In my last post I wrote that the only voice speaking truth to power on this whole sordid Shirley Sherrod affair was Anderson Cooper. I was watching Anderson at the time I wrote the post and watching Anderson in that tight black tee shirt of his forced all other thoughts out of my brain. Don't judge me, even the straight guys out there are envious of the way Mr. Cooper can wear a tee shirt. I would like to apologize to all of the people out there on TV, Radio and on-line who added their wise voices to the chorus of truth tellers. Those who know me are well aware that Rachel Maddow, Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews are an essential part of my information gathering process. The people I want to give props to are not as well know but they should be.
These are folks who I have come to depend on to clarify my thinking and provoke me to expand my view of the world around me. I have mentioned some of these big thinkers in the past but I want to give them their due. I have added some new links on this side where you can find them after you are done with me.
Joan Walsh can be found over at Salon. She is not on TV nearly enough and whenever she is on she speaks with such clarity that most of her opponents wither in her presence. Recently she gave a colleague a history lesson. The topic turned to the battle for the soul of the Republican Party and the other commentator said that parties tend to swing to extremes from time to time but then usually find their way back into the center, no argument there. Then, he went on to give the nomination in 1984 of Walter Mondale as an example of the Democrats nominating someone from their radical side. Joan's response was fast and furious and she gave a history lesson that brought me to my feet in my living room. Ms. Walsh's writing over the last few days has been nothing short of brilliant. Her Tweets are all over the map which makes her even more interesting and I always feel so honored when she takes the time to respond or comment on my Tweets.
Over at the Washington Post and on MSNBC you can find editorial writer Jonathan Capehart and Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Eugene Robinson. As with Joan Walsh these two men are always calm voices during the shout fests that MSNBC can sometimes become.
Mr. Capehart is young, stylish, witty & urbane. He wears the best ties on TV and they are always perfectly knotted. He is quickly becoming the voice of his generation on matters of race, sexual politics and any other issue he decides to speak/write about. He is the voice of the Washington Post but I suspect he will soon rise above that lofty position to become one of the go to and essential voice of our times. Another great Tweeter and he often responds back to my Tweets.
Eugene Robinson is a no nonsense yet poetic columnist. I always think I am smarter and better informed after reading him. His thoughts on race, politics, war and any other topic should be a must stop along the way to enlightenment. He writes with great clarity, humor and a forthrightness that we can all benefit from.
From The Nation you can find 3 writers and pundits who are quickly becoming favorites of mine. Christopher Hayes, Melissa Harris Lacewell and Katrina vanden Huevel. All three spend quality time in academia so they come at issues in a very thoughtful manner, Ms. Harris Lacewell is a Professor at Princeton. I am new to these three but I have found them to be very clear voices in the debates of the day and their honest defense of the left will prove them to become the leaders of the of progressive thought for years/decades to come. Mr. Hayes is great on Twitter but Ms. vanden Huevel Tweets on everything; we watch football games; reality shows and the Tony Awards together via Twitter.
Give these folks a chance to inform, enlighten and entertain you. If you have some suggestions for me please leave a comment and I will check him or her out and let you know what I think.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Won't Waste Mr. Walsh's Plea
"At long last sir have you..." Oh never mind, I am not going to dignify this whole sordid affair by using that classic plea for decency.
This has been a disgusting few days.
This has been a disgusting few days.
- A less than trustworthy blogger (ass) publishes a video that shows black people are racist. Wow that's really big news. Some whites are racist, some blacks are racists, some Jews are racists, some Muslims are racist, some Catholics are racist, some politicians are racist, some parents are racist and they produce racist children. This is not news but the once Pox picks up a story the MSM has to pick it up in order to prove they are not trying to fellate Barack Obama.
- Every talking head on all networks (though it seems less so on CNN) goes crazy calling for the firing of the black racist as seen on (ass's)video. Everyone speaking knows that (ass) is a suspicious source but common sense be damned. If Pox is going crazy the MSM has to go crazy to because they don't want to be accused by Pox of trying to fellate Barack Obama.
- The Sec. of Agriculture decides to fire the black racist seen in the video because one of his assistance told him that a crazy man with a history of substance abuse was going to come out and talk about this black racist.
- An elderly white farmer comes out in support of the black racist. It turns out the black racist saved his family farm. The black racist hits the airwaves and asks people to watch the entire 43 minutes of the video not just the 2+ minutes (ass), Pox and now the MSM have been showing every 30 seconds.
- A producer (not a reporter) decides that viewing the entire video may be an act of journalism and discovers that the black racist is not a racist, though she is still black.
- Oh the hand wringing.
- The big story is the President and his administration over reacted and should not have fired the erstwhile black racist.
- My reaction is WHAT THE FUCK is going on here?
- All the media- left, right, center, print, on-line, TV, radio are talking about this and yet no one, not a single person is talking about the sleazy person who created this issue and tried to ruin the reputation of the honest and hard working woman. All the media is ignoring the fact that they fanned the flames of this fake story and created an environment that caused the formerly black racist to lose her job and worse yet her reputation.
- No one but Anderson Cooper.
This entire event is a disgrace to everyone involved except the formerly racist black woman and Anderson Cooper's tight black tee shirt.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I Am Not A Fan Of.........
I am not a fan of Oprah Winfrey. Surprised?
How can the guy who wept when Ted Kennedy died (it was my 50th birthday) and continued to weep throughout the entire funeral process, not be a fan of Oprah? How can the guy who gets emotional at good campaign events or the guy who wiped a tear at the Bethlehem Skateboard grand opening not be a fan of Oprah? Coffee commercials make me sad, Lana Turner movies break my heart, I cried along with Halle Berry when she won the Oscar, I was almost overcome with emotion as the Spanish players accepted their awards at the World Cup and when Maury say’s” Marvin you are not the baby’s father” I cry along with the trampy girl running off stage.
So how can this guy not be a fan of Oprah Winfrey?
She is a beloved by millions of women and men around the world. She is a successful business woman, actress, producer, writer and a noted philanthropist. She is friends with the high and mighty. She opened school for girls in Africa. It was her interview that helped Michael Jackson begin the long climb back and it was her interview that almost destroyed the career of Tom Cruise. She has tried to teach us how to accept people of all walks of life and when she speaks out on an issue she speaks with such moral clarity that people listen. In the early days of the 2008 presidential primaries Hillary Clinton was gathering up most of the endorsements of the African American elites. Once Oprah came out to endorse Barack Obama his support in the African American community exploded and it helped him win the crucial battleground state of South Carolina and break even on Super Tuesday. People are already beginning to mourn her departure from TV next year.
Why don’t I like Oprah?
There is fine line between what Oprah does on her TV show and what Jerry Springer does on his. They both exploit people; they both hold people up to judgment and scorn, they both encourage people to debase themselves in front of a national audience, they both think that humiliating people will teach them and us to be better people. Both Jerry and Oprah end their shows with mini lectures sometimes with a finger wagging in our collective faces. We are told what we learned from our past hour together and that if we are smart we will follow their sage and wise advice.
Granted Oprah does it at a much more classy level than Jerry but exploitation is exploitation.
My detractors on this topic, and I have many; always talk about all the good things Oprah has done. I ask for examples.
She gave away all those cars to her audience: She did not give away anything and never has. All the things she gives away are provided by the marketing departments of the product they are pushing. Do you really think she paid for all those cars or even those Carrie Underwood CDs? The car company paid for the cars and the audience members had to pay the taxes, fees and the cost of transporting the car back home. It cost some of these women well over $1,000 to accept this “gift” from Oprah.
The school she built in Africa is the other prime example given as to the future sainthood status of Oprah Winfrey. She did build a school and if it is successful will benefit the most underserved population on the planet; African women. This school opened with great fanfare, all of which was generated by the Harpo media machine. When Angelina Jolie opened her complex she invited a few press people along to document it, when Madonna built hers the same thing. Brad Pitt moved to New Orleans so he could over see the rebuilding of the neighborhood he adopted and there was little fan fare. Sandra Bullock was the first to give a million dollars each to the 9-11, Katrina, South Asia and Haiti funds and there was never even a press release from her people.
But, When Oprah opened up her boarding school she flew multiple plane loads of celebrities, talking heads, media types and anyone else who worship at the altar and drink the Kool-Aid of all things Oprah Winfrey to Africa. She housed, fed and partied with some of the wealthier people in the country all on the dime of her foundation and we got to share in all this largesse because she filmed the entire thing and broadcast it not only on her show but on ABC prime time. Imagine if she used some of that money to do a background check on the violent predator she hired to run the school.
We have become a nation of whiners, victims and cry babies. We do not accept responsibility for our own actions nor the results of those actions. We feel the need to wear our hearts on our sleeves. We have no secrets; we have to share everything with everybody. We think it’s OK to discuss the size of our breasts and penises and we are compelled to tell everyone our innermost secrets. We have become a culture where dignity and honor are not valued. People have no manners or ethics. People think if they go on the Oprah Winfrey show and confess the burdens of their lives all will be forgiven and Oprah thinks that all this dirty laundry airing results in teaching moments. Sorry oh mighty oracle of Chicago not everything needs to be discussed and not everything results in a teaching moment.
What lesson did we learn from the woman whose face was chewed off by a monkey? What are we learning from the whole John Edwards saga? Bringing Monique’s brother in for an hour to discuss the effects of his raping his sister was a teaching moment? Oprah asks her guests and audience to bare their souls but she threatens her family members if they discuss their history or their memories of her life.
The Oprah Winfrey Show has led to the dumbing down of this country; she makes our women feel like victims and she makes our men feel weak and undeserving. Only two people have benefited from the Oprah Winfrey reign of terror; Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey. I suspect Stedman is regretting the day he met this wonderful woman.
I had no idea that texting while driving was a bad idea, thank you Ms. Oprah Winfrey for telling me.
How can the guy who wept when Ted Kennedy died (it was my 50th birthday) and continued to weep throughout the entire funeral process, not be a fan of Oprah? How can the guy who gets emotional at good campaign events or the guy who wiped a tear at the Bethlehem Skateboard grand opening not be a fan of Oprah? Coffee commercials make me sad, Lana Turner movies break my heart, I cried along with Halle Berry when she won the Oscar, I was almost overcome with emotion as the Spanish players accepted their awards at the World Cup and when Maury say’s” Marvin you are not the baby’s father” I cry along with the trampy girl running off stage.
So how can this guy not be a fan of Oprah Winfrey?
She is a beloved by millions of women and men around the world. She is a successful business woman, actress, producer, writer and a noted philanthropist. She is friends with the high and mighty. She opened school for girls in Africa. It was her interview that helped Michael Jackson begin the long climb back and it was her interview that almost destroyed the career of Tom Cruise. She has tried to teach us how to accept people of all walks of life and when she speaks out on an issue she speaks with such moral clarity that people listen. In the early days of the 2008 presidential primaries Hillary Clinton was gathering up most of the endorsements of the African American elites. Once Oprah came out to endorse Barack Obama his support in the African American community exploded and it helped him win the crucial battleground state of South Carolina and break even on Super Tuesday. People are already beginning to mourn her departure from TV next year.
Why don’t I like Oprah?
There is fine line between what Oprah does on her TV show and what Jerry Springer does on his. They both exploit people; they both hold people up to judgment and scorn, they both encourage people to debase themselves in front of a national audience, they both think that humiliating people will teach them and us to be better people. Both Jerry and Oprah end their shows with mini lectures sometimes with a finger wagging in our collective faces. We are told what we learned from our past hour together and that if we are smart we will follow their sage and wise advice.
Granted Oprah does it at a much more classy level than Jerry but exploitation is exploitation.
My detractors on this topic, and I have many; always talk about all the good things Oprah has done. I ask for examples.
She gave away all those cars to her audience: She did not give away anything and never has. All the things she gives away are provided by the marketing departments of the product they are pushing. Do you really think she paid for all those cars or even those Carrie Underwood CDs? The car company paid for the cars and the audience members had to pay the taxes, fees and the cost of transporting the car back home. It cost some of these women well over $1,000 to accept this “gift” from Oprah.
The school she built in Africa is the other prime example given as to the future sainthood status of Oprah Winfrey. She did build a school and if it is successful will benefit the most underserved population on the planet; African women. This school opened with great fanfare, all of which was generated by the Harpo media machine. When Angelina Jolie opened her complex she invited a few press people along to document it, when Madonna built hers the same thing. Brad Pitt moved to New Orleans so he could over see the rebuilding of the neighborhood he adopted and there was little fan fare. Sandra Bullock was the first to give a million dollars each to the 9-11, Katrina, South Asia and Haiti funds and there was never even a press release from her people.
But, When Oprah opened up her boarding school she flew multiple plane loads of celebrities, talking heads, media types and anyone else who worship at the altar and drink the Kool-Aid of all things Oprah Winfrey to Africa. She housed, fed and partied with some of the wealthier people in the country all on the dime of her foundation and we got to share in all this largesse because she filmed the entire thing and broadcast it not only on her show but on ABC prime time. Imagine if she used some of that money to do a background check on the violent predator she hired to run the school.
We have become a nation of whiners, victims and cry babies. We do not accept responsibility for our own actions nor the results of those actions. We feel the need to wear our hearts on our sleeves. We have no secrets; we have to share everything with everybody. We think it’s OK to discuss the size of our breasts and penises and we are compelled to tell everyone our innermost secrets. We have become a culture where dignity and honor are not valued. People have no manners or ethics. People think if they go on the Oprah Winfrey show and confess the burdens of their lives all will be forgiven and Oprah thinks that all this dirty laundry airing results in teaching moments. Sorry oh mighty oracle of Chicago not everything needs to be discussed and not everything results in a teaching moment.
What lesson did we learn from the woman whose face was chewed off by a monkey? What are we learning from the whole John Edwards saga? Bringing Monique’s brother in for an hour to discuss the effects of his raping his sister was a teaching moment? Oprah asks her guests and audience to bare their souls but she threatens her family members if they discuss their history or their memories of her life.
The Oprah Winfrey Show has led to the dumbing down of this country; she makes our women feel like victims and she makes our men feel weak and undeserving. Only two people have benefited from the Oprah Winfrey reign of terror; Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey. I suspect Stedman is regretting the day he met this wonderful woman.
I had no idea that texting while driving was a bad idea, thank you Ms. Oprah Winfrey for telling me.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
A Break Does Not Mean I Was Broken
I have a big urge right now to just run away and lose myself somewhere, a big city preferably. I am not sure what the root of this need is but when I figure it I may decide to share it. Or not.
So instead I took a break from blogging both reading and writing. Another reason I stopped was because I was beginning to bore myself with what I was writing. How many times can I point out the absurdity of many politicians especially on the right? How often can I defend the President? I was beginning to get redundant, so I took a break.
During the break I did not read any of the blogs that I really enjoy and the only columnist I read was Maureen Dowd, I cannot imagine a time that I would not crave her every thought. So, no Frank Rich, no Charles M. Blow, no Joan Walsh, no Bernie O’Hare, no Lehigh Valley with Love, no excitement from Penny @ Vineyard Road and I regret to say I even stopped reading my good friend Hillary Kwiatek over at Lehigh Valley Independent. It’s not that Maureen Dowd is more important than anyone else; it’s just that we have a long history together.
It’s not that I had nothing to say, anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I have a lot to say. I think I was finally in an information overload state. Who knew? I never in a million years thought that would happen to me but it did. I tried writing something erotic but I was told it was boring.
As Cher said in Moonstruck “Snap out of it”, I need to buck up, be a man and start writing again. I am going to try to not write as much about politics and more about life. I am not sure what that means but there has to more than politics. I will still write about current events but I hope I will be able to move beyond the politics and explore the root cause of my opinion of the current event. I will of course still offer solutions to everything. My friend Silagh told me the other night that one of the things she likes about me is my moral certainty and that I am very clear about what I believe to be right and wrong. So, I am going to expand this project to bring my moral clarity to a wider variety of topics.
Suggestions are always welcome and of course polite feedback is encouraged.
So instead I took a break from blogging both reading and writing. Another reason I stopped was because I was beginning to bore myself with what I was writing. How many times can I point out the absurdity of many politicians especially on the right? How often can I defend the President? I was beginning to get redundant, so I took a break.
During the break I did not read any of the blogs that I really enjoy and the only columnist I read was Maureen Dowd, I cannot imagine a time that I would not crave her every thought. So, no Frank Rich, no Charles M. Blow, no Joan Walsh, no Bernie O’Hare, no Lehigh Valley with Love, no excitement from Penny @ Vineyard Road and I regret to say I even stopped reading my good friend Hillary Kwiatek over at Lehigh Valley Independent. It’s not that Maureen Dowd is more important than anyone else; it’s just that we have a long history together.
It’s not that I had nothing to say, anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I have a lot to say. I think I was finally in an information overload state. Who knew? I never in a million years thought that would happen to me but it did. I tried writing something erotic but I was told it was boring.
As Cher said in Moonstruck “Snap out of it”, I need to buck up, be a man and start writing again. I am going to try to not write as much about politics and more about life. I am not sure what that means but there has to more than politics. I will still write about current events but I hope I will be able to move beyond the politics and explore the root cause of my opinion of the current event. I will of course still offer solutions to everything. My friend Silagh told me the other night that one of the things she likes about me is my moral certainty and that I am very clear about what I believe to be right and wrong. So, I am going to expand this project to bring my moral clarity to a wider variety of topics.
Suggestions are always welcome and of course polite feedback is encouraged.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Letter
I have a young friend who has had some difficulties and now may face some court time to reflect on the choices he has made. I believe in this kid, he is really bright, very funny and could have a stellar future. He has a quite few demons he needs to exorcise so maybe some time away may be exactly what he needs. With a great deal of trepidation he came to me and asked if I would give him a character reference. I quickly agreed. The letter is below.
Of course I changed his name.
Dear Sir/Madam
I have known Joe Smith for three years and over the course of this time I have gotten to know Joe as a bright, thoughtful and hard working young man. Yes, he has his flaws but for me they are far outweighed by his assets as a person. I am not writing this letter in any official work related capacity but as someone who has become Joe’s friend.
I have had the opportunity to watch Joe as an employee and as a leader in his department. As a supervisor in his area he is always on top if what is going on and always does what is right for the associates he is accountable and for the customer who pays his salary. When on the job he is focused on doing the right thing.
Over the past few years Joe and I have had many conversations about politics, the news of the day and most importantly his life and the choices he has made. I am old enough to be Joe’s father and in fact he refers to me as Dad because I am not afraid to have the hard conversations with him about some of his less than stellar activities. A few of these conversations have begun with me pulling him aside and saying “What the hell were you thinking? Or I suppose you were not thinking were you.”
Joe is well aware of the stupidity of his actions and fully realizes what could have happened because of them. Since this incident I have noticed a marked change in Joe. He is more humble, more willing to admit to his flaws and to learn the lessons his mistakes teach him. I truly believe he now understands that his actions have consequences and he is ready and willing to work on what it is that has caused him in the past to be so reckless.
I have seen great growth in Joe over the past few years and I can vouch for his level of maturity and understanding that his past actions have not only caused great harm to himself but could have been deadly to others. I am asking the court take into consideration the young man Joe has become and the potential for a bright future I believe he possesses when considering the legal consequences for his past actions.
Donald C. Flad Jr
After this weekend I heard a rumour that my friend may have let Dad down. I only had a brief moment today to question how he was feeling. He grinned said Fine and then tried to stare me down. I think he was expecting more of grilling but I did not have the energy. Tomorrow is a another day.
What do I do if my "son" let me down?
Did I do the right thing by writing the letter?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sestak - The Real Democrat
The Sestak campaign has been providing voters with something they call The Democratic Scorecard, it is a list of ratings by various organizations that are essential to understand the Democratic base. These organizations provide the volunteers and the money that Democratic candidates depend on. These ratings don’t always hold sway with me but in this case they are an indication of who is the Real Democrat in the race for the Senate. These ratings are based on the voting histories of the two candidates on the issues that are important to the organizations. Specter comments are mine.
For what it is worth:
Voted With Dems during Bush Years
Sestak 97%
Specter 23% / Voted with GOP 85% during career
AFL-CIO - lifetime
Sestak 97%
Specter 61% (Not bad for Republican)
AFSCME – lifetime
Sestak 100%
Specter 54% (Most progressive of Unions)
IBEW – lifetime
Sestak 100%
Specter 65% (Ditto AFL-CIO)
League of Women Voters – 2007
Sestak 100%
Specter 44%
National Education Assoc
Sestak 100%
Specter 56%
Disabled American Veterans
Sestak 100%
Specter 61%
NAACP – 2007-2008
Sestak 100%
Specter 76% - Not sure why this is so low – he does have a strong civil rights record
League of Conservation Voters – lifetime
Sestak 95%
Specter 45%
Alliance for Retired Americans - lifetime
Sestak 95%
Specter 39% (guess he figured he would never retire)
ACLU – 2007-2008
Sestak 91%
Specter 43%
NOW – current term
Sestak 100%
Specter 48%
Americans for Democratic Action – 2007
Sestak 95%
Specter 60% (surprised it is this high)
Environment America – 2008
Sestak 100%
Specter 60% (Wonder why they like him more than the Conservation voters)
NARAL – current term
Sestak 100%
Specter 67.5% (guess he is not pro-choice enough)
Humane Society – 2008
Sestak 100%
Specter 50% (I heard he kicks puppies when he is angry)
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund – 2009
Sestak 100%
Specter 50% (Must hate Bambi)
Human Rights Campaign – 2007-2008
Sestak 95%
Specter 70% (Pretty good Gaydar for a Republican in his 70’s)
Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence – lifetime
Sestak 100%
Specter 10% (I bet if he did not represent PA and were a true Democrat his score would be higher)
Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America
Sestak A+
Specter B+
I wonder how I would fair with these ratings; I am liberal who is opposed to many campaign finance limits, I think people do have the right to bear arms; I am pro-business and think unions are sometimes out of step with the 21st century economic realities.
For what it is worth:
Voted With Dems during Bush Years
Sestak 97%
Specter 23% / Voted with GOP 85% during career
AFL-CIO - lifetime
Sestak 97%
Specter 61% (Not bad for Republican)
AFSCME – lifetime
Sestak 100%
Specter 54% (Most progressive of Unions)
IBEW – lifetime
Sestak 100%
Specter 65% (Ditto AFL-CIO)
League of Women Voters – 2007
Sestak 100%
Specter 44%
National Education Assoc
Sestak 100%
Specter 56%
Disabled American Veterans
Sestak 100%
Specter 61%
NAACP – 2007-2008
Sestak 100%
Specter 76% - Not sure why this is so low – he does have a strong civil rights record
League of Conservation Voters – lifetime
Sestak 95%
Specter 45%
Alliance for Retired Americans - lifetime
Sestak 95%
Specter 39% (guess he figured he would never retire)
ACLU – 2007-2008
Sestak 91%
Specter 43%
NOW – current term
Sestak 100%
Specter 48%
Americans for Democratic Action – 2007
Sestak 95%
Specter 60% (surprised it is this high)
Environment America – 2008
Sestak 100%
Specter 60% (Wonder why they like him more than the Conservation voters)
NARAL – current term
Sestak 100%
Specter 67.5% (guess he is not pro-choice enough)
Humane Society – 2008
Sestak 100%
Specter 50% (I heard he kicks puppies when he is angry)
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund – 2009
Sestak 100%
Specter 50% (Must hate Bambi)
Human Rights Campaign – 2007-2008
Sestak 95%
Specter 70% (Pretty good Gaydar for a Republican in his 70’s)
Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence – lifetime
Sestak 100%
Specter 10% (I bet if he did not represent PA and were a true Democrat his score would be higher)
Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America
Sestak A+
Specter B+
I wonder how I would fair with these ratings; I am liberal who is opposed to many campaign finance limits, I think people do have the right to bear arms; I am pro-business and think unions are sometimes out of step with the 21st century economic realities.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Joe Sestak
Recently I gave you some reasons to oppose Arlen Specter for re-election. I don’t want to leave anyone with the impression that I am supporting Joe Sestak only because he is not Arlen Specter. Joe Sestak’s candidacy can and does stand on its own. I would be supporting Joe Sestak no matter who else was in the race.
Despite Arlen Specter’s best efforts to convince people otherwise Joe Sestak is a man of integrity. Because he truly does support the President’s agenda and wants to move this nation forward he is giving up a safe house seat to do what he thinks is best for the people of his state. Despite the President’s support for Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak spend much of his stump speech in support of the Barack Obama and his initiatives. He is running because he thinks the President needs to have a dependable supporter in the Senate. Can we really trust Arlen Specter to be dependable in his support of the President? I think not. Joe Sestak is not going to be blind in his loyalty but I suspect he will be more dependable than Arlen Specter.
Joe Sestak represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. He is pretty progressive in his views but well within the mainstream.
He is the highest ranking military veteran to be elected to congress and he supports the overturn of DADT. After 31 years in the navy this is a bold and courageous position and it is the right position for our country. He is leading the efforts for a new GI bill that will ensure our veterans have the educational opportunities past heroes have benefited from. He has authored legislation the will provide health care to 230,000 vets that have fallen through the cracks of societies social net.
On health care reform he did not waver, he did not grandstand, he did not try to impose conditions for his support of reform, he just supported it because it is/was the right thing to do.
He authored legislation to give first time home buyers a tax credit. Like health care reform he supported emergency economic stimulus. He did not waver, he did not bargain, he did not think about what was in his best interest, he knew what the right thing to do was and he did it.
The League of Conservation Voters gave Joe Sestak a highest rating of 100%; Arlen Specter’s career average is 40.5%. Sestak has sponsored legislation to give grants to small businesses in the renewable-fuels field and he champion’s current efforts to pass the climate change / energy conservation legislation.
From a purely political perspective Joe Sestak can win in November Arlen Specter cannot. Arlen Specter always won because he worked harder than anyone else, because Republicans are very loyal voters and rarely split their tickets and because he has always reached out to Democrats with very strategic voting. Specter has lost his Republican base and he has been unable to convince Democrats that he is one of them. If he is the nominee there will be no enthusiasm for his campaign and he could well bring down the entire ticket; up to and including the Governor and control of the State House. The activist Democrats are not going to do what they did for Obama for Arlen Specter. In a year when that is not favoring the establishment, Pat Toomey and the Republicans will make the race about Arlen Specter not about the issues. If Joe Sestak is the nominee that advantage goes away. Toomey is a lobbyist, Washington insider and talking head a fact that he has been very successful in hiding from his teabagger supporters. Toomey will be able to hide this if Specter is the nominee he will not be able to if Sestak is the Democrats choice.
The Democrats have a choice on Tuesday; hope or cynicism, leadership or opportunism, principles or self interest.
There is no choice. I am asking you to vote for Joe Sestak. Win or lose you feel good about your vote.
Despite Arlen Specter’s best efforts to convince people otherwise Joe Sestak is a man of integrity. Because he truly does support the President’s agenda and wants to move this nation forward he is giving up a safe house seat to do what he thinks is best for the people of his state. Despite the President’s support for Arlen Specter, Joe Sestak spend much of his stump speech in support of the Barack Obama and his initiatives. He is running because he thinks the President needs to have a dependable supporter in the Senate. Can we really trust Arlen Specter to be dependable in his support of the President? I think not. Joe Sestak is not going to be blind in his loyalty but I suspect he will be more dependable than Arlen Specter.
Joe Sestak represents the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. He is pretty progressive in his views but well within the mainstream.
He is the highest ranking military veteran to be elected to congress and he supports the overturn of DADT. After 31 years in the navy this is a bold and courageous position and it is the right position for our country. He is leading the efforts for a new GI bill that will ensure our veterans have the educational opportunities past heroes have benefited from. He has authored legislation the will provide health care to 230,000 vets that have fallen through the cracks of societies social net.
On health care reform he did not waver, he did not grandstand, he did not try to impose conditions for his support of reform, he just supported it because it is/was the right thing to do.
He authored legislation to give first time home buyers a tax credit. Like health care reform he supported emergency economic stimulus. He did not waver, he did not bargain, he did not think about what was in his best interest, he knew what the right thing to do was and he did it.
The League of Conservation Voters gave Joe Sestak a highest rating of 100%; Arlen Specter’s career average is 40.5%. Sestak has sponsored legislation to give grants to small businesses in the renewable-fuels field and he champion’s current efforts to pass the climate change / energy conservation legislation.
From a purely political perspective Joe Sestak can win in November Arlen Specter cannot. Arlen Specter always won because he worked harder than anyone else, because Republicans are very loyal voters and rarely split their tickets and because he has always reached out to Democrats with very strategic voting. Specter has lost his Republican base and he has been unable to convince Democrats that he is one of them. If he is the nominee there will be no enthusiasm for his campaign and he could well bring down the entire ticket; up to and including the Governor and control of the State House. The activist Democrats are not going to do what they did for Obama for Arlen Specter. In a year when that is not favoring the establishment, Pat Toomey and the Republicans will make the race about Arlen Specter not about the issues. If Joe Sestak is the nominee that advantage goes away. Toomey is a lobbyist, Washington insider and talking head a fact that he has been very successful in hiding from his teabagger supporters. Toomey will be able to hide this if Specter is the nominee he will not be able to if Sestak is the Democrats choice.
The Democrats have a choice on Tuesday; hope or cynicism, leadership or opportunism, principles or self interest.
There is no choice. I am asking you to vote for Joe Sestak. Win or lose you feel good about your vote.
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