Sestak gives props to Kerry for JK's early support

[MH1]

Thought you guys would like this. This is what I've been telling people, and I've heard the Sestak folks say it, but hadn't seen it in print before.

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17384559&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=6

Kerry tries to add wind to Sestak’s sails
William Bender, Of the Times Staff
10/27/2006

RADNOR - U.S. Sen. John Kerry defended Joseph Sestak Thursday against what he said were "unacceptable" attacks on his Navy career by U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon and other Republicans. The Massachusetts senator was one of Sestak’s earliest supporters when he entered the 7th District race in February, providing a first-quarter cash infusion that helped establish his viability.

"Although dollar figures aren’t the most important thing, I’ll tell ya’, those $90,000 sure as heck helped," said Sestak, a former vice admiral who is leading Weldon in the polls with more money in the bank.

Kerry urged voters to end the "culture of corruption" in Washington and chastised Weldon for belittling Sestak’s 31-year military career.

"You don’t get to be a three-star admiral unless you have talent, and unless you have values and integrity," said Kerry, whose performance in Vietnam was questioned during his failed 2004 presidential bid. "That integrity has never come under assault until now, here, in this campaign for the United States Congress by a man who should know better. I, as others, are simply not going to stand for this."

At last week’s debate, Weldon described Sestak as a Navy elitist, asking if he drank out of "wine goblets" and was waited on by "sailor servants." The National Republican Congressional Committee has funded mailers calling him an "arrogant, narcissistic, self-serving" admiral whose career "ended in disgrace."

"It’s unacceptable in America that now people should question Joe Sestak’s service, the quality of his service," Kerry said during a press conference at Meridian Venture Partners.

In 2004, Kerry defeated President Bush in the 7th District with 53 percent of the vote.

(snip)

Um, okay, that 53% didn't come from my town. :( But we'll do better this time, I promise!

[karynnj]

1. It will be great when he replaces Weldon

Kerry's done a great job defending these guys.

[sandnsea]

2. Have you seen those mailers?

Are they having any affect? Anybody talking about them?

I am just dumbfounded by these attacks on the military. How can anybody vote for a Republican??

[MH1]

3. I haven't seen them

Apparently they only get mailed to households who have a registered republican.

I've heard about them from others, but so far everyone who's mentioned seeing them has told me they threw them in the trash.

I don't know what that means for PA-7 though. My neighborhood, if someone registers as a Dem, they're seriously a Dem, and they're probably not interested in much Weldon says. There is a lot of pressure to pretend to be a Republican. Oh, and Charlie Sexton lives not too far from here. Lovely, huh? It gets better. I know at least one guy who has a Weldon sign up because he feels he has to, or he might have problems at his job. With all that, and the Repukes owning the county government (and I do mean "own"), there are still LOTS of Sestak signs up. More than I remember seeing for Kerry in 2004. (Boy did I take shit for putting up a Kerry sign in 2004. Found out about my neighbors then, I did.)

[ProSense]

4. This is terrific!

The dollars are also an endorsement, so it comes back to people support! Senator Kerry's efforts have been tremendous.

Go Joe!

[MH1]

5. Weldon is getting even more heat

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2583948&mesg_id=2583948

(a little DU attention to this matter would be nice. ;-) )

[JI7]

6. some who voted for Kerry also voted for Weldon

i would love to meet some of these people. i know some of it is people who just like to split the ticket but don't have strong opinions or even knowledge of the candidates.

but i wonder about some others.

[MH1]

7. In 2004 the Congressional candidate had very little chance

The original Dem candidate for the seat was in the Reserves (Navy I think) and was called up around July 2004 to go overseas, so obviously had to drop out.

The party hastily selected a replacement candidate who raised about $25K in 3 months and got 41% of the vote, and almost no one knew who he was. That tells you that there was a significant discontent with Weldon, because most of that 41% was ABW. (A ham sandwich would have gotten at least 35%, imo). He would have run this year, but there was a primary challenger, and then Sestak came along, and both announced candidates wisely realized they couldn't touch Joe as a candidate.

There were probably also a lot fewer total votes in the congressional race than the presidential, for that reason. Many folks who couldn't bring themselves to vote for Weldon but who didn't know anything about Scoles probably took that route.