The Obama agenda is the bubonic plague in Pennsylvania and Joe Sestak was a carrier

I, for one, welcome our President and his special brand of campaign magic to my state.  Sestak, however, continues to play up their supposed differences though he welcomes the money I am sure:

President  Barack Obama will hold a fundraiser for Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Joe Sestak on Sept. 20 in Philadelphia, his office confirmed Friday morning.

It’s the first event Obama will have held for Sestak since the candidate defeated incumbent Democrat Senator Arlen Specter, whom the president supported. Sestak challenged Specter against the wishes of the president, who also held a fundraiser in Philadelphia for Specter before the primary, and the rest of the Democratic Party.

“We’re honored that the President would do an event with Joe during his trip to Pennsylvania,” said spokesman Jonathon Dworkin in a statement. “He and Joe may have had their differences, but they can agree that it is critical to elect a Senator who will put Pennsylvania’s working families first.”

The fundraiser will be one of several events Obama holds in Pennsylvania that day.

Let's hope Sestak fails to catch the connection between Obama campaign help and certain doom at the polls.  Obama currently holds a -23 approval in Pennsylvania which is why he probably won't step a foot out of Philadelphia when he dares to make an appearance here.  It bears repeating though the only real difference between Obama and Sestak was career related;  Sestak votes with the Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate 98% of the time.

This race shouldn't even be close in my opinion.  The Obama agenda is the bubonic plague in Pennsylvania and Sestak was a carrier:



Cross-posted at Potluck

Memeorandum has more

Chuck Hagel endorses Sestak because he cares about his career just like Sestak

Former Senator Chuck Hagel (NE- RINO) is expected to endorse Congressman Joe Sestak today in Pennsylvania.  The endorsement necessitated the creation of an entirely new category in the Fix Endorsement Hierarchy.  "The "Me for Me" Endorsement," is aptly named as the endorsement is of dubious value to Sestak but it will do wonders for Hagel as he auditions for a job with the Obama administration.  Needless to say the endorsement offers Pennsylvania voters absolutely nothing:

The simple fact is that Sestak won't gain anything of significant substance from the endorsement; he may get some residual benefit from the perception that Hagel, like Bloomberg, is independent-minded or the expectation-turning that a Republican not backing former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) creates.

On the other hand, there could be genuine benefit for Hagel -- albeit symbolic. Hagel is rightly understood as trying out for a Cabinet job and the more he can show a willingness to put party aside to do what he believes is the right thing, the more attractive he will be to President Obama and his inner circle.

Actually, Hagel is far more independent than Sestak who seems only able to stand against his party when it suits his career.  Hagel voted with his party 78 percent of the time.  Sestak, however, has trouble spotting a liberal like Nancy Pelosi despite the fact he voted with her 97% of the time.  Since we know that "Sestak is actually Slovak for job offer," I wonder who put the bug in Chuck Hagel's ear that a Sestak endorsement might be appreciated - Bill Clinton maybe?  No really, I am sure Hagel thought this up on his own with little concern for his own credibility.  Heck, Hagel and Sestak are just two wild and crazy independent guys who care about Pennsylvania.  PA2010 adds the Arlen Specteresque "no room at the Republican Inn" spin:

The Nebraska Republican is the type of moderate who has found there is increasingly little room for his kind in Washington, and chose not to seek reelection in 2008. He’ll formally back Sestak during events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, just a week after the Democratic nominee was endorsed by New York’s independent Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Somehow I think the phrase "birds of a feather" seems appropriate here.

PA2010 offered a bit of news from the Toomey campaign as well:

Meanwhile, Democrats in Pennsylvania were reacting with glee over the weekend to an Associated Press story reporting that Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul got money from the operator of a pornographic Web site. The reason it matters here? Republican Senate nominee Pat Toomey also got $4,800 from the site’s owner. Naturally, Democratic operatives were e-mailing the story around like candy.

Imagine that - the same porn site operator donates to Toomey and Rand Paul and AP writes a story about it. I  can't remember, were the press very concerned about campaign contributions when Obama ran for office? Let's be honest here, if Democrats are "reacting with glee" because they found a porn site operator donating to Rand Paul and Pat Toomey they are in really desperate shape.

“Sestak is actually Slovak for ‘job offer"

Ed Morrissey has an interesting wrinkle in the Joe Sestak job offer brouhaha. It seems Bill Clinton has denied any involvement in the whole sordid job offer controversy:

WBRE-TV has reported that former President Bill Clinton, who until yesterday has not spoken publicly on the controversy, denied any involvement in trying to maneuver Sestak out of the race:

“Clinton denied it to EyeWitness news, saying he never tried to get Sestak out of the race and has never been accused of it.” (WBRE-TV, 8/10/10)

Sestak told a different story on May 28th:

“Last summer, I received a phone call from President Clinton. During the course of the conversation, he expressed concern over my prospects if I were to enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the value of having me stay in the House of Representatives because of my military background. He said that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel had spoken with him about my being on a Presidential Board while remaining in the House of Representatives.”

Sestak is wedded to this version of events having used it as proof he is able to stand against the party he votes with a mere 97% of the time. Moreover, Sestak used it as fodder for a comedy skit at at Stu Bykofsky’s 20th annual Candidates Comedy Night last night.  Sestak's routine, a riff off of Letterman's top ten list, counted down a list of jobs he was offered in order to drop from his Democratic primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter.  Sestak was said to have quipped, “Sestak is actually Slovak for ‘job offer.’ During his routine Sestak suggests he was offered the position of Rahm Emmanuel's etiquette coach.  While this is clearly a joke, Sestak mentions that he said "Mr. President sometimes the party clearly does ask too much."



Clinton's denial leaves him some wiggle room. While he denies specifically being involved in attempting to persuade Sestak to drop from the race, he doesn't flatly deny relaying a job offer. His claim he has never been accused of it either is perfectly true as well; the controversy always centered on White House involvement. This does, however, put the whole issue back in the race. Toomey may or may not find this helpful as Sestak seems to believe this incident proves his independence from his party. His comedy skit last evening seemed intent on putting some distance between himself and Rahm Emmanuel as well as other unpopular Democrats in Pennsylvania - namely Ed Rendell.  As I have said before the only time Joe Sestak stands against his party is when it suits his career plans. If I were Pat Toomey I would repeat that point until every Pennsylvania voter knows it by heart.

Side note:  Toomey's comedy skit was actually very well received according to PA2010.  The site awarded the skit, Best Policy-Focused Routine:

Ever the conservative wonk, the GOP Senate nominee continued to riff on bailouts, stimulus spending and health care. Chevrolet’s new hybrid sedan, he said, “runs on a combination of gasoline and bailout funds.” But his best joked hinged on the idea that a lame-duck Congress will take up Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell, immigration reform and marijuana legalization: “If you’re a gay Mexican drug dealer looking to sneak across the border to join the Navy, then this is your year.”

Video available at the link for anyone interested.

Really Congressman Sestak? Really??

H/T:Hot Air

Less than 100 days out from the November elections Congressman Joe Sestak hands the Pat Toomey campaign a sound bite that will live in infamy. In what has to be the weakest attempt of any Democrat to distance themselves from Nancy Pelosi to date, Sestak says he can't decide if Pelosi is a liberal:

Sestak, speaking at the Pennsylvania Press Club, was asked whether he believes Speaker of the House Pelosi is a liberal or a pragmatist. Sestak describes himself as the latter.

He said he didn't know, but also said he never looks at her voting record.

Really Congressman Sestak? Really??


Aww, poor guy he is so sensitive about being unfairly linked with Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama:

The subject is especially sensitive for Sestak, who recently lost a battle with Pennsylvania television stations to pull a commercial that says he "gives it 100 percent to Nancy Pelosi." Sestak argued that he hasn't voted with Pelosi every single time (it's about 97 percent ), but the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which paid for the ad, won the argument that on the big issues of the day — health care, energy, economic stimulus — Sestak has voted with Pelosi.

High-profile political figures, such as Pelosi and President Barack Obama, who are linked to so-called liberal policies, are not viewed favorably in many areas of Pennsylvania. For Sestak, his general election rhetoric has been explaining that why his votes with them on most issues is a matter of personal principle, not staunch ideology.

"I will stand up against my party's interest whenever it doesn't help Pennsylvanians," he said.

Make no mistake, Congressman Sestak stands up against his party if and when it suits his career plans. The rest of the time he can be found voting arm-in-arm with the Obama/Pelosi agenda. Perhaps he is hoping that Pennsylvanians are too busy clinging bitterly to their guns and bibles to notice .

Remember When He Promised to Walk and Chew Gum?

It was his often repeated promise during the campaign, to be a president who could both walk and chew gum, yet 17 months into his presidency Barack Obama is now described as "stumbling and bumbling."  The characterization arises upon recent confirmation a leading Democrat was offered, not one but three jobs , to drop from a race for Congress:

But now a series of recent missteps just keeps getting worse for Barack Obama’s political operation, already under fire from inside the party for losing its golden touch.

The second-guessing of the White House political shop — which is coming in part from top House Democrats — was sparked anew late Wednesday by news that the White House tried and failed to coax another Democratic Senate candidate out of making his race by dangling administration jobs in front of him.

In a possible repeat of the Joe Sestak episode in Pennsylvania, insurgent U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff of Colorado said deputy White House chief of staff Jim Messina reached out to him — with a wince-inducing e-mail that is now public — with three possible jobs in September 2009. Obama wanted to keep him out of a race against Sen. Michael Bennet, the White House’s favored candidate.

Taken together, the Sestak and Romanoff cases suggest a White House team that is one part Dick Daley, one part Barney Fife.

What a combination, Dick Daley and Barney Fife.  Who knew the man who suggested the oceans would recede and the planet would begin to heal under his watch could fall this far to earth?  Alright, we all did.  Nevertheless, it is still rather stunning when the admission comes from "top House Democrats."  The rats are indeed scampering from the ship my friends:

One senior House Democrat said it is baffling "how one group of people can be so good at campaigning and so bad at politics" — a phrasing nearly identical to that of a second veteran House Democrat who expressed the same sentiment.

Lawmakers say the White House seems capable of handling only one issue at a time — a stunning contrast to the candidate whose campaign promised that he could "walk and chew gum" at the same time in 2008.

Now this senior House Democrat said he's worried that the White House isn't able to handle multiple major challenges.

"They're paralyzed," he said. "It potentially loses the House."

The White House political director is Patrick Gaspard, a former community organizer with long ties to organized labor. But the political operation is heavily influenced by several more senior aides — including Emanuel, Axelrod, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and Plouffe, an outside adviser who recently re-engaged with Obama political operations after writing a memoir celebrating his role in the 2008 campaign.

If Emmanuel, Axelrod, Gibbs and Plouffe are involved, Obama can't be far behind.  This is the team that took him from freshman Senator to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Moreover, this is his Chicago posse who along with Valerie Jarrett have greatest access and influence over the One.  It seems you can take the team out of Chicago but not the Chicago out of the team.  That this group is unable to pull the same tactics in 2010 they used successfully in 2008, is testament to this incompetent administration's  inability to walk while they chewed on a lousy economy, a massive oil spill, a health-care overhaul that no one wanted along with a host of other problems around the world.  Who knew they wouldn't be able to pull it off?  Alright, we all did.

More on this at Memeorandum

Sestak allegations a "tempest in a teapot" about to blow

Via Gateway Pundit:

Hannity had Victoria Toensing and Jay Sekulow as guests to discuss the allegations Joe Sestak was offered a high level job if he would drop from the Pennsylvania Senate race.  Sekulow sees the charges as explosive and they appear to be about to blow.  Earlier today David Axelrod claimed there was no evidence such an offer was made despite the fact Sestak has said repeatedly such an offer was made. In essence, Axelrod is calling Sestak a liar though he candy coats it quite a bit:

“When the allegations were made, they were looked into. And there was no evidence of such a thing,” Axelrod said on CNN’s “John King USA.”

Axelrod acknowledged that if White House officials dangled a job in front of Rep. Joe Sestak’s face to keep him away from challenging incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter, that would “constitute a serious breach of the law.”

Axelrod also acknowledged that there were “conversations” involving White House officials and Sestak, but said that those had been “looked at” by White House lawyers and “their conclusion was that it was perfect — the conversations were perfectly appropriate.”

So was Sestak tripping on some hallucinogenic mushrooms or has someone in the White House suddenly developed a convenient case of amnesia?  The White House is in a classic double bind with Sestak.  If Sestak is credible someone in the Obama administration is clearly facing serious legal charges.  It is unlikely Sestak would be offered a high level position without the knowledge and/or approval of Barack Obama.  If Sestak is not credible he can all but kiss that Senate seat goodbye.

The Obama White House almost always assumes they are above dealing with the consequences of their own actions.  Watch them find a way to make this about Bush.  It won't be so easy for them this time, however.  Axelrod brought the issue to the fore in the media today when he claimed there was no evidence Sestak was offered a job as quid pro quo if Sestak dropped from the race.  Let's be honest, the media generally lets the administration slide with nary a challenge to the Obama version of events.   Joe Sestak, however, will be a constant reminder the allegation hangs like the sword of Damocles over the administration and the Sestak candidacy.  Sekulu describes the allegation as a "tempest in a tea pot that is about to blow."  Frankly there have been many a tempest brewed in minor tea pots as Democrats should know all too well.  How big a deal did the Valerie Plame nonsense become?  Bribery is a powder keg and Sekulu isn't the only one who thinks it's about to blow:

The stars align for Sestak

Via Memeorandum


While the White House is bracing for a loss in Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter finds his last hours before the election tomorrow a little lonely:

CBS chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is now saying that he has it on good authority that the White House is privately bracing for Arlen Specter to lose tomorrow.

Schieffer, to my knowledge, has not said this on national TV yet. But he made the claim in an interview with the local CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. "I have been told on background that the White House is preparing for a Specter loss here, and that the president doesn't want to be associated with that," Schieffer said.

I've also learned that Veep Joe Biden will not be doing any campaign events for Specter in the final stretch, though it's not immediately clear how significant this is. Last week, Biden said he'd be doing events for Specter "as needed."

What?  I thought Obama loved Arlen Specter.  While I clearly preferred saving Arlen now in order to defeat him in November, there is a certain amount of satisfaction in watching Arlen being abandoned by his "fair-weather" friends in the Democratic party.  Remember how they were your best friends Arlen, when you cast the votes they needed to pass their failing unpopular agenda?

A year later, on the eve of a Democratic primary, a visit from Barack Obama might serve to energize the base to the polls.  Specter's best hope for a win comes through high turnout while lower turnout favors Sestak according to a recent Franklin and Marshall poll:

The poll shows that Sestak holds a larger advantage as the pool of voters gets
smaller—meaning lower turnout favors his candidacy. Specter leads Sestak among all registered Democrats, 38% to 29%. Representative Sestak’s support among all registered Democrats has more than doubled since March when Specter led 32% to 12%.

Obama's decision to sit out the final stages of Specter's campaign is all but the final nail in the coffin of Arlen Specter's Senate career.   This says loads about Obama's character too, I might add.  Obama and Specter deserve each other.  The latest poll shows the election tomorrow a dead heat but the stars appear to have aligned for the candidate who excites the progressive base of the Democratic party.    As the progressive agenda of the Obama administration has left Pennsylvania flushing pink again, perhaps a Sestak win is what Obama and Specter both deserve.

Quinnipiac's latest PA polling

Via Memeorandum

The latest Quinnipiac poll has a not-so-subtle message for PA Democrats who go to the polls in 5 days: "Although the Quinnipiac poll of likely Democratic primary voters finds that many more think Sen. Arlen Specter is the better general election candidate, Congressman Joe Sestak actually runs a good deal better against Toomey in a trial heat."   While it is possible Sestak could offer Democrats a more competitive candidate than Specter in the general election, the internals of the poll suggest a contest between Sestak and Toomey would largely be a battle between two unknown candidates.

Sestak's favorability ratings have increased in recent polls but 52% of respondents didn't know enough about him to offer an opinion.  Toomey's favorability ratings show 60% of respondents didn't know enough about him as well.  Nevertheless, in a hypothetical race between Toomey and Sestak, Toomey has a 2 point lead.   The mood in PA is clearly anti-Democrat as much as it is anti-incumbent.  Approval ratings for Barack Obama and Ed Rendell suggest Pennsylvanians have had their fill of Democratic policies.  


While Sestak is largely unknown, his vote on health care may prove to be a liability as large as Specter's incumbency.  Shortly after the health care law was passed, 65% of Pennsylvanians polled opposed the law.  As Sestak is running among his base as the true liberal candidate, how will he distance himself from health care to appeal to moderate and conservative Pennsylvanians?  Sestak has been loyal to the Democratic agenda that is clearly turning a bluish Pennsylvania purple with a strong red hue.  He is a sure Democratic vote for a Senate that is likely to remain in Democratic control.  If these are qualities that make him a stronger candidate in the general election in the minds of Democrats, it appears Democrats have little if any comprehension of the battles ahead in November.  

Sestak Has 5 Point Lead over Specter

Uh oh, things are starting to look a little bleak for Arlen Specter in the upcoming Democratic primary on May 18th in Pennsylvania. Sestak has opened a 5 point lead over Specter. The latest survey reveals Sestak with 47% while Specter has 42%. The poll has a margin of error of exactly 5 points. Rasmussen shows the same numbers for both candidates. Toomey has held a lead over both candidates according to the most recent Rasmussen poll.
MUHLPOLL050910

Action Alert from the PA Chapter of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - Save Arlen Specter

The Other McCain has called upon loyal members of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the VRWC to unite in order to insure the victory of "geriatric crapweasel" Arlen Specter in the forthcoming Democratic primary for the US Senate. As McCain notes, there is good reason to be concerned the Specter spectre may be fading prematurely. A recent Rasmussen poll shows Sestak within two points of Specter with a full 10% still undecided. Though Rasmussen's poll might appear to be an outlier Margin of Error blogger Harry Joe Enten took a look at PA polling from previous elections and suggests other pollsters may be playing catch up to Rasmussen:

I would not dismiss Rasmussen out of hand. A little dip into the polling archive reveals that a Quinnipiac poll taken around this time for the 2004 Republican Senate Primary had then Republican Specter leading Pat Toomey by 15%. A Quinnipiac poll taken only two weeks later had Specter up by only 5%. He would go on to win by only 2%. So maybe it will be the other pollsters playing catchup to Rasmussen... Only time will tell.

While time will surely tell, Pennsylvania is running short of that commodity with the primaries scheduled to take place May 18th.  It is critical Snarlin Arlen is snatched from the jaws of defeat for the sole purpose that he lives to fight and lose another day, November 2, 2010..  Ruby Slippers has been able to obtain the secret minutes from the most recent meeting of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the VRWC.  The minutes contain a series of talking points that offer members specific guidelines for convincing their Democratic friends and neighbors why they should embrace Specter in the Democratic primary:

• Specter didn't defect to the Democratic party, he merely returned to his natural home.  VRWC members consider their relationship with Specter a painful tale of unrequited love.  Members so loved Arlen and his many, many, many years of government experience we set him free. Alas he didn't come back to us, now he is YOURS.  We're jealous but forgiving.  Seriously we are.
• Arlen really does respect women.  That whole thing with Michelle Bachmann was, well - you know -because it was Michelle Bachmann.  (Note:  for added effect it is suggested members roll their eyes when saying the name Michelle Bachmann.  Liberals can't resist the opportunity to whine about Bachmann.  This will give a moment of solidarity with your mark liberal Democratic friend or neighbor. ) 
• Arlen has been truly devoted to his long-lost loves, the Democrats.  He went along without question for the whole shinola sandwich, health care, stimulus, porkulus and he would surely support cap and trade and card check.  Shouldn't Arlen be rewarded for his loyalty?   Come on you owe this guy, he paved the way for a filibuster proof Senate remember?
• Why should West Virginians have all the fun watching their aging crapweasel get wheeled in at the last minute to cast the necessary vote for some long-awaited legacy of the Democrats to be fulfilled?  Come on, you know you envied those West Virginians who sat back smugly knowing their crapweasel would arrive in time to save the day.  There is certain truth to that old Billy Joel song after all.  

The last point is Arlen's big selling point, he'll show up to cast that final vote come hell or high water.  Sestak - not so much. Join RS McCain and the Pennsylvania chapter of the VRWC in fighting to give the Democrats in Pennsylvania the candidate they truly deserve.  Feel free to repost this video and use the secret talking points freely.  Beating Joe Sestak wouldn't be nearly as much fun as delivering the knock out punch to Snarlin' Arlen in November.  At least we know Arlen would show up:

Sestak Offered High Level Job to Sit Out Specter Primary Challenge

In other words, a bribe.  Philly.com reports:

Rep. Joe Sestak (D., Pa.) said yesterday that the White House offered him a federal job in an effort to dissuade him from challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the state's Democratic primary.

The disclosure came during an afternoon taping of Larry Kane: Voice of Reason, a Sunday news-analysis show on the Comcast Network. Sestak would not elaborate on the circumstances and seemed chagrined after blurting out "yes" to veteran news anchor Kane's direct question.

"Was it secretary of the Navy?" Kane asked.

"No comment," Sestak said.

"Was it [the job] high-ranking?" Kane asked. Sestak said yes, but added that he would "never leave" the Senate race for a deal.

The White House denies  and is angered by Sestak's account.  What a surprise.  Perhaps it wouldn't be difficult to believe such a denial if there weren't a history of this sort of thing.

H/T: Free Republic

Benedict Arlen's Bachmann Buffoonery

Arlen Specter's defection to the Democratic caucus is the gift that keeps on giving to Republicans.  Never have I been so grateful this guy is no longer our problem.  Witness his attempt to make a fool of Michelle Bachmann in a radio debate when he tells her to "act like a lady."


As a PA voter, I can't wait to go to vote against this clown. He is the poster child for term limits. Right now, things are not looking very a positive for Arlen's re-election. Pat Toomey is leading in the latest Rasmussen poll 49 to 40. Toomey leads by 8 points over Arlen's challenger Joe Sestak. Specter is beating Sestak by a mind boggling 21 points. oh, and there is more:

Political analyst Larry Sabato now rates the Pennsylvania Senate race as a toss-up, but, given the current political climate, he says Toomey would be the winner if the election were held today. Sabato also projects that if the election were held today, the Democrats' 59-seat majority in the Senate would be down to 52.

Specter is viewed very favorably by 16% of Pennsylvania voters but very unfavorably by more than twice as many (33%).

Twelve percent (12%) have a very favorable view of Toomey, while 10% regard him very unfavorably. For Sestak, very favorables total eight percent (8%), and very unfavorables stand at 11%.

 While Democrats have tried to cut their looming losses in November by urging certain losers to spend time with their families in the joy of retirement, try telling that to Arlen.  Better still, Obama promised to campaign for Arlen as part of the package of goodies used to assure Arlen jumping ship would get him what he desperately wanted another term in office.  Hello Arlen - Obama has quite the track record campaigning doesn't he?  Good luck with that.

PA2010.com points to another problem for Democrats in PA:

  Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairman T.J. Rooney made case for Congressman Joe Sestak (D-7) to drop out of the Democratic primary against Specter

I guess they're afraid they might have a little trouble getting another Democrat elected to fill Sestak's seat and the party could preserve resources:

 Rooney said a Sestak withdrawal would allow Specter to focus more on the general-election campaign, while Sestak, a retired Navy vice admiral, could lock in his seat representing the 7th District in suburban Philadelphia for two more years _ saving the party money in an important election year.

"To use a Navy metaphor, we need hands on deck this year," the party chairman said.

Sestak's campaign responded that it's staying the course.

How's that party switch working out for ya Arlen?