PA-07: Admiral Joe vs. Moonie Curt

[MH1]

A couple days ago, Curt Weldon (Wacko-PA07) made a crass attack on his Dem opponent, retired Vice Admiral Joe Sestak. Curt presumed to select the best hospital for Joe's cancer-afflicted daughter, suggesting that there was something wrong with Joe choosing one outside the states of PA or DE (why DE, anyway?); never mind that Joe had not yet retired at the time. Nice one, Curt. Way to exploit not only a child, but also a poignant family situation that Joe Sestak has handled with grace and optimism.

DavidNYC "swings" into the fray at Swing State Project with an excellent post reminding us about some of Curt Weldon's weirder history...

When I got an e-mail yesterday from Admiral Joe Sestak's campaign about Curt Weldon's depraved attack on Sestak's four-year-old, cancer-stricken daughter, I wanted to throw things. What kind of disturbed, twisted nutbag could stoop so low? Well, as community member Predictor reminds us in the comments, this kind of nutbag:

Weldon spoke at the coronation of Sun Myung Moon "as humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent", on March 23, 2004. His office originally vehemently denied his attendance, then when he was revealed to be a co-chair organizer of the event claimed that he had intended to attend but could not because of a scheduling conflict; then when a photo surfaced of him speaking at the event while standing next to a lifesize photo of him pinning a Unification Church medal on Moammar Al Qadhafi, stated that he had left immediately after the speech and had no knowledge of what else went on.

That whole Moon coronation thing seriously, seriously creeped me out. I mean, it was really beyond insane. Get this:

(go here for the rest, and links...)

This would be entertaining except that some of us are, sigh, "represented" by this "nutbag." You can help us get rid of him - find out more about Joe Sestak at www.sestakforcongress.com.

In case you're wondering about Joe Sestak's chances against an entrenched incumbent (even a nutty one), there's this:

Sestak, Weldon put fund-raising into high gear
The challenger needed a fast start to show he is viable. The incumbent has more in the bank.

By Tom Infield and Thomas Fitzgerald
Inquirer Staff Writers

Republican U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon and his Democratic opponent, Joe Sestak, appear to be off to a lightning start in their race for campaign cash.

Sestak, trying to demonstrate that he's a serious contender to dislodge Weldon from a seat he has held for two decades, said yesterday that he had raised $420,000 in just under two months as a candidate.

Not bad, not bad at all. I've met Joe - full disclosure, I do volunteer with the campaign; not paid though, sigh - and I have great hope that he will go all the way. It will be nice to be represented by a Democrat for a change. And a sane and decent one at that.

[Blaukraut]

1. k/r for Joe

I can't believe what a sick f**k Weldon is. Sorry, state loyalty ought to stop when your child's life is at stake, as Sestak's daughter's was. If a hospital in Timbuktu offered the best treatment, then that would be the hospital of choice.

[MH1]

7. Exactly. I can't imagine

what could be in someone's heart, to act like Weldon did.

[blm]

2. You can also attack Weldon's support from RW fundies - tell them RevMoon

also has close ties to Tim LaHaye (Left Behind books) and Jerry Falwell.

About time the fundies learn that LaHaye befriended Moon in the late 70s to share his mind control techniques - the result was the manipulation of religious and political tones in the Left Behind series.

[beachmom]

3. Is it just Republicans who have these weird characters?

Moonie -- yuck! Good luck on the campaign, and I hope your guy wins.

[whometense]

4. The more you learn about Weldon,

the worse he looks.

[MarianJack]

5. My republican Mother, who thinks bush is WONDERFUL...

...and lives in weldon's district has only ever had 4 words to say about ol' curt.

" A GREAT BIG NOTHING!"

She's voted for the Democrat all 11 times he's run (He lost to Bob Edgar in '84, got in in '86 when Edgar ran against specter).

She occasionally gets one right!

[MH1]

6. All right! tell your Mom

Hello, and thanks! from another PA-7 denizen.

Would she consider helping out the campaign? I imagine they'll have a Republicans for Joe group soon, if not already. PM me if you think that's possible and if there's anything I can do. (She can get info and sign up at the website, but I can help if needed.)

[MarianJack]

12. I doubt she'd get active,...

...but thanks for considerin her.

She's pushing 85 and doesn't get around much anymore. In 04 I was sorry her retirement community had a voting machine, because she voted for the moron. This year I think she'll vote to send curt back to "rev" moon and little rickey back to his home in Virginia.

BTW, in 2002 ChicaAzul and I moved from weldon in PA7 to Tom Allen in ME1 as our rep. VAST improvement!

[Jim Lane]

8. Question about Weldon's book and its political impact

Last year, Weldon released a book, Countdown to Terror. Its thesis was that the CIA was ignoring vital intelligence information about Iran, which Weldon himself had valiantly unearthed and made available. The most prominent reviews on Amazon are from readers who completely bought into his story, but a more sober analysis, by someone with some background in the issue, really tore Weldon to shreds: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=9836

I can understand that there's more headline value in the Moon coronation and in Weldon's recent attack on Alexandra Slestak's cancer treatment. To me, though, the crackpottery evidenced by his book is a more serious issue, especially in terms of his qualifications as a member of Congress. Does that have any political traction in the 7th C.D.? Are people disturbed by his do-it-yourself spy operation, or proud that their Congressman wrote a book, or largely don't care?

[SupplyConcerns]

9. The Moon cult in DC needs to be blown wide open

We deserve to know: just how many politicians are allied with him? How many actually believe in his craziness (and sacrilege, if you're Christian, which everyone in congress pretty much is)? What exactly do they get out of an alliance with a cult leader from South Korea? I actually have a friend who went to high school with an underage girl who was secretly married to one of Moon's over-18 sons. This guy is marrying off his kids in secret to 14 year olds! Our congressmen love this guy! What's the deal?

[SupplyConcerns]

10. edit - deleted extra post

[SupplyConcerns]

11. edit - deleted extra post

Why the three posts? I dunno.