Election 2010: Specter & Rendell Slam Sestak's On Ad
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and Gov. Rendell took some shots at U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak this morning, in advance of next Tuesday's primary election. They were both clearly peeved by a Sestak campaign ad that features video of Specter saying he switched from Republican to Democrat in order to be re-elected. The ad says Specter's switch was made "to save one job...his."
Election 2010: Specter & Rendell Slam Sestak's On Ad
Chris Brennan
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and Gov. Rendell took some shots at U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak this morning, in advance of next Tuesday's primary election. They were both clearly peeved by a Sestak campaign ad that features video of Specter saying he switched from Republican to Democrat in order to be re-elected. The ad says Specter's switch was made "to save one job...his."
Specter insisted that his vote for the stimulus package proposed by President Obama had helped save and create jobs in Pennsylvania, while putting at risk his political career. Specter is seeking a sixth, six-year term in the Senate. Rendell said he was offended by the Sestak ad. "He wasn't thinking about saving his job," Rendell said of Specter. "He was risking his job." Rendell said state statistics show there are 20,558 people currently working on jobs created by the stimulus package. "So don't tell me Arlen Specter doesn't create jobs by taking a risky vote," Rendell said.
Specter said he could have glided to a sixth term if he had voted against the stimulus package and remained in the GOP. "If I had stayed with the obstructionist Republican caucus, I would have had no problem," Specter said. "This claim of opportunism is outlandish in the context that I had a clear path to re-election if I had not voted for the stimulus package."
Rendell and Specter spoke as the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity endorsed Specter in the offices of a Center City law firm. Specter said it vital for city voters, especially the African-American community, to turn out on Tuesday. Mayor Nutter agreed. "This is a serious and important election," Nutter said. "We've got an open seat for governor. We've got the hottest race for Senate in the country."
A visit by Obama would probably help drive that turn-out. But the White House has no plans to come to Philadelphia for Specter, who said he did not find that disappointing. Specter noted that he is running a "dynamic commercial" with Obama praising him and Vice President Joe Biden appears in his radio ads. "He's done everything I asked," Specter said of Obama. "We've gotten terrific support from the White House."
i say vote for Specter. He left the party to save his career because Toomey had to much support and he saw no chance of winning. Vote for Specter, he will be easier to beat than Sestak when the General Election comes around.— R.P.B.
Senator Specter was right about the "single bullet theory" --- he was right on the stimulus bill and, ----he was right to switch to the Democratic Party.— gary ledebur
Comment removed.- Sestak is simply unelectable. If he were he would be my candidate too. he is much too liberal for most people. he doesn't come close to appealing to independents.— steve19149
- Sestak is a fraud. Why hasn't he released his service record? What is he hiding. If he is the water walker he claims to be why hesitate to show the facts to the public.— vc bear
- Arlen--Jumped the Shark. Rendell--Jumped the Shark. Let's face it---The main threat here is Toomey, with views that, as someone pointed out, make Santorum look progressive. If your views are progressive, do you want to put an opportunist like Specter out there---a guy with no moral compass himself? A guy whom every Republican and independent will oppose? Or do you want a guy like Sestak--moderate in views and without the awful baggage? It's a no-brainer. That's why I wonder about these polls---no self-respecting Democrat can vote for Specter. It's all the Fat, er, Fast Eddie influence. He's really the most disappointing of all of the players in this story. Can you believe he once was the "Hope of the City?"— Palestra Jon
- Anyone with any common sense knows he switched parties to save his old *%*. Watch, if he loses to Sestak, do not be surprised if he runs in November as a Independent.— ALJ
- Sleezstak can not be trusted until he releases his military records. Im not about to take him on his word that he was super-admiral. Its like going to a job interview and refusing to show the employer your resume. PA needs Specter and all of the seniority he comes with. Your a fool to think otherwise.— tdoc
- All politicians are a bunch of non caring thieves who only care about themselves. It takes an act of God to see them, if you have an issue, and they forget that they are elected ,by the people, to serve the people, not to help themselves to a hefty pension and great benefits. As in the "Brewsters Millions " movie....Vote "none of the above"— ghostmarine
GW Bush campaigned for Specter and he won, if he switches parties and is endorsed by the The Chosen One, I won't be able to stop laughing if he loses. In fact I'm laughing already!- ALJ...why do Sestak's military records matter? No one has suggested that he did anything disloyal or negligent. This is even worse than the Swift Boating of Kerry--at least there, there were people who came forward to disparage him, albeit they were full of it. Here, Sestak was a 3 star admiral, who was demoted to 2 star and retired. However, he served with distinction in both the Clinton administration and in the Middle East. So your baseless speculation is ridiculous. Sestak is running as a real Democrat, with principles and positions in line with the vast majority of Democratic voters. If you don't like him, the odds are that you are either a Republican or a stooge of the Rendell/Nutter machine, which needs to be crushed.— Palestra Jon
- If Sestak's service records don't matter why did Sestak duck the issue during the debate with Specter. We all saw him react in public to the question. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. If Sestak is such a water walker why is he hiding 31 years of the facts? You would think he would want to share the detail.— vc bear
- Comment removed.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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