Why do you think they want McGinty over Sestak?

[Pat Riot]

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2015/08/17/Democratic-stalwarts-quickly-support-McGinty-s-entry-in-U-Senate-race/stories/201508170031

I'm not surprised about Doyle and Fitzgerald, but I had hopes for Peduto. I have my theories, but am interested in your thoughts.

[yeoman6987]

1. Sometimes when a candidates loses, they don't want them to try again

They get scared he or she may lose again. Just a hunch.

[Divernan]

10. McGinty came in dead last (with 7.65% of votes) in her only political race!

With 99% of precincts in, Tom Wolf totaled 484,624 and a strong 57.9% of the vote. Allyson Schwartz finished second with 147,302 (17.6%) and Rob McCord came in third with 141,073 (16.85%). Finally, Katie McGinty came in fourth with 64,057 votes or 7.65%.

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-gov-wolf-wins-democratic-nomination/58081/

Sestak was elected to the House of Representatives twice, before running for the Senate.
He lost by 80,000 votes out of the 4 million cast, a margin large enough to avoid a recount. It was the smallest margin of loss of any Pennsylvania Democratic candidate in 2010.

In the general election, Sestak, although outspent 3 to 1, was narrowly defeated by Republican nominee Pat Toomey, 51% to 49%, a margin of 80,229 votes out of almost 4 million cast. He is seeking a rematch with Toomey in the 2016 election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak

[leveymg]

2. Sestak and the Kennedys are viewed as threats to the Clinton

machine that controls the DNC. He received absolutely zero party money last time.

[MADem]

3. Where are you gettting this stuff? PFFFT!!!!!

I don't think your characterization is accurate. This is why the internet can't have nice things:

Sestak was a member of the United States Navy for over 30 years. He served as the Director for Defense on the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton and held a series of operational commands, including commanding the USS George Washington carrier strike group during combat operations in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean in 2002.

Sestak began laying the groundwork for a Congressional run in his home district in Pennsylvania as a Democrat. However, he was approached and told that he had to first receive the endorsement of the "DCCC." Confused, Sestak first thought DCCC meant his hometown's Delaware County Community College. Eventually, he was steered toward the correct DCCC, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and informed its head, Rahm Emanuel, of his run for Congress.[13] Emanuel told Sestak he was not ready for such an election. Pennsylvania's 7th district is heavily conservative, as Republicans outnumbered Democrats 2:1. Sestak decided to run anyway and turned to his brother Richard and sisters Elizabeth and Margaret, who served as his campaign manager, top fundraiser and treasurer, respectively.[14] Sestak challenged ten-term incumbent Curt Weldon in a race for the seat. Sestak proved a capable fund-raiser. In the second quarter of 2006, he raised $704,000 to Weldon's $692,000; in the third, $1.14 million to $912,000. As of September 30, 2006, Sestak had $1.53 million cash on hand, while Weldon had $1.12 million in the bank after making a $500,000 TV ad buy that had not started as of the close of the third quarter.[15] Sestak received campaign funds from famed people around the world, including performer Jimmy Buffett, John Grisham, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and many Naval officers.

Sestak endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for president in the 2008 Democratic primaries and served as her campaign national security adviser, specializing in veterans.[43] He told friend Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report that he trusted her leadership while after serving with her in the White House.[44] In addition to being foreign policy adviser to Clinton, Sestak served as her superdelegate and a was a surrogate throughout the primary, appearing in several rallies and TV appearances for her. He appeared in an advertisement advocating Clinton's foreign policy strengths.[45]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak

It was the OBAMA administration that wanted him to step aside last time. Facts do matter. You should probably just delete that mess.

[leveymg]

4. Ok. How do you explain his almost total lack of recent DNC support?

Look it up. I did a few months ago. Who shut him out this election cycle and why? All your stuff refers to his run in 06, a campaign I was part of through the D trip.

If it was Rahm as you insinuate, why did DCCC bus a bunch of us to West Chester and then just dump him after that?

[MADem]

17. OBAMA runs the DNC...not "The Clintons." nt

[leveymg]

20. in fact or just in principle?

[MADem]

23. In fact and in principle. He's the party leader. To the winner go the spoils. nt

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Sestak raised a lot of his money from ordinary individuals

instead of the party. He was willing to campaign in small towns all over the state, collecting donations of small amounts that added up over time. He has already done the same thing this time around.

[leveymg]

6. Yes. But why has the national party leadership cut him off?

Who made that decision? Rahm is long gone.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. I am not sure the party ever wanted him.

They only supported him when he was the option against a Republican, but he is too much of an individual for them.

[leveymg]

9. He got support from D trip in 06. Also had Kennedy funding

But now he's being treated as a parriah. With prejudice. WHY? Who runs the party now and who is threatened by Joe Sestak?

[MADem]

24. OBAMA runs the party now.

People seem to forget that Rahm played coy in 08, but he ended up--good CHICAGO boy, he--as the WH Chief of Staff.

He chose sides carefully, and ended up backing the winner. And he got his reward for so doing.

[Divernan]

12. He is too HONEST for the DNC/party establishment - can't be bribed or bought off.

[Divernan]

15. Sestak respects chain of command- he reports to his constituency, not DNC

[MADem]

18. And the Clintons--both of them--like him just fine.

They DO recognize who the Big Boss is of the party, though--and it's not Hillary. It's sure as hell not Bill.

It's OBAMA--all the way up until his replacement takes the oath of office in Jan of 2017.

[Divernan]

11. Bill Clinton pressured/tried to bribe Sestak NOT to run against Arlen.

Despite Sestak's support of HRC in her first presidential primary, and the Clintons' support of Sestak's run for Congress, they did NOT support him in his run for Senate. To the contrary, Bill Clinton pressured Sestak to drop out by promising him a high level administrative appointment. Well, of course Bill did. That's the way the Big Dog & the DNC roll. However, Sestak was not for sale to the DNC, Obama, the Clintons or any other Big Money interests.

Job offer to Sestak
In an interview in February 2010, Sestak responded affirmatively when asked if the Obama administration had offered him a high-level White House job if he would end his candidacy for the Pennsylvania Senate seat, held by Arlen Specter. Sestak stated that he had quickly refused the offer.[60] When questioned about the specifics of the offer on Midweek Politics with David Pakman, he stood ground on refusing to add information to or comment further on his prior statements.[55][61][62] He continued to offer no further details to the media of what transpired until the Obama administration released its official report on the incident.

On May 28, 2010, the White House released an official report on the matter, authored by White House Counsel Robert F. Bauer, clarifying that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel enlisted former President Bill Clinton to approach Sestak about potential, uncompensated executive branch positions on senior advisory boards and stating Bauer's official opinion that nothing inappropriate, illegal or unethical had taken place.[63] The official report also stated that the offer had been made by former president Bill Clinton, on behalf of the Obama administration.

Following the release of the report, Sestak issued a statement in which he essentially confirmed the contents of the White House report.[64]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak#cite_note-69

Footnotes 58 through 63 to Wikipedia article:

"Specter uses Dem donations to refund GOP donors". The Progressive Electorate. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
"President Obama’s Campaign Arm Tries to Get Grass-Roots Democrats to Defeat Fellow Progressive — Political Punch". Blogs.abcnews.com. 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
Fitzgerald, Thomas. Sestak holds to story of job offer. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 20 February 2010.
"Midweek Politics with David Pakman – Interview With Congressman Joe Sestak Part 1 of 2". YouTube. 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2010-06-13.
"Midweek Politics with David Pakman – Interview With Congressman Joe Sestak Part 2 of 2". YouTube. 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2010-06-13.
"White House Asked Bill Clinton to Urge Sestak to Drop Out of Senate Race". FOX News. May 28, 2010.

[MADem]

19. Please read what you quote.

Clinton, a friend to Sestak, was carrying water on behalf of the Obama administration.

Obama asked Clinton to do the dirty work because he thought the 'request' would resonate better coming from someone who was an old friend, work associate, and campaign contributor.

When it comes to the party leader v. an old friend, the party leader always has to take first priority. Having been the party leader himself, Clinton understood how these things work.

I can assure you there is no bad blood between the Clintons and JS.

[leveymg]

21. and you know this, how?

No bad blood . . . And so on.

[MADem]

22. Because I have eyes and can see. That is why I said "Please read what you quote."

The excerpt stated that Clinton was carrying out a request made by Obama. Obama IS the party leader--BC gets this, he had the job for eight years, himself. His closeness to Sestak made him the ideal person to carry out this request. The decision--as it always is--is the candidate's.

You do realize that Clinton

a) worked with Sestak, and

b) DONATED to Sestak and

c) Has CAMPAIGNED for Sestak at both the House AND Senate race level.

If you think that there's any bad blood there, you'll have to prove it. There isn't. They genuinely like each other.

One does not go out of one's way to stump for a candidate one doesn't like.

....cough:

[leveymg]

25. They WERE close until 2010. That has changed, and I'm trying to find out the who, what and why.

All the videos are from before the freeze, not the current campaign.

[MADem]

26. If you think that Clinton is going to stick his neck out now, with his wife

needing the support of the party leadership should she make it to the show, I have a bridge to sell you.

I can tell you this--if HRC is the next POTUS, look for Sestak to have a role in her administration.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. I think there are two things at play here, or maybe more.

First, as suggested above, they don't want a candidate who has already lost in his first try. Secondly, I would compare him to Bernie Sanders, who they would have problems "controlling". Sestak is a true Democrat, but he will not blindly tow any lines.

Then again, McGinty is a proven politician.

I know that I am supporting Sestak and will be disappointed with McGinty.

[Divernan]

13. Here's why fracking lobbyist Rendell LUVS Katie

This comment is from the discussion following the PG article in the OP:

From State Impact regarding the Beech Hollow scandal:

"In 2005, as the head of the state Department of Environmental Protection, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie McGinty fast-tracked a permit for a controversial waste coal power plant in western Pennsylvania. In recent months, McGinty has accepted $120,000 in campaign contributions from a coal executive behind the project.

"The Beech Hollow power plant was ultimately never built. But emails obtained by StateImpact Pennsylvania show an effort by McGinty to expedite the plant’s permit and approve it just before more stringent federal air quality regulations were going to be implemented."

That power plant was the project of a big shot Rendell donor, and the quid-pro-quo couldn't be more clear. Of course, Rendell is from eastern PA and didn't have to breathe the consequences.

So, support from the party machine is no surprise. Lining up behind the corporatist stooge has been the pattern for Democrats since Terry MacAuliffe put the soul of the party up for sale to the highest bidders on Clinton's behalf.

And of course Sestak earned the ire of the party machine by refusing to step aside for Republican Arlen Specter, a man so spineless he changed to run as a Democrat just to save his political hide. Democrats lined up behind Specter too, proving again they have no principles. So Admiral Sestak is on the outs with the party bosses from Obama on down.

That's why we should vote for Sestak. It's much bigger than these personalities: supporting McGinty is an endorsement of the erosion of fundamental party principles by dirty money in politics.

If McGinty wins the primary, I'll be voting for an independent in the general election. I wouldn't vote for this woman on a bet, and for Emily's List to endorse her merely because of gender while ignoring this record is appalling.

[Divernan]

14. The more I learn about McGinty, the lower my opinion of her.

Here's another comment following the PG article:

John Schulman
McGinty is a GOP candidate wearing a Democrat's mask. For those of us who are green-thinking, pro-education, anti-fracking Democrats who were appalled when Democratic Governor Ed Rendell basically dismantled EPA in Pennsylvania, bankrupted the pension fund and frittered away all the tobacco money earmarked for education, roadwork and social services, and who didn't do diddly about rising health care costs, this is the return of that style of politician. She's totally in the pay of corporations and energy companies who don't give a hoot about Pennsylvanians. I'm very disappointed that Peduto would kow-tow to pro-fracking County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and back McGinty over the more honorable and public-serving candidate Joe Sestak.

[Divernan]

16. Fitzgerald dominates Peduto in city/county politics.

In last spring's county primary election, they both campaigned hard and financially supported a slate of candidates to oppose incumbent Dems who had not rolled over for or had dared to oppose Fitzgerald. Here's my detailed post about that election:

The times they are a-changin' - happened in the 60's & its happening now.

Here in Pittsburgh/Allegheny County, we just witnessed a vicious attack on a progressive Democratic candidate by the good-ole-boy Democratic machine. The progressive is County Auditor, Chelsa Wagner. She's running for re-election. In her first term she had the audacity to conduct performance audits on the County Executive (Democrat) & various county departments - all headed by Democrats. Caught the County Executive using a county vehicle for personal and campaign travel. He bought his way out of that scandal by reimbursing the county some $45,000. He then ordered his various departments to refuse to submit to legally mandated audits; the cases are now before the courts.

Chelsa Wagner's opponent, hand picked and subsidized by the County Exec., got the endorsement of the County Democratic organization - also a bunch of mostly aging, old-style machine hacks who became committee men and women for personal advantage and going to a lot of parties, and do squat all when it comes to campaigning door-to-door, handing out literature at polling places, finding places for and putting out yard signs, etc. (I was approached to run for Committee and declined, stating I was not young enough/fit enough to handle what I regarded as the responsibilities of the position. I was told - oh, you don't have to do any of that and you can go to all these great parties. I still declined. My limited time, money and energies are better spent directly supporting progressive candidates.)

The good-ole-boy dominated party machine, led by County Executive Fitzgerald and his hand-picked, personal lapdog candidate for auditor, outspent her 5 to 1.

FIVE- TO-ONE!!!

They spread unsubstantiated and distorted lies about her. When challenged to produce any facts supporting said lies, they just smiled and repeated the lies and smears. This was an off-year primary where you'd expect the county Dems' endorsed slate to win in a walk. BUT THEY DIDN'T. Fitzgerald himself was up for re-election, unopposed in the primary, and got 20,000 fewer votes than unopposed Dems running for other county offices. The Democratic voters' reasoning? When you have a county which has been run by one party for decades, you need an attack dog, not a lap dog as auditor. And Fitzgerald has been very over-reaching in dominating the County Council. And Fitzgerald also made enemies by pushing fracking at the county's airport and parks. Fitzgerald had endorsed and campaigned for other candidates for county council - and they also lost. It was quite a public and humiliating slap in the face to him and the political hacks controlling the County Dems.

OUTSPENT FIVE TO ONE, BUT SHE/THE PROGRESSIVE WON!

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/05/21/Primary-results-put-the-spotlight-on-Pittsburgh-areas-short-political-coattails/stories/201505210109

Voters are becoming more and better informed on many issues, including the role of profiteering, quid pro quo sellouts by politicians to wealthy campaign contributors. Contempt among millenials for old style politicians is growing. Bernie will get those voters out to the polls; HRC won't.

We Pennsylvanians wouldn't let the the national & state Democratic Party honchos shove Arlen Specter down our throats in the 2010 Senate race and chose Admiral Joe Sestak. And we're going to back Sestak again in 2016, despite what the party "leaders" want. Do you see a trend, here?!?! We want INDEPENDENT-OF-PARTY-HACKS and independent of Big Money Democratic candidates.