Nat'l GOP takes aim at Sestak

The National Republican Congressional Committee wants to regain control of the House of Representatives in 2008, and it might have to go through Delaware County to do it.

The committee has locked its sights on U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, launching its opening salvo yesterday against the 7th District Democrat, 531 days before next year's election.

"We are ready to arm up against him," NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said of the retired Navy admiral.

Last night, the committee posted a Web ad saying Sestak had failed to address the nation's health-care crisis. It also created an online "case file" to pick apart his voting record and plans to flood the district with negative telephone calls.

Sestak unseated 10-term U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon last year amid the disclosure of a federal influence-peddling probe involving Weldon's daughter and campaign adviser. Nationally, Democrats formed a majority in both the House and Senate.

"There's no way the Democrats are going to get back-to-back cycles like the one they experienced in 2006," Spain said. "That was a once-in-a-generation election cycle, and we are convinced that we will be playing on a much more even field come next November."

Tim Pulte, a real-estate executive from Concord Township, is considering challenging Sestak. He has met with the NRCC and local Republican leaders.

As a freshman Democrat in a Republican-leaning district, Ses-tak is a natural target for GOP strategists, but defeating him won't be cheap. Sestak raised $449,000 in the first quarter of this year, second only to U.S. Rep. John Murtha among Pennsylvania congressmen.

"I truly believe if I do what I said [on the campaign trail] and I fight for what I said, I will be re-elected," Sestak said.

The Philadelphia suburbs are expected to host competitive congressional races next year. But if the Iraq war is still raging in mid-2008, "Republicans are going to be in trouble," said Christopher Borick, director of Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion. *