Joe Sestak ...... really?

[Stinky The Clown]

The thread title is a bit provocative. But hear me out.

Joe Sestak, retired Vice Admiral, is the highest ranking officer to have served in Congress. He's tough and he's confident. He comes off as no-nonsense.

And he is being cheered by many for his stand, of late, in saying he may run against party switcher Arlen. Since switching parties, Arlen has earned every bit of disdain he has gotten.

And the flip side of that is the upwelling of enthusiasm for Sestak.

I am a part of that upwelling.

The point of this thread is to do a reality check. Does everyone who is waving the Sestak banner know all there is to know about him?

What are his views? Where does he stand on ths issue or that? Where is he on the spectrum? Liberal? Conservative?

I think you'll find he stands to the right of the center of our Party and probably to the right of the center of the country. He's Democrat and has been and will likely be a supporter, generally, of the party's platform.

But he is no Anti-Specter. I think, if you assess it honestly, you'll find that he and Specter probably come out, on average, as about the same with respect to the liberal/conservative continuum.

I recognize this and will still support Sestak running against Specter. Pennsylvania isn't Massachusetts or Maryland or Illinois. Pennsylvania recently had a Senator Santorum. Pennsylvania loves Rep Jack Murtha. Anti-choice Bob Casey is well-regarded. That's what you get in Pennsylvania.

You're not a loyal Democrat, Arlen? You're not the 60th vote? Really? Well here's news, Arlen. Apart from that, you're worthless to us. Buh-bye.



Sestak/Senate/2010



I'm good with that.

[Captain Hilts]

1. Patrick Murphy is younger. But I always like to see more Navy in congress. nt

[onehandle]

2. Sestak was really good on Rachel last night. Supportive of Choi.

Rachel Maddow Interviews Lt. Dan Choi - Kicked Out Of Army For Being Gay

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/07/dan-choi-fired-gay-arabic_n_199592.html

[MADem]

3. A small, relatively unimportant, nitpicky point.

Joe is a retired REAR Admiral (Upper Half). Yes, he "served" as a Vice Admiral, but because of time-in-grade issues (insufficient time, specifically), he retired as a Rear Admiral (0-8).

It's still a sweet paycheck.


If Joe runs for Senate, it'll be bacause the DNC says he can, and/or wants to set him up against a misbehaving Arlen. That's just my opinion.

[KharmaTrain]

4. Think Jim Webb

I recall many of the same questions asked about him considering he had been Navy undersecretary under Raygun and didn't officially become a Democrat until after the 2000 election. I think he's turned out to be a damn good Democratic Senator. He gave the party much needed military cred and make the party the one supporting veterans.

I've followed Sustak during the '06 campaign and he won not only due to his opposition to the Iraq invasion but also embracing much of the party's platform. I feel very confident in Congressman Sustak being a reliable vote and a very good Senator for the people of Pennsylvania.

He has my full support (and donation, too).

[BlooInBloo]

5. Posts that criticize something and then end up agreeing with that very thing are funny.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. There was no criticism of Sestak, only observation

But that fact would not have allowed you to post your pointless point.

:eyes:

[AlinPA]

6. Sestak is a Democrat. Specter is a republican who would switch back to the republican

caucus if he were re-elected.

[TwilightZone]

7. It's interesting how our perspective changes based on the circumstances.

A conservative Democrat is fine if he's running again Arlen Specter, but an evil right-wing tool if he's a Senator in, say, Nebraska.

To be clear, I think a primary challenger is needed. I just find it funny that *we* seem to be OK with someone who could prove to be to the right of everybody's favorite dartboard, Ben Nelson.