Why I don't care about Sestak vs. Specter in a simple email I got from Sestak's campaign

[AllentownJake]

Email sent March 18th 2010.

We lead by 17 points among Democrats who can identify both Arlen and me, in a just released poll. Great news … but we still have a further way to go. We're unknown by about half of the Democratic voters, which will soon be remedied by our field operations and paid media in the closing weeks.


To help raise the funds needed to reach the remaining Democrats, Mark Zandi, the chief economist of Moody's Analytics and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, is hosting a fundraiser for me on Sunday, March 28 from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. A trusted adviser to policymakers and an influential source of economic analysis for businesses, journalists and the public, Mark has frequently testified before Congress and has advised the Obama administration as well as Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. (The invite for March 28 is below.)


Political experts nationwide have reached the same verdict that Specter is imperiled:

The Hill declares Specter "the most imperiled incumbent in the Senate."



Politico reports that "no incumbent in the House or Senate has a longer or tougher road to re-election."



The Rothenberg Political Report, The Cook Report, and Congressional Quarterly have all down-graded Specter's changes for re-election to "toss-up" with Congressional Quarterly going further in stating "and that's being generous to Specter".


And two of our state's major newspapers have called us the future of the Democratic Party:

"Arlen Specter ... isn't the future of the Democratic Party - but his May primary opponent, the relentless U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, is". -- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review



"You don't encounter people like this every day. When you do, you have to seize the moment... Sestak's heart is emblazoned on his sleeve … there is a refreshing sincerity ... passion smolders underneath this former Navy Admiral, who served in the Clinton Administration … It is clear thatSpecter ... has become yesterday's news ... He needs to exit ... his time has come and gone. And Joe Sestak's time is now." -- The Times Herald

This is our last full-fundraising quarter before the May primary. What we raise now, can make all the difference in winning this race!

I am asking you to attend and make the maximum contribution possible for you. If you are not able to attend, I would be most appreciative of your considering making a contribution now. Checks are made payable to "Sestak For Senate" and mailed to Sestak For Senate; P.O. Box 1936; Media, PA 19063 or made online: Please click here

Please forward this invitation to others.

Thank you for consideration and support!

Warmly,
Joe

Thanks for the invite to the home of a McCain Presidential team economic advisor Joe, really I appreciate that. Makes me very comfortable with the idea of you being a Senator, and Moody's none the less, the center of the storm of credit rating of the toxic waste that has left millions unemployed. I trust Sestak less than Specter. Just wish Arlen would let us know who really killed JFK.

[depakid]

1. Aside from being tone deaf

That's just sad, man.

[AllentownJake]

2. I laughed my ass off when I got that. nt.

[depakid]

5. A sardonic laugh would be my bet.

[AllentownJake]

6. It was more of this has got to be a joke

Than realizing it wasn't and my drink going through my nose.

[customerserviceguy]

3. You would wish Snarlin' Arlen

on the people of Pennsylvania, and the rest of us, over which political fund-raiser is hosting Sestak? This is raising money, it's not a test of ideological purity.

Whatever it takes to defeat this turd, I support Sestak in his efforts. Specter is not one of us, never has been. He needs to be retired, and I'd rather a Democratic challenger do that than a Repuke.

[AllentownJake]

4. I live in PA

I find the idea of Sestak counting amongst his friends this person particularly interesting.

I wonder how much they agree on things if this McCain adviser is holding fundraisers for him. I mean you don't hold fundraisers for people you disagree with now do you.

[depakid]

7. If you bring a skunk into your living room... or visa versa

The Moody's connection is what got me.

I mean, crikey! Is that really what Democrats want to see? Fraudsters raising funds for them?

Fraudster's who've never (and looks like will never be) held to account for their criminal behavior?

[AllentownJake]

8. Why I don't really care about the Senate race all that much

I'm actually laughing at my Obama team leader friends who have embraced this guy.

They think they will have schadenfreude if he wins because I'm sitting on the sidelines. I sent the obnoxious ones this email a month ago. Sadly, they were to dumb to figure it out without significant explanation. Totally forgot about this till tonight and I saw the Sestak rah rahing going on.

[customerserviceguy]

9. The fundraiser

is just a hired gun, that's all. A political "whore" if you will forgive the term. (Yes, I know it's not fair to sex workers, but it makes my point.)

I don't blame Sestak for pulling out all the stops at this point.

[AllentownJake]

10. Fuck that

Seriously, don't bash Specter when you are having cocktails with McCain's economic team.

I trust Joe about as much as I trust the people he raises money from.

[customerserviceguy]

11. And I trust Specter even less

than you trust Sestak and his fundraiser. I just look at the decades when Snarlin' Arlen made the vast majority of his votes, and I guess I simply have trouble believing that he's changed a lifetime of Repukeness this late in the game.

[AllentownJake]

12. Like I said

I believe I probably have a choice between two republicans.

Do I go for the one endorsed by the President or the one endorsed by McCain economic advisers.

Might be one of those times I write in my dead father.

[MH1]

14. Depending on your definition of 'Republcan'

but Sestak has something like a 97% record voting with the Democratic Party. He has high scores from LCV, NARAL, NOW (was just endorsed by NOW Saturday actually), and HRC. He has lots of little union support who are bucking the big guys who are kowtowing to Specter (anti-EFCA Specter gets endorsed by AFL-CIO? Now there's a stinker.)

Anyway you should check voting records and interest group ratings, and you will see that Sestak is significantly left of Specter. One of them will be the nominee. You can help it be the 'least bad' (from your perspective) or just throw your hands up and walk away, and maybe get the worst.

[AllentownJake]

16. I don't care about this race

I don't like either candidate. I will probably write in my dead father in the primary and vote in the General for not Pat Toomey.

Not really donating or volunteering for not Pat Toomey.

[wisteria]

20. Well said. n/t

[wisteria]

19. You are supporting the Rebuk if you support Sestak.

And, Specter has been good for our state.
Aftering reading this, I wouldn't lift a finger to vote for Sestak-ever.

[MH1]

27. Oh bullshit. Specter has a 30+ year 'Rebuk' voting record and will lose to Toomey

Sestak has a more liberal record and will have a good shot against Toomey.

Latest Rasmussen poll: Specter 38 - Toomey 50; Sestak 40 - Toomey 42.

Anyway we will see after May 18.

[customerserviceguy]

33. "Specter has been good for our state"

Are you talking about the relatively small amount of time he has been with the Democratic Party, or the many decades he supported the Repukes? Or are you simply talking about the pork he has brought home to Pennsylvania?

If it's the latter, then party labels and ideology shouldn't really mean anything to any of us when we go to the polls this November, it's just about who's winning the seniority game to spend more Federal bucks in our state/district.

[MH1]

13. Nothing wrong with Mark Zandi, he advises Obama too; are all economists 'evil'?

Zandi's a smart guy. I attended the fundraiser, it was a very nice event.

Keep in mind that Specter kept his republican staff. Specter was a republican for over 30 years, gave us Clarence Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, and Alito. And DOMA. Also wants a flat tax and to eliminate the estate tax.

Sestak is not a far left liberal, to be sure. But he gets high ratings from mainstream liberal groups like LCV, NOW, HRC, etc. Check them both out at project Vote-Smart (link in my sig). Then make your decision on facts across the board.

Or, you could just sit this one out and let the rest of us decide for you. :shrug:

[AllentownJake]

15. Yes we all know how thrilled I am with Obama's economic team

Outside of Volcker who is on the college speaking tour instead of making policy, I have little use for Summers, Romer, or Geithner.

I hear rumors Bob Rubin might be making a comeback...YAY

:rofl:

[wisteria]

17. The Tribune Review endorsement, the money from Richard Mellon Scaife and now this

is just too much. No wonder Senator Specter is having a tough time, he is running against Republicans as well as a man who claims to be the Democrat, but seems to be in bed with the Republicans. I am sure they are figuring he will lose, but if he doesn't, what will he have to give them in return for their support.
This guy is a sleaze.

[AllentownJake]

18. He works his staff that aren't family like Pharoh and treats them badly

You can tell the nature of a person on how they treat those who work for them.

[MH1]

21. have you ever been in his office?

I have, many times, and his staff seem quite happy with him. Many of them have been there for quite a while.

You are just parroting Specter's ads now, I think. :)

[wisteria]

23. Who do you see? His family? Since you are his close neighbor. n/t

[MH1]

26. the staff

including his campaign manager who is his brother. (shocker - the campaign manager gets paid more than the interns! OMG, sacrilege!)

'the staff' includes more people than I've ever bothered to count. there's a bunch of them at the Media office.

Also, his COS (not family) has been with him since the Navy, ran his first campaign, ran the Media congressional office for awhile (I think - I was busy and not paying attention at that time), and now of course is in DC.

You don't engender that kind of loyalty by being a total jerk like Specter is trying to imply. But again all that nonsense is just hearsay.

And anyway, most people will vote for the person who will WORK HARD for them in office ... I think Specter's ads berating Sestak for being a hard worker might be helping thatrecent meteoric rise in the polls for Sestak. :)

[AllentownJake]

28. His brother is still managing the campaign?

Oh the DSCC is not going to be happy about that if he pulls this off.

[MH1]

29. if he pulls it off, I guess that means Rich did a pretty good job

Sestak pasted Weldon in 2006 with his own 'inexperienced' campaign guy too.

And he was so 'unpopular' in his district that he barely had to campaign in 2008 to walk away with re-election. Who knows if he had a campaign manager then at all.

[AllentownJake]

30. The humor of the state and national party types dealing with the Sestak people

As a former officer of the local party, will be amusing enough.

I might consider voting for him for the hillarity that will entail and make for intersting bitching this summer. I love watching those people squirm.

:rofl:

Still think he's an ass.

[MH1]

31. you do have a point there :)

(the part about making the party people squirm that is)

[AllentownJake]

25. I was there the day he announced himself as a candidate

at the VFW or American Legion in his district, I actually was supportive for a while.

Took a hard look at Joe, determined he was an ass.

Plus Toomey beat the fuck out of him in my home town in a debate than he went and had beers with Toomey. Not hopeful about his chances one on one with Pat.

[wisteria]

22. You know, Sestak always looks like his is trying to hard to be nice.

I have to worry about a guy who seems to always have his teeth clenched when he smiles.
And this treatment of his staff goes along with the less than minimum wage he is paying campaign staff? Sort of like the Republican way of declaring them contracted workers and claiming them on your taxes as an expense.

[MH1]

24. hah, do you know that Specter kept his REPUBLICAN staff?

just look at their voting records.

Sestak votes 97% with Democrats. Gets significantly higher scores than Specter from liberal groups. WHO is in bed with the republicans?

All this can be verified by non-partisan sources, it is not hearsay like the slime oozing from the Specter camp.

[Pirate Smile]

32. I also don't really care who wins. Specter has been a better Dem (voting-wise) then a lot of

long-term Dems in the Senate. I have a feeling Sestak would be less reliable but Specter might also because he wont have an election hanging over his head.

Frankly, I think it was worth it for the White House to say they would support him considering the number of votes they have reliably gotten from him for the past year. We've needed every damn vote we could and couldn't afford to just say - Oh, we'll wait until late January 2011 if, hopefully, a Dem picks up that seat. I understand the reasoning for the support.

If Joe wins the primary, I have no doubt that the White House, DNC and Obama will do whatever they can to help him win in November. I also think Joe will probably stab them in the back a few times because of the primary.

So, yes, I'm ambivalent too.