Sestak: Not Even Obama Can Talk Me Out Of Challenging Specter
In another sign of his determination to challenge Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic primary, Joe Sestak just told me in an interview that not even a personal plea from President Obama himself could dissuade him from making the race.
Sestak also said that he wouldn’t back off even if the major unions reached a deal with Specter on health care and on the Employee Free Choice Act and endorsed Specter in the primary.
And in an ironic twist, Sestak also revealed that a few months ago, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had commissioned a poll testing him running against then-Republican Specter in a general election — and that it showed Sestak winning. Specter, of course, is now the DSCC’s candidate.
I asked Sestak in the interview if a direct plea from the White House not to make the race — Obama officials similarly intervened to protect Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from a primary — would stop him from running.
“No,” Sestak said. “I think the President said it very well. I have great respect for him. He said that the core mission of the office of the Presidency is to ensure opportunities for everyone. Pennsylvanians should not be foreclosed on who they want. I believe in the bottom of my heart that the President does believe this.”
Asked what he would do if Obama himself made the request, Sestak reiterated his respect for the President but said it wouldn’t make a difference. “At the end of the day my responsibility is to [the people] here in Pennsylvania,” he said.
Obama has said he’ll back Specter to the hilt for re-election, but Sestak said even a Presidential endorsement isn’t insurmountable for him. “As important as the President’s endorsement is, and who wouldn’t want President Obama’s endorsement, at the end of the day I don’t believe that most voters vote because someone else endorsed someone,” Sestak said.
Sestak — whose intention to challenge Specter was first reported yesterday by TPM — also said he’d make the race even if major unions such as SEIU and the AFL-CIO cut a deal on EFCA and health care to back Specter against him.
“Although [the race] is much more daunting if you don’t have the unions and others, I still don’t see that it’s not achievable,” he said. “Nothing you have brought up makes me feel that this isn’t a race that deserves someone who would be better for the future of Pennsylvania.”
Sestak added that even if he didn’t get the big unions, he’d still corral some labor support. “My belief is that there will be a number of unions that still wouldn’t be for Arlen,” he said.
Sestak brushed off a new poll today showing Specter with a huge lead: “These polls right now are interesting but they aren’t really close to what will be being assessed by the public eight to ten months from now.”
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I am all for primary challenges because I think they keep politicians honest. But I have to say Sestak is going to have to start checking himself because he is starting to come off like a self important jerk rather than a voice of real Democrats. Its one thing to buck the establishment of the party, is quite another to flaunt the fact that you plan on doing just that. I am not entirely sure just how much of a liberal or progressive Sestak is more than Specter anyway right now. If he just keeps his head down and talks about himself he will have a chance. But if he keeps popping up ragging on Obama Reid and any other Dem who helped bring Specter over he is going to get his head chopped off.
SG — I have to say, I thought it was pretty ballsy.
Greg
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Ballsy is just a hair away from @ssholish though. At this point I think everybody realizes that he doesn’t agree with the way Specter was brought into the fold, but repeating it over and over is going to end up turning people off. Several people who were cheering him on when everything first went down that I know around the blogosphere have now said he is getting to be irritating. Like I said Specter needs a primary challenge but Sestak also needs a platform other than “Im thumbing my nose at the President and the Majority Leader”
I don’t like Sestak, and I do believe Arlen will beat him.
In the midst of an epic Hugh Hewitt takedown of Lawrence O’Donnell there’s this on Sestak:
HH: Now Joe Sestak, Congressman, Democrat Congressman of Pennsylvania . . . Who should Democrats vote for in that one, Larry?
LO’D: . . . I think the Democrats will be in a strong position in the general election, so you know, I don’t think there’s a strategic vote that is better for Democrats in the primary there.
HH: But an old guard lefty like you, Larry, shouldn’t you be supporting a regular Democrat like Joe Sestak as opposed to a fence-jumper like Arlen? . . .
LO’D: I would probably vote for the Admiral.
HH: . . . I think Arlen’s in big trouble if he gets in.
LO’D: . . . I do look at it strategically in a longer term. If Arlen wins, when he is sworn in for his next term, he’s going to be 81 years old. You know, that’s a pretty good time, normally, for a party to look to somebody younger who might be able to hold the seat for another 20 years.
HH: I agree. Democrats should dump him.
http://townhall.com/blog/g/42f11ac2-f7b0-4d24-9887-5e365626045f
“epic Hugh Hewitt takedown”?
lol Greg why do you even bother? Its bizarro world.
Click through to the link I earlier provided – Hugh eviscerates him. Sample:
HH: Larry, that’s a specious argument, but I want to get one more piece of data out there. Have you read The Looming Tower yet?
LO’D: No.
HH: What was the last book you read about terrorism?
LO’D: The last…I don’t think I’ve read a book about terrorism.
HH: Ever?
LO’D: No.
HH: About al Qaeda?
LO’D: No.
HH: About…how about the mullahs in Iran?
LO’D: No.
HH: I’m just stunned.
LO’D: Well, I’ll tell you, I’ve read Bob Woodward’s books about the accounts inside the Bush administration from what they were doing from the day they got sworn in, okay?
HH: You’ve never read a book about terrorism?
LO’D: There is no, there is absolutely no evidence, and I defy you today, Hugh,
HH: Larry, you’ve never read a book about terrorism?
LO’D: I defy you to point to me, point to me a citation of one memo or one meeting that Dick Cheney was in where he says anything about al Qaeda.
HH: Larry, I’ve got to go lie down. I really do. Do you think you’re a well-informed MSNBC, by MSNBC standards, do you think you’re above the grade of people on that network?
LO’D: That’s a trick question, Hugh.
HH: You got me.
I love politicians. “[I]n an ironic twist, Sestak also revealed that a few months ago, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had commissioned a poll testing him running against then-Republican Specter in a general election — and that it showed Sestak winning.”
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And then we move on to his next thought on a poll: “Sestak brushed off a new poll today showing Specter with a huge lead: ‘These polls right now are interesting but they aren’t really close to what will be being assessed by the public eight to ten months from now.’”
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Man’s clearly got the right stuff.
Specter is DANGEROUS to the health of the democratic Party and everything liberal. His votes are confusing and he seemed to be ready to ramrod the GOP agenda as long as he kept his Seniority. He shows signs of having an identity crisis in which he seems to place self interest above reality. I don’t see how you can open your home to someone who chose to be your enemy for decades and proved that he would gladly destroy you on his first day in your camp. That showed naivete on our part and irresponsibility on the parts of Ried and the rest for not vetting him. The Huffington Post called it dead on – The only reason he left the party was self interest. Spector’s carreer was over if he supported unions while still in the GOP or backed off of his promise to do so. Makes him a perfect candidate to undermine them and us. After the last 10 years of hell he needs scrutiny and oversight.
Like I said bizarro world.
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and another
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and another
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Notice every time O’Donnell PWNS him Hewit tries to change the subject lol. I am sure he is a hero to many a blog troll.
I agree with Sestak; Spector changed parties like changing shoes.
Spector has no allegiance, except to power. Sestak sees a BIG weakness in Spector’s armor; he is not loyal and he is fickle.
Also Spector can hardly walk, he teeters. Why elect a fuddy duddy like him?
The way Obama is spending, I don’t think his endorsement will be all that helpful. He is spending us into the stoneage.
Plus, Obama wants to destroy the nation’s biggest job engine: Healthcare.
His healtchcare Bill will ruin the industry, and turn it into “Fast Food Healthcare” a low-grade, fast in and out, low quality disaster. By capping costs, you cap what people are paid. It would be a travesty.
His healthcare bill is Stillborn. Kept alive by governmental fiat, it’s nothing but a corpse on artificial resusitaion.
In 10 months, Pennsylvania will see how Obama sold out America, and remember that cockaroach Spector helped him on the corrupt Stimulus Bill, then switched.
I gotta agree with one thing you write sgwhite, anyone who can listen to that interview or read the transcript and think that Lawrence looks/sounds good is truly living in “bizarro world.”
Greg,
Is it possible that the administration knows something about Sestak’s temperment which is why they don’t want to be cozy with him?
Chris — I’m not sure that’s it. I imagine that a ton of wheeling and dealing went on to secure Specter’s switch — putting Dems within 60 is a big deal — and one of the things offered was full support in a primary.
I’m not sure how Sestak is being “@ssholish” by his comments as reported in this post. To me, it just seems like he is serving notice to the powers that be that he won’t be “Israeled,” as in Steve Israel, and unceremoniously relegated to the backburner by scorched earth threats from Rahm. Why is it “ballsy” or “@ssholish” to try and keep one’s name in the mix so as to not become an afterthought? He seems properly deferential to Obama, while maintaining the position that he will primary Spector. I don’t read his comments as “thumbing his nose” at the President. Whether he has an ego, plays well with others, etc., are separate issues that can be debated, but as far as his post-Arlen switch comments, I don’t think he has been over the top.
Come on. It’s 1994 all over again. People forget that the Republicans ran Bill Clinton’s presidency. Same will be true for Obama. The tide is rising so fast against these clowns, even the circus wagon couldn’t save them.
Don’t make no nevermind. Specter is done like yesterdays newspaper.
Sestak? You mean Sleestak, Land of the Lost. Maybe Will Ferrel has a job for him.
http://www.squidoo.com/land-of-the-lost
heck anyone than shifty spector please!!!!!
The other day Sestak said he intends to run, but he still has to check with his family. What kind of nonsense is that?
The letter that was leaked to Talking Point Memo is dated 5/23/09
Back on Jan 10, 2009 his campaign purchased over $3300 for “voter file services” from the PA State Dem Party.
How many months does it take for him to bring up the topic with his family, since he’s obviously been working on a Senate run for months? Can’t he find them? Are they hiding?
He says that even a direct appeal from Obama won’t deter him, but he’s supposedly waiting for his 8 year old daughter’s approval? Is anybody over the age of 8 fooled by that? He seemed to leave the 8-year old approval caveat from his donor appeal letter.
But the larger point here is that $4 million was spent to win and hold Sestak’s congressional seat. One of the most expensive races ever.
Sestak has raised an addition $4 million under the pretext of re-election, which will be blown on a Senate Primary. Add to that all the other Dem money that will get wasted in a Primary battle and the money needed to replace Sestak’s congressional seat.
At the end of a Specter-Sestak primary, the winner (and the Democratic party) will be financially depleted compared to Toomey.
Meanwhile, this will drain money from OPEN Senate seats by retiring GOP incumbents in other states.
Sestak for Senate is a fool’s errand. More foolish would be to support such a campaign.
David: that’s some good work by you.
I live in PA-7. I voted for Sestak. Won’t do it again. Less than 6 months after taking House office he wants to jump to the Senate? Dude, you’ve gotta earn it.
I’m not a Dem and I’m a Florida resident. Bit, I’m sending a small donation to the Sestak campaign when it gets up & running. I sent one to Simcox in AZ already in an attempt to defeat that RINO combo of John & Megan McLame.
I can only say, I’s glad I don’t have to choose between the two. Neither one is worth a dawg gone. They both don’t know when to shut up and have no loyalty to the party/ex-party that they belong to(Miss Emmie Lou would get me for that “to” at the end). They are both really big Richards (dicks) to those around them and each other. why would you want people like that, who cannot lead, being your leader???? Like the election of President Obama, when voters get lazy, you get what you didn’t vote for.
Sestak is so dumb, there is no way he is going to win the primary if Rendell, Obama, Casey, Biden, and the rest of the national democratic party supports Specter. It was one thing to put pressure on Specter but to challenge him after he switched to your party is just plain dumb. First, if you win none is ever going to want to switch to your party again because they will fear that they will be primaried and second Specter beets toomey by nearly 10 points but sestak is statistically tied with Toomey making this a very vulnerable seet since Sestak be bloodied after the primary. Plus he’s giving up a safe house seat which he could have kept and waited to eventually run for Governor.