for it. Why? because he is the best fit, the most experienced and has the most respect of all our Representatives in Congress. He gets things done for PA and the people of PA. If PA loses Specter,Specter won't be the biggest loser, Pennsylvania will be the biggest loser.

PA has a sore loser law that disallows this if you run and lose in a primary.

that a republican would fill the seat. The way I see it if he wins he switches back. And if he loses to Sestak he would rather Toomey won instead of Sestak because of his republican background.

He can't pull a Lieberman, PA law does not allow that.

that we mean business. Second, lots of people threaten to "primary" Congress-critters when they act against the best interest of the American people, but it rarely happens. Now's the time to show incumbents we mean business.

Maybe you are not the only person he works for.

that is choosing Specter the right-wing republican over a true Democrat. I am surprised you are still allowed to post here.

I bet you aren't even from PA, but yet you think you have a right to decide what is in the best interests of PA?

That is all.


(demodonkey is a member of Pennsylvania's Democratic State Committee.)

clearly indicates.

The DSC of PA purportedly would acknowledge that a Sestak victory in the primary on May 18th would suggest that it backed the wrong horse.

Arlen may yet hold on to win. Or Sestak's surge may be pervasive and unstoppable.

And you support him over a real Democrat. Those of you that are welcoming the republicans into our party to take over our party are killing us.
He is a Democrat in name only. Do you really think he changed his ideology? He helped Bush kill Iraqi children.

him even if he asked and he hasnt. He is a Democrat in Name Only.

representing their individual states.

It matters to all of us how Barbara Boxer votes. It matters to all of us how John Kerry votes. It matters to all of us how any U.S. Senator or Congressperson votes. The legislation on which they cast those votes affects everybody everywhere.

Senators have to keep their constituents happy, yes, and Specter has had 5 terms to do that. But the tracking poll is clear in suggesting that Democrats in Pennsylvania, who are among those constituents, now favor Sestak.

PA and my take is that Specter works for the interests of Specter.

ETA: I'm from PA too. :)

regardless of which party he happens to be a member of at the moment.

They're all self-serving. It just so happens that Specter was backed into a particular corner where his best shot at political survival was a party switch. Everybody acts all outraged and says this shows a lack of character but in reality pretty much every politician would do the same if they were in his situation. Fortunately for most politicians, they are never in a situation where the best route to political survival is a party switch.

Oh and I should add that I don't really care who wins the primary, I just hope we hold the seat in November.

I will wait and see what happens on election day thank you.

:patriot:

Mr Sphincter is a snake in the grass.

because we already have enough Republicans in the Democratic Party!
Send this message to the "Centrist" Democratic Party Leadership:

Donate to the Sestak campaign.

http://www.joesestak.com/Home/Home.html

Arlen Specter has NOT changed.
He is STILL a Republican at heart.
The Democratic Party Leadership has moved so far to The Right that old Republicans now feel comfortable in what used to be the "Democratic" Party.

Just say "NO MORE!"
We already have enough Republicans!

We will need many poll watchers in Philly. It is a machine town and all sorts of shenanigii could happen...