The tough old bird
A radio show on the likely Specter-Sestak race
The tough old bird
Dick Polman, Inquirer National Political Columnist
I can't speak for other scribes, but I've always found talking (and talking and talking) to be far easier than writing. So I suppose that today I've taken the easy way out, by focusing on my gig as a guest on Philadelphia NPR.
For an hour this morning on "Radio Times," we kicked around the impending Pennsylvania Senate Democratic race, which is shaping up as a big national story. Newly-minted Democrat Arlen Specter, the tough old bird who could probably survive a nuclear blast by opening his umbrella, is likely to be challenged for the 2010 nomination by upstart Democratic congressman Joe Sestak, the tough ex-Navy rear admiral who seems blithely unconcerned that the entire party establishment has already marked him as roadkill.
Sestak wants to challenge Specter from the left, by reminding liberal primary voters that Specter, before switching sides in order to maximize his survival options, actually voted with George W. Bush 80 percent of the time. Sestak, again this week, reiterated his intention to run (although he has invoked the "family" loophole, suggesting that if he backs down in the end, it's only because his family insists.) And Specter appears to be taking the threat seriously; he's not just holding fundraisers, he even asked for money the other day at a health policy conference of medical equipment suppliers.
Anyway, during the radio show, I asked my fellow guest - Chris Borick, director of the Institute of Public Opinion at Muhlenberg College - whether he agreed with my theory that a contested primary, while potentially divisive for the Democrats, would actually benefit the Obama legislative agenda, because Sestak would force Specter to lean leftward on crucial Senate votes and thus ratchet up his displays of newfound Democratic loyalty. (And tacking leftward in the primary wouldn't torpedo Specter's general election prospects - or Sestak's prospects, for that matter - because the Obama agenda is broadly popular in Pennsylvania, and because likely Republican candidate Pat Toomey is too conservative for the blue-trending electorate anyway.)
Borick did agree with my theory, but only up to a point. He believes that Sestak would help Obama and the Democrats "keep a leash" on Specter through the election season - but not beyond. He said that if Specter survives a primary, and beats a Republican challenger in November '10, he would return to the Senate as an 80-year-old independent player, freer than ever to confound his new Democratic allies, for years. True that. And besides, as I noted later, the guy is going to live forever.
The audio of the show is archived here.
Funky Joe, I'm fascinated by you right-winger's fascination with Obama's adept use of the teleprompter. Did you see Cheney try to read his speech a couple weeks ago. He could barely and only occasionally look up and face the camera. Bush couldnt even read a speech if it had more than 4 words per sentence. As far as general competence, Obama is light years ahead of the last group of baffoons.— PA_Dutch- Pa Dutch- We are fascinated by how liberals go " ga-ga " over friggin teleprompter speech.
- Smike, Just a friendly word of advice: Remember we're not all ditto-heads here, so before you get on your high horse and start talking down to us liberasl, regurgitating the Drugsters daily talking points you might want to think it through. I'll assume you can subtract the 400K from 2 mill.. Where did that 1.6 mill go? Lost forever? And remember, if the govt doesnt bail out that company, the exec doesnt even get the 400K.— PA_Dutch
- Thanks Smike, I can't speak for all liberals; Can't say I go "ga-ga", but I am pleased that my current President is not the embarrassment the last one was. Thanks for reminding me what an inspiring public speaker he is. Have a nice day.— PA_Dutch
- SWMike - For the record, I like President Obama too. Way more than his predecessor, Alfred E. Neumann (what, me worry?). I can't begin to count the reasons, there are so many. You better slow down on your whining, and pace yourself. You only have 7.75 years to go before President Obama leaves office.— johngilb
- Pa Dutch- I knew you could not keep up. 36% tax braclet would apply on a 2 milion salary meaning $ 720,000 in federal tax revenue but if you hire a guy called a czar and pay him to tell the guy making 2 million that he now makes $ 400,000 the taxes revenue declines to $ 144,000 then add to that the money you are paying a " compensation czar" and the resulting lost in tax revenue is $ 676,000. Now perhaps a liberal living off the backs of those of us work cannot understand but it doesn't take a genious to see how idiotic it is for the federal government to be involved in setting compenstion for private sector jobs.
- johngilb- How are liking that 9.4% unemployment that the Stimulus bill got us? Are you liking that as much as you are liking Obama? You got thrills running up your leg?
- Smike, You're kidding right? Let's take your argument to its logical conclusion and pay everyone 2 million per year, Let's make it the minimum wage and while we're at it bump up that tax bracket to 50%. You really think the Federal tax from 2 individuals is the issue? The point you're missing is we come in and bail out the company. Now we want that company to succeed. Paying obscene salaries can be counterproductive. Don't tell me 2 mill needs to be paid to the ceo whose company needed bailing out. He should work for a buck and stock options.— PA_Dutch
- Pa Dutch- It's penny safe and pound foolish. While maybe it makes for good press conferences it is utterly stupid from a dollars standpoint. It is also very hypocritical to feign outrage over executive pay while Barack is flying Michelle and the kids to Paris this weekend at taxpayer expense.
- Pa Dutch- Another point here is that people who have bankrupt the nation should not be casting dispersions and judgements on the companies they are choosing to bail out. I am outraged that a nation 12 trillion in debt would be flying Michelle and the kids to Paris for the weekend. I am outraged that a nation 12 trillion in debt would be hiring Czars. Mr Obama you were elected to be President now go and do your job instead of hiring czars to do it for you.
- SMike, I'm sure we disagree on who has bankrupt the nation. The fact is Obama inherited a mess. Things were good when Bush took over but now they're a mess. It's going to cost money for Obama to travel the world and try to undo some damage. I don't begrudge him taking his family. Obama's representing the United States of America. Who's that CEO representing if he was pulling down 2 mill while his company was going down?— PA_Dutch
- "The point you're missing is we come in and bail out the company." Not missing that point, PA, just disagreeing with it immensely. "Studebaker, Nash-Kelvinator, Packard, Hudson, Stutz, Pierce-Arrow, Stanley, Checker and American Motors were once household names of the U.S. auto industry. Unlike General Motors in our time, they were not too big to fail. Despite mergers and rescue efforts by their owners, each was shut down. Their legacy lives on as classic cars, restored with erotic affection by collectors. GM's end is different. In the spirit of the new age, General Motors, like Citigroup and AIG, will be kept alive in an industrial coma. One has to ask: Is this where the entire country is headed? Since January, it looks like it is. So far Mr. Obama has used his personally exciting presidency for initiatives that are spending public money on a scale not seen since ancient Egypt. Besides Obama Motors ($60 billion to $100 billion), there is Obama-Care for health insurance ($1.2 trillion over 10 years), the stimulus ($800 billion), a global-warming offensive called cap and trade that hopes to siphon hundreds of billions of dollars from the economy, and a fiscal year 2010 budget of $3.59 trillion. Out of these mists of federal "investment" they promise five million "green collar jobs." Only public-sector lifers could believe, or assert, anything so fantastic. Then there is the never-ending march of the financial-rescue armies -- TARP, TALF, PIPP, EESA. The Federal Reserve's balance sheet stands at some $2 trillion and growing. Last week Treasury floated the possibility of a single financial regulator for the entire banking system. All this is the Obama government's idea of innovation. It is all public sector because all any of them know is public sector. Without exception, the Obama people with responsibility for the private economy come from a lifetime in politics, public administration or academia." http://online.wsj.com/article/wonder_land.html— Vandy
- "Things were good when Bush took over but now they're a mess." The country was in actually in a mild recession when Bush took office in early 2001, which started in late 2000.— Vandy
- Pa Dutch- It is a myth that Clinton ever ran a surplus. He grew the Federal debt by 1.2 trillion and never ran a surplus in any year and was looking the other way while the gathering threat of Al Qaeda was plotting 9-11. If want to talk about inheriting a mess look at the hand Bush was dealt. Look at the double digit unemployment, interest rates, and inflation rates that Carter handed off to Reagan.
- then the MBA president and his rubber stamp congress turned the mild recession and turned it into to the biggest depression since the great depression in 8 short years.— PA_Dutch
Cited by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the nation's top political reporters, and lauded by the ABC News political website as "one of the finest political journalists of his generation," Dick Polman is a national political columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is on the full-time faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, as "writer in residence." Dick has been a frequent guest on C-Span, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and the BBC. He covered the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential campaigns.
ARCHIVES
All commentaries posted before April 18, 2008, can be accessed at www.dickpolman.blogspot.com.
- American Spectator
- David Limbaugh
- Free Republic
- Glenn Reynolds
- Hugh Hewitt
- Human Events
- John Hawkins
- Matt Lewis
- Michelle Malkin
- National Review
- Opinion Journal
- Power Line
- Red State
- The Brody File
- The Daily Caller
- Town Hall
- Weekly Standard
- Center for American Progress
- Crooks and Liars
- Daily Kos
- David Corn
- Huffington Post
- Media Matters
- Mojoblog (Mother Jones)
- Open Left
- Political Animal
- Salon's War Room
- Talking Points Memo
- Tapped
- The Democratic Strategist
- The Grey Matter
- Unclaimed Territory
- Andrew Sullivan
- Attytood
- Chi Tribune's The Swamp
- CJR's Campaign Desk
- CNN's Political Ticker
- CQ Politics
- FactCheck.org
- Gail Collins
- Howard Kurtz
- Mickey Kaus
- NBC's First Read
- Obit
- Political Wire
- Politico
- Politics Daily
- Pollster.com
- Real Clear Politics
- The Atlantic Wire
- The Fix
- The Moderate Voice
- The Plank
- USA Today On Politics
- Wonkette
