- beautiful
- Speck Fitted
- PA Job Numbers Out, The War On Unemployment Insurance, and Inequality
- Pennsylvania Hunger Games Diet: Cash for Corporations, Cuts for Kids
- The Incredible Shrinking Mayor
- Multi-tasking with the 1% … killing the schools AND making the poor pay for their funeral.
- Council Can Give the SRC the Money to NOT Privatize the System
- Predatory Payday Lending Bill Flies Out of Cramped PA House Committee
- Let the Games Begin: PA Senate Announces Details of Budget Proposal
- Good News on PA Revenue But Don’t Count Your Blessings Just Yet
Netroots Straw Poll: Should We Draft Joe Sestak?
Submitted by Dan U-A on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 10:55am.
Here we go. With the support of national and local blogs, from Daily Kos to Afro-Netizen, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, is running a national, online straw poll, designed to gauge support for a primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter. The poll has is accompanied by two arguments for and two arguments against drafting Joe Sestak (including one by the handsomest most awesomest dude on the entire world wide internets).
In many ways, this will also depend on all of us, here on the ground. If we go forward here, there will probably be national level money coming into the race, but, there has to be some local energy to put it to use. So, what do you think? Yay or nay?
The effort is already getting some national attention from Politico, as well as some coverage today in the Inquirer:
On the Democratic side, meanwhile, some liberal and labor activists say they are outraged that President Obama, Gov. Rendell, and other top Democrats immediately endorsed Specter to discourage other primary candidates.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee was to launch an online straw poll this morning on whether to draft suburban Philadelphia U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, who was exploring a Senate bid when Specter switched.
Sestak said on Fox News Radio's Brian and the Judge show yesterday that his irritation at party leaders' presumption made him more inclined to challenge Specter. Civic leader Joe Torsella has been organizing a campaign for the Democratic nomination and has raised more than $600,000.
"The goal is to give the grass roots a voice in the debate," Adam Green, cofounder of the progressive change committee, said of the straw poll at www.SestakPoll.com.
My vote: Yes, but make it more PRO-JOE
than Anti-Arlen.
I know Specter is more conservative than practically any other Democrat in the Senate, but he still may end up the Democrat in the race. And he's still better than Bush-y Tom Ridge.
And Pat Toomey is a disaster every progressive should vow to stop.
Roasting Specter in public to the point where he'd be considered unelectable, and then having him square off as the Democrat against Ridge or Toomey would be a ruinous strategy, one that would make President Obama's agenda harder to pass, including health care reform, reinvesting in education, supporting the green economy, necessary financial and environmental regulation, and getting more progressive voices in the courts.
That said, Sestak seems a more reliable Democratic vote than does Specter.
So, as long as we're supporting Sestak as a possibly viable, more progressive alternative to Specter, I'm for drafting the Admiral.
PA deserves a reliable Democrat in 2010. Anyone who agrees ought to speak up.
But everyone must know that it's possible we could get someone far worse than Specter on issues we all care about.
If Joe makes it clear he is
If Joe makes it clear he is with us on important things like a public option for health care, then I agree.
That said, I don't see there being a viable way to beat Specter in a primary except by savaging him with... his record and his words.
Arlen T. SWITCHER
Look Arlen is 79 years old and it shows especially after 2 bouts with cancer and he is NO LONGER the sharpest politician anymore.
Make things worse...he assumes that us Dems in Philly and PA will support him. I DO NOT. He already voted against the budget and cramdown...so F-Arlen for the 2-faced "I do what's best for Arlen" and I can not understand why he refuses to retire and enjoy the few years he has left.
He wants NIH funding increased and that's his angle. He does not know that Coleman lost and thinks coleman still has a chance.
He better vote with the DEMS from now on or Forgetaboutit. His ass is out and he'll be eating Joan Specter's famed pies.
Do not like Specter, do not trust Specter, and want his ass out. Stat!!!
bruce shore
Health insurance insurance for a 79 year old
One of the things I do like about Arlen Specter is that he has fought back from some serious illnesses.
But suppose you were 79 years old and had had two boughts with cancer. And you had to buy health insurance for yourself.
How much do you think that would cost a month?
Closest answer gets a shout-out at our next rally in front of the office of the junior Senator from Pennsylvania.
Show your support on fb
if you're ready to start the draft. Join us at Congressman Sestak, PLEASE challenge Senator Specter to show Joe big love, share your views on the wall and keep up with Sestak v. Specter updates.
Dan: kudos on the strong "YES" effort. Come on board!
Great arguments Dan
Hey it's just a straw poll right? The idea is to hold both Sestak and Specter to progressive Democratic values, not let the one slide because of political buddies and the other challenge without rising to the mission.
Politics over personality then
Painting Sestak as representing politics more in line with PA circa 2010 seems to me a viable way of running against a 79 year old incumbent running for his sixth term.
Tie him to Bush. Show Sestak supporting Obama more than Specter (though that'll get problematic with the president's support).
Show where Specter votes wrong, and where Sestak votes better. All that's fair, likely effective, and wouldn't necessarily burn bridges after the primary.
I just think Joe doesn't need to slam Specter's character too much. It's tempting. I myself have described Specter as opportunistic and unreliable in the past.
It's true, but it's less okay in a primary leading up to a competitive general election. We deserve better than Specter, but getting worse is still a possibility.
I think the biggest issue for Sestak is going to be raising enough to get on television, tell his story, representing himself as a major, serious player under Clinton's far more moderate and pragmatic foreign policy, and as an important and reliable supporter of Obama's new agenda.
To be clear, I'm okay with calling out Specter's Republican politics. You have to go negative to a certain degree when you run against an incumbent.
But, happily I believe, since Sestak would by necessity have to spend a lot of media time defining himself to a lot of the state, I think he CAN focus more on an I'm-better-than-Specter message, rather than a You-can't-trust-Arlen one.