Tag: Joe Sestak

Suppose Your Actions Swung the Election

Imagine if your actions made the difference in electing a Senator, Governor, or Congressional representative? Suppose the phone calls you made, money you donated, doors you knocked on, and conversations you initiated helped swing a critically close race, or two or three. Suppose the friends you dragged to the polls helped America reject the anonymous corporate dollars that threaten to drown our democracy?

You’d feel pretty good, I believe, at least about your own efforts. So why aren’t more of us doing everything we can from now through the election to ensure the best possible outcome?  In 2008, millions of people reached deep and then deeper to stake our time, money, and hearts on the possibility of change. We knew it was a critical election, and helped carry Obama and the Democrats to victory.  Now, too many of us feel burned and disillusioned, with dashed hopes. We’ve lost the habit of being engaged. The election seems someone else’s problem. We doubt what we do will matter–for this round or in general.

The Week in Editorial Cartoons – The Oily Axis of Evil

Crossposted at Daily Kos

THE WEEK IN EDITORIAL CARTOONS

This weekly diary takes a look at the past week’s important news stories from the perspective of our leading editorial cartoonists (including a few foreign ones) with analysis and commentary added in by me.

When evaluating a cartoon, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does a cartoon add to my existing knowledge base and help crystallize my thinking about the issue depicted?

2. Does the cartoonist have any obvious biases that distort reality?

3. Is the cartoonist reflecting prevailing public opinion or trying to shape it?

The answers will help determine the effectiveness of the cartoonist’s message.

:: ::

Steve Sack

Steve Sack, Comics.com (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Dear Mr. President

Seeking to brand himself as the anti-establishment politician, Rep. Joe Sestak has put up a Web ad directly attacking President Obama for supporting Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania primary.

It features a black-and-white montage of Obama supporters expressing deep disappointment that the president is supporting Specter. An acoustic star strums throughout, the whole effect similar to the “Yes We Can” music video made by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas in the 2008 campaign.

“That’s not change we can believe in,” the Obama/Sestak backers say.

Since Sestak is now aiming at Obama, it sheds an interesting light on his blurting out last week an accusation that the White House had offered him an important federal job in order to drop his challenge to Specter. Was it an accident? (By the way, Sestak still has not provided any details of that offer that can be independently confirmed.)  link

Genuine or not, it is a pleasure to have a Democrat call Obama out.  

BREAKING: Democrats endorse single payer!

This is for real.

When it finally came time for the Committee to meet and vote the result was almost anti-climactic. Jack Hanna, the Chair of the Rules Committee said that there that there was “great concensus in support of this resolution” and urged that the entire membership be permitted to consider it.” Democratic Chair T.J. Rooney shepherded the resolution to the floor, and in seconds it was over. The resolution was passed by acclamation.

[VIDEO] Joe the Nerd Protests Senator Specter at PA Progressive Summit

originally posted by Will Urquhart at Sum of Change

The last main event at the PA Progressive Summit this past weekend was a Senatorial Forum with Senator Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak.

During the Q&A with Sen. Specter, there was one man who spent the entire time standing with his back to the stage. It was rather obvious, one man standing while the rest of the room was seated. We caught up with the protester, Joe Ferraro, better known to the online world as Joe the Nerd, and got a chance to chat with him about what he was doing and why:

Liveblog interview with Congressman Joe Sestak (with Updates!)

Thanks for the frontpagey goodness budhy! : )

Crossposted at Daily Kos

    I am thrilled to announce that Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA08) is live in a liveblog interview with me at TheProgressiveElectorate.com I have posted the body of my part of the interview below the fold and will be adding updates with Congressman Sestak’s commentary. If you wish, we are thrilled to have you join us and ask any questions you like of the Congressman as he fights to be the true Democratic voice for Pennsylvania in the US Senate.

Please join us at TheProgressiveElectorate.com where we would love to hear your input.

    Thank you for joining us this evening. The ProgressiveElectorate is honored tonight to be hosting this exclusive liveblog interview with sitting Democratic Congressman and former 3 star Navy Admiral Joe Sestak who represents Pennsylvania’s 8th district and is currently challenging current Republican Democratish Senator Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary for the upcoming Senate election in Pennsylvania.

   Before we start, I’d like to introduce Congressman Joe Sestak to our readers.

   Joe Sestak was elected to Congress in 2006 to represent the 7th Congressional District where he was born and raised. During a distinguished 31-year career in the United States Navy, Joe attained the rank of 3-star Admiral and served in the White House, Pentagon, and in operational commands at sea. He is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to either branch of Congress. He attended the Naval Academy and later earned a Ph.d. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. After retiring from the Navy, Joe returned home to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Alex, and proudly represents the 7th District.

joesestak.com

    Before asking Representative Sestak a few questions of my own, I would like to thank him again for joining us here tonight, and, of course, I strongly encourage anyone who is reading this to join in with Congressman Sestak and I with any questions they’d like to ask. The more the merrier, I always say.

   Now, on to the show.  

Sen. Specter and Rep. Sestak At Netroots Nation

It seems there is too much to see and too many people to talk about (as well as too many Tequila and Coke’s to consume) to have time to post in a timely manner form Netroots Nation. So you are getting the news kind of a day behind. Sorry about that, the Dog is only one hound and he can only do what he can do.

Originally posted at Squarestate.net

TPM Reporting Sestak WILL run against Specter.

Brian Buetler of TPM is reporting that Congressman Sestak will run against Senator Specter in the Pa. Democratic primary.

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) is privately telling supporters that he intends to run for Senate, TPMDC has confirmed.

“He intends to get in the race,” says Meg Infantino, the Congressman’s sister, who works at Sestak for Congress. “In the not too distant future, he will sit down with his wife and daughter to make the final decision.”

TPM: EXCLUSIVE: Sestak Intends To Run For Senate

Follow the link and read the handwritten note to a supporter in which Sestak announces he will run and asks for a contribution.  And give TPM some views, because they broke the story.  

So, The Dog Was Completely Wrong About Sen. Specter

Okay, there is nothing the Dog hates more than having to admit to being wrong (being a member of the First Church of the Fonz it is nearly against our religion!) but when you start to try to be in any fashion credible in commentary, even as a lowly poster on a community blog you have to be ready to walk back statements or arguments that are wrong.  

Pony Party….another Republican creep…

The ex-chief of staff to former Republican Rep. Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania was charged Tuesday with allegedly using his wife to accept kickbacks to help a consulting firm get federal funding.

….from the ABC News story