Joe Sestak will run against Spector

[Stinky The Clown]

He is on Matthews' show. He is unthrilled with Spector. He sees him as bringing no upside whatever to the Democrats in Pennsylvania.

I will bet almost anything that he runs in the primary against Spector.

This is the same Joe Sestak who ran and won without DCCC support. This is the guy they said couldn't win.

Mark my words or make me eat them.

He will give Spector a primary fight. I don't know if he can win.

But .......

I like Joe Sestak. I will send him a few bucks.

[Political Heretic]

1. It's all about who the DCCC/DNC Support. Joe won't have Obama stumping for him.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. The DCCC waved him off last cycle. He told 'em to stuff it. He won.

I like the good Admiral.

No shit from no body.

GoJoe

[Political Heretic]

22. As I said, he won't have Obama stumping for him.

[thunder rising]

34. Obama will not stump for "ghostman" either. DNC is a problem with that new chair.

[jaysunb]

2. He'll get some cash from me if he does.

n/t

[DireStrike]

4. I'll find a way to get him some as well.

[NightWatcher]

6. +1

[SteelPenguin]

16. same

n/t

[thunder rising]

36. Actblue link: I'm in for $100 ... we know how to play this game so let's go folks

Joe Sestak's ActBlue page

Like I said, I'm in for $100 ... see you all there.

[MADem]

5. Are you sure Sestak isn't just threatening Specter to keep his ass in line?

And doing this at the direction of party leadership, with the clear understanding that he'll back off if the DNC tells him to?

[OmahaBlueDog]

10. Very good point

[Stinky The Clown]

11. No

Are you?

[MADem]

13. I'm not sure he isn't. You never show your cards entirely.

If the DNC tells him to back away, odds are he will.

There's no real value in a threat if it's totally empty, though. By laying the groundwork, he's ready to go if Specter tries to go back on an unpublished private assurance or commitment or two.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. Did he backoff in the race for his current seat

Why do you think he will now? Its seriously not how he does business

[MADem]

23. I used to know him. He's a sharp individual. He's also a man of integrity and

he's the ultimate "team player."

We're not privy to what happens behind closed doors at the party leadership level. I do not think he's a "rogue" by any stretch. I think he understands the importance of working well with party leadership.

I don't understand what the race for his current seat has to do with anything. IIRC, there was only one Democrat running in that race from the outset, and his name was Sestak.

You can't compare that to his possible positioning for a Senate seat. He defeated a REPUBLICAN (Weldon) incumbent, after all. Like it or not, the incumbent is now a Democrat this time around. He also wasn't bucking his own party's leadership in the race for his current seat, because his own party would not have been surprised if he LOST his race against old Curt Weldon. Instead, party leadership was cheering him on, because he was a long shot at the outset--he captured the imagination, was the the man with the plan, and he raised a ton of money to beat that bum like a rented mule (got some from me, too).

What was rich about that race is that his opponent was vice chair of the HASC. No one thought Joe had a hope in hell of knocking out that particular GOP seatholder and it was a delight that he picked up that seat.

FWIW, I don't claim to "know" anything. I simply postulate an alternative scenario. I think my scenario is not impossible either--that JS is being used as a whipper and a threat to keep Specter in line, and he'll get the go-ahead if Specter doesn't play ball, and if Specter does, then he'll get another term, and JS gets the first crack at the seat next time around. JS is still a young man--in his fifties. He's got time.

[MADem]

29. double reply.

[Richardo]

7. I heart Sestak

[Dr.Phool]

8. Post his web/donation site when it goes up.

Bye-bye Sphincter!

[OmahaBlueDog]

9. There will be a lot of pressure on him not to run, and Specter will get DNC support

More than likely, this is Specter's last term. Not to be morbid, but if Mr. Specter had to leave for health reaons, Rendell can move into the seat and keep it safely blue for years.

I'm not saying there's not a lot to be dubious of here, and I wonder if Specter will have another change of heart and become "independent" after re-election.

[LostInAnomie]

12. I'd love to see Specter get destroyed by a real Democrat in the primary.

We should not be in the business of rewarding cravenly political moves from career politicians. I will be VERY disappointed if Obama or anyone else made a deal with Specter to support him over a real Democrat in the primary.

[ShadowLiberal]

14. According to Nate Silver Joe Sestak isn't much better than Specter

If you look at the average swing in a legislator's voting record when changing parties, and Sestak's voting record, if Specter's voting record moves to the left by the average (mean) amount of party switchers then Specter will actually be a little bit more to the left then Sestak is.

Sestak is actually a magnitude more conservative then you'd expect for his D+3 district.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. Sestak is also an arrogant ass (I've been there personally), but he has more integrity in his pinky

than Specter has ever had in his whole body. He hold his positions and doesn't dance around things. He is a great Democrat and truly represents his area. He will kick Specter's ass in the campaign and at the ballot box. One thinks the DNC should have learned that by now.

However, he is still a flaming asshat at times.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. That's the thing about successful leaders .......

.... they piss you off even as you cheer them. And you cheer them even as they piss you off.

[MADem]

25. He used to work for Vern Clark. You'd be an "asshat" if you had to work for that guy, too.

He had an impossible job with a lot of political overtones. He also, when he left the USN, had to give up his "Vice" and retire as a "Rear" Admiral because he didn't have sufficient time in grade. That had to suck. A similar thing happened to Marty Evans.

He just doesn't suffer fools easily. He needs a good chief of staff, is all.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

27. He was an asshat well before then, but I still like him being in Congress

[MADem]

30. I never had any problems with him at all. I don't understand the characterization.

He was a serious, work-hard kind of guy who didn't shirk responsibility and set clear and achievable standards.

I think most of his perceived issues could be mitigated by a strong COS and a few tweaks to his staff.

[billyoc]

15. He didn't know who the DCCC were when he ran for Congress.

But he damn sure knows who they are now. Admiral or no, if they tell him to back off, he will.

That being said, if he runs, I'll go campaign for him.

[LibraLiz1973]

17. Sestak is great- I'm in his area and really like him

Someone I am friends has worked with him for Dem events and she just loves him, says he is the real thing

[Orangepeel]

20. He'll run if he thinks he can win.

Otherwise, he'll wait six years.

[HughMoran]

24. I sent that dude money and he won

Cool that he's doing well.

[backscatter712]

26. Excellent!

Time to make Spector fight for that seat.

Either Sestak will win, giving us an awesome real Democrat in that seat, or Spector will be forced to earn that Democratic Senate seat of his, and he'll have to work for it and adjust his voting behavior so he can keep it.

We're watching you Spector. You like that Senate seat and want to keep it? WORK IN YOUR CONSTITUENT'S INTERESTS!!!

[JustinL]

28. he'll get my vote

I actually live in his district (which, incidentally, is the district represented by Ben Affleck's character in "State of Play").

[dgibby]

31. Well, I can't vote for him since I don't live in Pa.,

but he sure will get my money if he decides to run.

[blue neen]

32. I'm in PA, but I'm not familiar with Sestak's district.

Could someone please tell me what geographical area of PA his district encompasses? What has his voting record been like?

[Patiod]

33. His District is Phila's Main Line - mostly Delaware County

With a little of Chester and Montgomery thrown in.

He needs to walk a line there, because we're still slightly outregistered by country club Republicans (fiscally conservative, socially liberal) and soccer moms (like the women in my book club) who will vote for a Democrat, but only if he or she is a moderate/conservative on spending and tax issues. They don't get their panties in a twist on abortion, evolution, gay marriage, etc., but he has to be careful on issues like unions (a dirty work in this area).

[Jennicut]

35. Interesting tidbit about Sestak from Wikipedia

"Sestak has also "developed a reputation for being a temperamental and demanding boss" due to reports that thirteen staffers have quit his employment in 2007. Aides are purportedly expected to work seven days a week, including holidays, for 14 hours a day. Sestak justifies these hours, which are considered long even by the standards of Capitol Hill, by presuming to instill a military-minded "toughness" in his civilian staff."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Sestak

I don't whether this is a good or bad thing! LOL. Make those staffers work. Most politicians are lazy and don't work hard. On the other hand, he might not be able to get along well with people.

[thunder rising]

37. The posting is false. No employer can "demand" unpaid overtime. Now how many hrs

per day did Obama's staff put in? Was it demanded or just done?

[UTUSN]

38. Even if SPECTER loses the primary, he is unprincipled enough to use the Joementum Gambit

"Running as an Independent 'Democrat.' "