HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman released the following statement regarding Joe Sestak’s fundraiser with U.S. Senator Arlen Specter today.
“Joe Sestak’s campaign must be in truly dire straits if he’s been forced to turn to Arlen Specter for help,” Gleason said. “If Joe Sestak is truly an anti-establishment candidate, then why is he choosing to campaign with a man he once described as an ‘entrenched’ ’30 year career politician out of D.C.’? It’s interesting that Arlen Specter is deciding to lend a hand to Joe Sestak this late in the race, considering Sestak had stated that he wouldn’t support him if the roles were reversed.
“Does Sestak still believe that Arlen Specter is not a ‘true Democrat’? How does Arlen Specter feel about the ad in the primary in which Sestak referred to him as a liar? What does Joe Sestak think of the fact that Arlen Specter will always choose political ambition over principle? Assuming that he won’t have a squash match to run to, will Arlen Specter finally address Joe Sestak’s chances in the U.S. Senate race?
“When push comes to shove, Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter are very similar – they both blindly support President Obama and Speaker Pelosi’s extreme liberal policies like the nearly $1 trillion stimulus package, government-run health care and cap-and trade. Both believe that the answer to our nation’s problems is more spending, and both are willing to resort to ANYTHING in order to get elected.”
Just one day after President Obama and Vice President Biden’s visit for Sestak, Specter has joined Sestak for a fundraiser. To mark this occasion, the PA GOP has released the new web video, ‘Together Again.’
A Friendship of Political Convenience
In late September, Carol Lee of Politico reported the following in a presidential pool report of a fundraiser featuring President Obama and Joe Sestak:
“Co-pooler caught Sen. Arlen Specter on the tarmac after he greeted POTUS and was walking to his car.
Co-pooler: ‘How do you think Congressman Sestak is doing with his campaign?’
Specter, after a five-second pause: ‘I’m late for the squash court so I’m gonna defer that to when I can answer in one spot.’
Co-pooler: ‘Should I interpret that as not very well?’
Specter, after another pause: ‘Ah, I’m late for the squash court.’
And he continued on to his car, walking out of your pooler’s reach.” (Carol Lee, “Pool Report: Specter Dodges Sestak Question, The Page By Mark Halperin, 9/20/10,http://thepage.time.com/pool-report-specter-dodges-sestak-question-092010/)
Sestak doesn’t even consider Specter a Democrat…
In emails sent out on May 17th and May 18th, the Sestak campaign referred to the now-Democrat nominee as the “only, true Democrat.” (“Down to the wire … 5 hours … Get-Out-The-Vote!,” May 18; “I am a Democrat,” May 17)
In an email sent out on May 11, the Sestak campaign sent out a fundraising email calling Arlen Specter a “a 30-year entrenched ‘Republican’ Senator” (“The Last Strawman,” Sestak for Senate, 5/11/10)
Would Sestak have returned the favor…
During a May 16th appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Joe Sestak refused to confirm that he would endorse Arlen Specter if he had lost the primary. (Evan McMorris-Santoro, “Sestak, Specter Make closing Arguments On CNN,” Talking Points Memo DC, 5/16/10,http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/sestak-specter-make-closing-arguments-on-cnn.php)
Attack, attack, attack…
In an email sent out on May 10th, Citizens for Arlen Specter Political Director Brad Koplinski is quoted as saying, “In the past week Cong. Joe Sestak has run a TV ad calling Senator Specter a liar. Sestak debuted this ad just hours after he said he would not attack the Senator’s character.”
During an interview on MSNBC’s Hardball, Joe Sestak referred to Arlen Specter as a “30 year career politician out of D.C.” (May 7, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/ns/msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews#37028015
In late April, Arlen Specter released an television advertisement that highlight Joe Sestak’s poor attendance record in the House, and which referred to him as “No Show Joe.” (http://www.youtube.com/user/pa2010Video#p/search/3/jZz_ybAydKk)
In April, Politico reported former Pennsylvania Democratic Chairman TJ Rooney as saying, “I can’t say, honest and true, if the shoe’s on the other foot, that we’ll have the same race in November. The results could be cataclysmic.” (David Catanese, “Dem Chair: Sestak Win ‘Cataclysmic’,” Politico.com, 5/6/10,http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36863.html) When asked about the comment during an October 10th interview on PCN, TJ Rooney said that he would wait to address the issue “in 24 days.” (“PCN Call-In Election 2010,” PCN, 10/10/10)
# # #
Contact: Mike Barley
Press Release
Print This Post
