Sestak beats Specter in Pa. Dem Senate race

[onehandle]

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON - Sen. Arlen Specter has been defeated in a Pennsylvania primary in his bid for a sixth term after taking the risky step of switching to the Democratic Party.

Voters Tuesday picked U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak as the party's nominee and rejected the 80-year-old Specter in his first Democratic campaign.

The vote also was a defeat for President Barack Obama, who supported Specter when he abandoned the Republican Party last year.

Specter was seeking his sixth term — but the first in his new party. Sestak gained traction in recent weeks by tagging him as an opportunist, even airing an ad that showed Specter saying he had abandoned the Republican Party so he could win re-election.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37210973/ns/politics-decision_2010/

[Hepburn]

1. Just heard this myself on MSNBC ...

...:bounce:

[JCMach1]

27. I could hardly believe it...

:)

[Born Free]

220. The naysayers said it could not be done

Some suggested the race was already over back in December, and the talking heads on TV had little optimism for him - but they were all wrong! Now those same individuals are running around saying he can't beat the republican candidate, once again some are saying he is wasting his time, but some of us like underdogs and look forward to him proving them wrong again.

[florida08]

2. yay!

[peace frog]

127. Yay redux!

Liberal FL salutes PA! Sure wish my state could be so fortunate to find a great Dem like Joe Sestak to represent us.

[Roland99]

3. Santorum gone. Specter gone.

Hopefully this "S" does well.

[dotymed]

121. Please, don't forget

McConnell. IMO, the worst of the lot. YAY...

[dotymed]

129. Shit. I misread.

The POS McConnell is still entrenched in Ky. Damn, I wish that I had read correctly.:banghead:

[tomm2thumbs]

4. off to the greatest page with ya!

and here's to Sestak!

[tilsammans]

5. FANfreakinTASTIC!!!

Very good news, indeed! :applause:

[RobinA]

130. Why?

I'm from PA and I'm not sure this is good news. The question is, who can beat Toomey in the fall. PA has closed primaries, so all this really says is that registered Dems prefer Sestack to Specter. Duh!

[icee]

140. Toomey will beat Sestak, in my opinion. I wouldn't be surprised

if many of the Sestak votes were from Toomey supporters. This was a rebuke to Obama, who I don't believe will run in 2012 anyway. Still...

[razorman]

153. Perhaps. But Specter would have absolutely lost against Toomey.

At least Sestak has a chance.

[icee]

160. I agree with that, Razorman. It will be interesting to see what

happens. I view PA as a key state.

[RobinA]

168. I'm Not Convinced

I know this is the wisdom, but I see independents more likely to go with Specter, but not Sestak, over Toomey. Plus, once the campaign paints Sestak as a Socialist, I'm not sure but that Sestak might draw more conservatives out of their houses to vote for Toomey than Specter would.

[icee]

176. Yes, that's a major part of it. But, then, I am not a Sestak fan so I

may be biased.

[No Elephants]

187. I'm not convinced that your reasoning bears up under examination.

Who says Indies would vote for Spectre, but not Sestak? Few people like an opportunist whose main concern is his own career, especially when he's in his eighties. And where is it written that all Indies lean right? And, even if they do, why would they vote for a turncoat, as opposed to a true rightie?

The Toomey campaign may try to paint Sestak as a Socialist, but who says they would not have done the same for Spectre, who voted for both the "Stimulus Package" and the so-called health care reform bill. People are either going to fall for that label or not. That has nothing to do with whether the label is thrown at Spectre or at Toomey.

The Toomey campaign would have "painted" Spectre as many other bad things as well, including as an opportunist who sold his vote for WH support in the primary. And those things are a lot truer than "Socialist."

Sestak, on the other hand, is someone who refused to be bought off by the WH from running in the primary.

I think Spectre would make a much worse target than will Admiral Sestak.

[RobinA]

221. I Don't Know

if Indies will vote for Specter and not Sestack. I worry that they would. I come from the Philadelphia 'burbs where indies lean right. They are moderate Repubs who are afraid of the lunatics that have taken over the party. Socially liberal, fiscally conservative, the pocketbook trumps social issues. "Democrat" is a four letter word.

[BlueDemKev]

215. Rally the Base

The key to the Democrats winning in PA has been heavy turnout in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to offset the huge rural area which covers most of the state. The other important factor is union support. Guns and abortion can also be a variable, as NRA membership is very high in this state and remember, it took a pro-life Democrat to knock out Rick Santorum (Chuck Schumer knew what he was doing when he recruited Bob Casey for the 2006 Senate race).

[Matariki]

173. You don' t believe Obama will run in 2012?

Why in the world not? Why would you think that?

[icee]

177. I think he will do a Johnson. He will see that he cannot win so he

will not run. We will know this more clearly after the mid-terms. If the Democrats take a big hit, Obama will be blamed for it. These elections yesterday may have been a precursor as to what is to come.

[Qutzupalotl]

201. Obama's still over 50% approval

and incumbents usually lose seats in their first midterms. Despite this, presidents get re-elected quite often.

I think your instincts are way off.

[icee]

205. Well, we don't know each other so we can't wager. I have an

opinion based on talking to lots of people. I think Obama will not run, and if he does run, he will lose decisively. All we can do is wait and see who is right.

[Qutzupalotl]

206. Or you could back up your statements with more than hearsay.

I haven't heard anybody with any knowledge of politics say Obama won't run. In fact, most think he'll win. I certainly wouldn't want to be the one to debate him.

[icee]

213. This is an opinion board. Opinions are often formed by hearsay,

or are hearsay themselves. I pay no attention to polls, the ones that agree with me or disagree with me. I do pay attention to people at the grocery store and also the seniors I see through my spouse. Now most of my sources are admittedly old, but these conversations do entitle me to an opinion. Why I would I want to debate him, and about what?

[Qutzupalotl]

216. I meant the person running against Obama would have to debate him.

I wouldn't want to do it. I don't think there'll be many takers, and the one who takes him on won't be all that bright.

[No Elephants]

184. Republicans sure weren't going to vote for Spectre, even when he was a Republican, let alone

after he switched Parties. That's why he switched. And this primary shows Democrats didn't want the opportunist, either, so I'm not sure what Democrats lose by taking Spectre out of the equation.

Sestak climbed high in the Navy; and that is often a plus with both sides. Plus, he is not a Teabagger, which is a plus for sane people. If he loses to Toomey, so be it. That certainly doesn't mean Spectre would have beaten Toomey.

[TroglodyteScholar]

6. Wow!

AMAZING news!

[flyarm]

7. Just announced on Philly news!! now go the f away Specter and take your magic bullet with you! eom

[defendandprotect]

49. +1000%

[PatrynXX]

155. kinda liked specter, he was once a democrat

took some courage to switch parties. it'll make it difficult for us to win the seat in November without him.

[harun]

8. You hear that Dem Leadership? Keep appeasing the GOP and you'll all be gone.

[onehandle]

9. I don't think this was about appeasing the GOP.

Specter was a sitting Democratic Senator (kind of).

[RollWithIt]

17. In a way, Obama played this really well... they sucked Specter in, got him to caucas Dem, then.....

watched as he went down to someone else with little effort done on their part.

Specter was already unelectable as a Republican anyways. They sort of backed him. But not really.

[chollybocker]

21. It doesn't explain why Obama was robocalling for Specter last week.

Obama wanted Specter to win.

[terrapinwelcher]

28. It Was Part of the Deal

For his defection. Specter is a worm. How funny that he switched parties to avoid losing in the primary. :rofl:

[No Elephants]

53. Glad voters have been rejecting those back room deals. Maybe Washington will finally get it.

Please see Reply # 45.

[RollWithIt]

37. Ya, robocall....

As in recorded a 10 second voice comm. Then went back to his business. Like I said, minimal effort.

[No Elephants]

55. He knew that, even with the help of the POTUS, Spectre might well lose. So, Obama did damage

control, for the sake of his own image.

That does not mean Obama wanted Sestak to win, though. Heck, the WH had tried to keep Sestak out of the primary, so Spectre would not have competition.

This is going to be read as somewhat of a failure for Obama, and those reading that way will be closer to reality than those who believe this was 8 dimensional chess.

[kenfrequed]

146. Well...

I don't think it was 8th dimensional Vulcan chess or anything. I never liked that nonsensical meme.

However, I do think that it was probably part of the deal and hopefully Spector won't shriek out some kind of "The left has taken over the Democratic party the way the tea party has taken over the Republicans" or some such false equivalency argument.

I think the party leadership cut the deal and had to hold up its end of the bargain and that is about all that happened.


Now the President has to find a way to step back and congratulate the voters of Penn

[disndat]

148. True.

The WH saw defeat coming and issued a statement that said Specter came to the WH, not vice versa. In other words, they didn't owe Specter anything.

[No Elephants]

185. Funny. Rendell said just about the opposite a day or two before the primary.

I think it was MSNBC, but I'm not 100% certain.

In any event, the show's host was going on about Spectre having changed Parties and Rendell said people in the Party had approached Spectre and persuaded him to switch, not vice versa. The host asked who and Rendell said, "Rahm for one. Me for another."

[TheEuclideanOne]

117. Who knows, maybe that was part of the deal.

To get Specter to come over, perhaps it was promised that the White House would try to help him get re-elected. Just a thought.

[LynneSin]

180. Because for Obama it's better he support the incumbent during primaries

I know this doesn't make sense to alot of people but incumbents tend to win and nothing pisses them off more than to have their own president of their party campaigning against them. Trust me, by the time November rolls around Obama will be proven he is 100% behind Sestak. But what if Specter had won and returned to DC - that doesn't play out well.

[No Elephants]

191. Circular. Incumbents tend to win elections because the Party tends to support them, both in the

primary and in the election. Many commentators believe that the Democrats who campaigned against Lamont in the primary damaged him as a candidate, and then the Party hung him out to dry once he won the primary. And that's why Lieberman won.


I don't think the President or the DNC should campaign against the incumbent in a primary, or for the incumbent in a primary, either. I think the DNC and the Party stars should stay the hell out of a primary, allowing all candidates as level a playing field as humanly possible and let Democratic voters decide, not some back room deal.

The incumbent inevitably have an advantage in the primary anyway. Name recognition, for one thing. That costs millions for an unknown to achieve. Having brought home the bacon (pork) is another huge advantage. That should be enough. If it isn't enough for them to beat an unknown Democrat on their own, how lame a candidate are they?

Let Democratic voters decide. That's why we call our system a democracy and why we call our Party the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party seems even more terrified of letting its Party members decide than the Republican Party does. The Republican Party has no "super delegates."\


ETA: Please see also, Reply # 45.

[girl gone mad]

31. Kind of funny spin.

How many times had Obama lost face now, throwing his support behind these shitty "moderate" corporatist candidates?

[No Elephants]

47. Meh. No sitting President wants the candidate whom he endorses to lose.

The defeat rubs off. It's a loss of face.

And Obama did try to take Sestak out of the primary. So, Obama could not have been itching for Spectre to lose.

[TorchTheWitch]

101. Specter wouldn't have run as a Dem without Obama's backing

That was the deal. Specter wouldn't have switched shirts if Obama hadn't agreed to back him in a Dem primary he had no business sticking his nose into to begin with.

Obama didn't play this well - he had no business playing AT ALL. Had Specter won we'd have the choice between a batshit crazy Repub and slightly less batshit crazy Repub that knew he couldn't defeat in a friggin PRIMARY without switching shirts. This was a close race, and we're damn lucky that Specter got his ass handed to him. And it was a close race largely because of Obama's backing of that shitstain Repub selfish asshole Specter. And even WORSE, Obama wanted that asshole Specter to win by trying to give Sestak a job in order to keep him from running against a Repub in sheeps clothing who cut a deal.

Trying to spin this as Specter being suckered by Obama is insane bullshit. Obama tried to give the shaft to us PA voters!

[adigal]

152. Obama has done the same with Gillibrand's Dem challengers

Another corporate girl, she and Schumer, never saw a corporation or bank they didn't love.

[No Elephants]

190. Someone better put Ed Rendell in an institution for his own good then. Please see

Reply ##'s 108 and 185.

I don't believe that Spectre was suckered in. The Toomey-Spectre polls showed Spectre had nothing to lose and slim chance to gain by switching Parties. However, according to Rendell, Democrats approached Spectre first. Obviously, the Wh wanted his vote and saw a chance to bargain for it.

Are deals made all the time? Yes. Do they often involve Party switches by a U.S. Senator? No. Are they deals that should be made? I don't know.

I agree that Obama should never have tried to keep Sestak out of the primary, though.

[icee]

142. Oh, puhleeze...

[bc3000]

188. I concur. Obama played this the right way.

[No Elephants]

45. Keeping incumbents in place is not properly the job of a Party.

When it comes to the election, yes, fight tooth and nail. When it comes to the primary, stand back and wait for the people to speak.

The primary job of our federal government (both parties) has become getting incumbents re-elected as many times as they want to be. That's one of the reasons our government no longer works for the people. It's also one of the reasons both Parties and all candidates owe so much to lobbyists.

I think Sestak's election is the Democrats of Pennsy sending several messages, one of them being Democrats want to choose their own candidates, thank you very much. Another is, we don't think incumbents have been representing our interests. A third is, we want Democrats who are Democrats.

BTW, endorsing Spectre was not about appeasing the GOP. However, Democrats voting anti-incumbent well may be disgust with legislation that leans too far right. I think that's what the poster may have meant.

If people (either Party) don't see a lot of daylight between the two parties, they either stay home or vote anti-incumbent. Either way, it's not a good sign for the good ole boys in D.C. of either Party.

If Republicans run the country into a ditch, people want Democrats, and vice versa. But, if you can't see daylight between the two Parties, you just want the incumbents out, whether that means primarying them or voting against them in an election, or not caring enough who wins to stand on line to vote.

[rhett o rick]

51. .

[defendandprotect]

52. Specter has long been a right wing tool . . . from JFK coup to Thomas hearings

in his attacks on Prof. Anita Hill --

Specter should have been gone long ago --

Yes -- when Obama takes in someone like Specter, it is a slap at liberals/progressives --

and moves the party further to the right --

DLC was backing Specter . . . corporate wing of the party!

Specter was a very threatening figure to many witnesses in the JFK assassination --

even quite seriously suggesting to Jean Hill that he could have her "look as crazy" as

they had made Margueritte Oswald look --

Dishonest man who changed a lot of witness testimony --

And Specter was vile at Thomas hearings --

Hopefully, one day we'll see some of those tapes again?

[BeliQueen]

134. My sentiments exactly

The way he treated Anita Hill made my blood boil. I have been waiting for him to be defeated for years.

I have voted against him and worked for candidates to replace him most of my adult life until I moved from PA to VA. No last-minute party switch will ever replace all the bad that he did.

I woke up with smile on my face and a song in my heart.

This is fantastic news.

[BlueDemKev]

162. Yeah, Specter was awful during the Anita Hill hearings

...too bad Lynn Yeakel fell short in '92.

[RobinA]

169. Bork

Wasn't Specter instrumental in attacking Bork? Or does memory fail me?

[florida08]

10. +1

[BlueDemKev]

24. Are you kidding.....?

....there's nothing the Democrats could POSSIBLY do to appease the GOP. They hate us and will oppose anything we say or do.

[No Elephants]

67. Which is exactly why we should stop trying to appease them.

However, I'm not sure whether its Republican the Democrats have been trying to appease, or lobbyists.

[Larry Ogg]

74. It's all about maintaining your bat shit crazy image

in front of the dumb downed bat shit crazy electorate who think that there's a meaningful difference between parties.

Haven't you heard? Behind closed doors it's all one big corporate party and most of the politicians are nothing more than paid entertainers; sort of like the WWF wrestling.

[JVS]

11. Awesome

[daughter of liberty2]

12. Nice!!

:woohoo:

[butterfly77]

13. Now on to Blanche lincoln...

another Bluedog/republiCON fake Dem,good riddance to specter.

[RollWithIt]

18. Lincoln is a bad loss for us... because her opponent is not electable...

But not the same for Pennsylvania.

[BlueDemKev]

23. Agreed

Blanche Lincoln is an amazing gift to come out of a redneck state like Arkansas. Don't let the bad guys win in our quest for purity. Unfortunately, I don't believe we can hold this seat in 2010.

[terrapinwelcher]

30. Damn!

Lucky to get a senator because Arkansas is a redneck state? Didn't we get a president from there? Bigotry is an ugly thing no matter which way it flows.

[rpannier]

40. It's always an interesting meme: Democrats can't win in Arkansas

I mean, 3/4's of the elected officials at the state level and almost every national rep is a Democrat
(You can argue the liberal and conservative all day long)
But lucky???

[okieinpain]

156. yeah but they run as conservative dems. same thing in oklahoma.

[BlueDemKev]

157. Let me clarify....

I guess you're not from the South, which is why "redneck" seems to be a racist term to you.

when I say "redneck", I'm refering to rural folks who are steeped in their traditions, love their guns, interpret the Bible literally, and have a false belief that the government is their enemy.

[BlueDemKev]

158. About the president we got from there....

Bill Clinton was first elected governor there in 1982 (almost 30 years ago) when the state was still predominantly Democratic (even if in name only).

Remember, at the end of his presidency in 2000, Clinton was no help in delivering Arkansas for Al Gore despite the strong economy and his widespread national popularity. Had he done so, these last ten years would have been very different.

[terrapinwelcher]

178. Al Gore's Problem Was Himself

Clinton's popularity was not enough to overcome a weak candidate like Bush because Gore was a patronizing, condescending, self-absorbed toad who was the exact opposite of Clinton personality-wise. As long as we throw candidates like Gore up there because they are the "next in line", we will lose at the ballot box. The repugs did the same thing when the ran a senile Bob Dole for president. People don't really care how "entitled" the party views certain pols as being.

[No Elephants]

192. Are you sure the Clinton scandals did not hurt Gore? Bubba was teflon,

but plenty of people were pissed about the prospect of blow jobs being in American history books for the next century. Not to mention having a President distracted by impeachment. Yes, Bill had a high popularity rating, but, as I said, he seemed to be Teflon. Still is. Those around him, however, like Gore and Hillary, not so much.

I agree that Gore did not make a great candidate, though. However, you can hardly blame anyone for condescending to Incurious George.

Funny you mention Dole. After Dole lost, I thought his appearances on talk shows showed his wit and personality to much better advantage than ever before his loss. I found him very likeable, at least until that sick Viagra commercial with Brittany Spears. Still would not have voted for him because I am a yellow dog voter, to the nth degree.

I also found Gore funnier, wittier and much more likeable after he lost. So, that is the connection I make between Dole and Gore. But, I voted for Gore, even when I could not relate to him personally. Not only am I a yellow dog voter, I am not a voter who would ever have voted for Dummya.

[Hekate]

218. Were you actually AWAKE when the Supreme Court handed the Presidency to Bush? Gore is a "toad"?!

Al Gore struggled against the MSM more than anything during the campaign. Came election day, the Repubs pulled out all the stops IN MANY STATES to suppress the votes, steal the votes, throw ballots away by the dumpster-full, prevent the votes from being counted, had a white riot in Florida to terrify the vote counters, and finally, when all else failed, they went to the Supreme Court, where Bush's Daddy's friends decided the case. These are all verifiable facts.

AL GORE HAD THE VOTES, AND ANYONE WITH HALF A BRAIN KNOWS THAT BY NOW.

You are entitled to your own opinions, bub, but you are not entitled to your own "facts."

Hekate

[No Elephants]

"Quest for purity" my ass. And please see Reply ##s 29, 40 and 69.

[derby378]

137. Purity, schmurity...

It's time we elect Democrats who act like Democrats. Why do you think Specter got the boot to begin with?

[RobinA]

170. Specter Acted

more like a Democrat than many Democrats. Sometimes. I'd rather have him than a Repub.

[derby378]

186. Specter had his moments...

It's true that he frequently frustrated both Democrats and Republicans alike.

I have my own issues with Sestak, but Specter's had a good long run. And it's not my decision, anyway - the Democrats in Pennsylvania have spoken.

[No Elephants]

193. Sometimes, you'd rather have Specter than a Repub?

Yet, you claim to have voted for Sestak because of his ideology? You're an interesting poster, RobinA.

A number of posts on this thread, yet you have a total of 2215 posts since 2002. I am pretty sure I remember you from an affirmative action thread where you posted a lot some months ago, too. Posters with that pattern always intrigue me.

[RobinA]

210. Do You Have a Point?

Can't remember if I posted on an affirmative action thread some months ago or not, not normally a topic that inspires me, but it's possible. 2215 posts since 2002? Is that indicative of something? Sorry, I don't know what your issue is.

[BlueDemKev]

214. Specter got the boot....

....because 1) this was a Democratic primary. Specter had spent his entire political career as a Republican and many Democrats could not see Specter as "one of them", 2) there is an anti-incumbent mood in the country because of the horrid economy, and 3) his age, which is partly related to No. 2. People are looking for "change", and Sestek looks more like a young, fresh face compared to an 80-yr-old career politician.

[rpannier]

29. The Lt Governor of the state is not electable

Interesting logic

[laughingliberal]

96. +1000 nt

[socialist_n_TN]

65. The polls I've seen show that Halter is MORE

electable than Lincoln. It's still a long shot for any Dem, but Halter polls better against the Republican than Lincoln does.

[tomm2thumbs]

118. agreed, incumbents are easily the ones who would be in difficult positions, not new blood

personally I think new folks on a lot of fronts would be really helpful to the overall health of the party

[L. Coyote]

126. UR deluded. She won and will go on to win the next round, and the next too

[freddie mertz]

138. Until today, Sestak was being called "unelectable" too.

Right here on DU, by people who obviously opposed him politically.

My prediction: If Halter takes down Lincoln, he will be VERY MUCH "electable.

He has ALREADY won state-wide office.

Also giant killers tend to become overnight celebrities.

Who ever heard of Sestak before the last week or so?

Who ever heard of Scott Brown before he beat the Dems in Mass?

Victory has a way of leading to other victories.

[LynneSin]

181. Yes but neither is Blanche Lincoln - she's pretty much a goner in November

n/t

[dhpgetsit]

14. Great news!

Obama promised to support Specter, but Sestak is a good candidate and he ran a great campaign.

[RiverStone]

15. Bye Dino!

[Devil_Fish]

16. I'm glad the voters saw through the Bull Shit stunt spector tried to pull. N/T

[terrapinwelcher]

33. Tried to Pull?

He did pull it. People who switch parties in either direction mid-term are simply opportunists. A principled politician would switch for the primaries or resign his/her seat.

[No Elephants]

194. I think the stunt being referred to would have been Spectre's keeping his seat by virtue of the

switch. That was the stunt Spectre tried to pull.

Switching Parties is not a stunt, nor does one "try" to switch parties. It's a mechanical thing that you either do or not do. "There is no trying." Yoda.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

19. and Chris Mathews and Howard Fineman are devastated...

...that Sestak and Critz, who won Murtha's old seat, won tonight!

:rofl:

[BlueDemKev]

20. Thank you Arlen Specter, and Let's Go JOE!!!

I think you guys are too being too harsh on old Arlen. At least give the guy some credit for finally realizing how far off the deep end the Republicans had gone. And remember, his opposition to the Robert Bork nomination was a key factor in keeping that fanatic from getting on the Supreme Court. Specter also supported the assault weapon ban in '94 (and had an "F" rating from the NRA). I think his age may also have had something to do with voters not choosing him. At 80, it's questionable if he could have served out another six full years.

Nevertheless, thank you to Arlen Specter for your hard work over the past several decades and best of luck to you. Now, let's get JOE SESTAK elected to the U.S. SENATE & keep Looney-Toomey from becoming the next Rick Santorum!!!!!

[ginnyinWI]

34. I think at 80 he should be glad to retire.

I don't know how Sen. Byrd manages to keep going like he does. ( My parents are over 80 and let me tell you, they are definitely slowing way down.) It's just a fact of life. Time for a younger man to take over now.

[flyarm]

106. They are scared shitless of their secrets being exposed! And that goes for both sides of the isle!

[sce56]

39. FU Specter!!! Is what I say!

He was part of the white washing of the crime of the last century!

The Single Bullet Theory (or Magic Bullet Theory, as it is commonly called by its critics) was introduced by the Warren Commission to explain how three shots fired by Lee Harvey Oswald resulted in the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy. The theory, generally credited to Warren Commission staffer Arlen Specter (now a United States Senator from Pennsylvania), posits that a single bullet, known as "Warren Commission Exhibit 399" (also known as "CE 399"), caused all of the non-fatal wounds in both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally. (The fatal head wound to the President was caused by a bullet other than this so-called "Single Bullet").

According to the single-bullet theory, a three-centimeter-long copper-jacketed lead-core 6.5-millimeter rifle bullet fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository passed through President Kennedy’s neck and Governor Connally’s chest and wrist and embedded itself in the Governor’s thigh. If so, this bullet traversed 15 layers of clothing, 7 layers of skin, and approximately 15 inches of tissue, struck a necktie knot, removed 4 inches of rib, and shattered a radius bone. The bullet was found on a gurney in the corridor at the Parkland Memorial Hospital, in Dallas, after the assassination. The Warren Commission found that this gurney was the one that had borne Governor Connally. This bullet became a key Commission exhibit, identified as CE 399. Its copper jacket was completely intact. While the bullet's nose appeared normal, the tail was compressed laterally on one side.

In its conclusion, the Warren Commission found "persuasive evidence from the experts" that a single bullet caused the President's neck wound and all the wounds in Governor Connally. It acknowledged that there was a "difference of opinion" among members of the Commission "as to this probability", but stated that the theory was not essential to its conclusions and that all members had no doubt that all shots were fired from the sixth floor window of the Depository building.

Most pro- and anti-conspiracy theorists believe that the Single Bullet Theory is essential to the Warren Commission's conclusion that Oswald acted alone. The reason for this is timing: if, as the Warren Commission found, JFK was wounded some time between frame 210 and 225 of the Zapruder film and Governor Connally was wounded in the back/chest no later than frame 240, there would not have been enough time between the wounding of President Kennedy and Governor Connally for Oswald to have fired two shots from his bolt action rifle. FBI ballistics experts told the Warren Commission that Oswald's rifle could not be fired, re-loaded, aimed and re-fired in less than 2.3 seconds or about 42 Zapruder frames.

[24601]

42. And Bigfoot fired the gun n/t

[sce56]

58. And that is your childish comeback?

I don't know who fired the gun for sure but I believe this guy was the one running the show!

[24601]

211. And I'll support your right to maintain and voice conspiracy

theories. I'll also reserve the right to inject satire when I believe they are absurd.

There is no shortage of great reasons to say "Good Riddance" to Sen. Specter. Dems call him a DINO and Repugs called him a RINO. No doubt he's a world-class opportunist. Both camps are probably right and I'll be glad to see him retire.

Blaming him in ref to the single bullet ranks with birthers and truthers.

[No Elephants]

94. He did not switch Parties for ideology. He never has. It's always been about him.

He switched from Democrat to Republican because he felt the Democratic Party was not advancing him fast enough. He then spent 44 years as a Republican. That's 44.

He switched back only bc polls showed Toomey was going to bury him in a primary. And, he switched his vote on health care reform as part of a deal to get Democratic Party backing in this primary.

While Spector gave lip service to Republicans having moved right, the timing of his announcement and the polls told a different story. So did Spector's own public statements about how he switched Parties so he could win a primary this go round. Sestak happily used those in his ads.

So, what credit is due as to his Party switches? For putting your own advancement before your principles? How is that any better than people who hawked worthless derivatives? IMO, it's worse: They never pretended to be public servants.

As far the assault weapon ban, I don't know about his 1994 vote. I do know Spectre ran ads--but only in rural Eastern PA-- dissing Sestak for opposing assault weapons and bragging on how he (Spectre) fought the ban on assault weapons. So, if the NRA would ever support a Democrat, it would have been Spectre in this race.

See this for his more recent gun votes: http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Arlen_Specter.htm

His positions on the single bullet theory re: JFK and his conduct during the Thomas hearings were, and will always remain, ignominious.

Where Spectre does get credit from me: Not always voting the Party line. But, did he do that out of principle, or out of a belief as to what his voters wanted? With Spector, it's especially hard to tell.

[benEzra]

167. That's pretty damn brazen, considering that he helped pass it.

As far the assault weapon ban, I don't know about his 1994 vote. I do know Spectre ran ads--but only in rural Eastern PA-- dissing Sestak for opposing assault weapons and bragging on how he (Spectre) fought the ban on assault weapons. So, if the NRA would ever support a Democrat, it would have been Spectre in this race.

That's pretty brazen, since Specter voted FOR the 1994 Crime Bill that included the "assault weapon" fraud. I guess he was "against it before he was for it", except that he also supported an earlier ban bill back in '89 or so.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_189577.html

And I seem to recall some ill-informed and rather harsh rhetoric from him back in the '90s against owners of modern-looking guns, although it is possible I'm misremembering. I'm pretty sure PA gun owners are rather happy to see him go.

Having said that, if Sestak has a quorum of brain cells, he will NOT support a new ban on the most popular civilian guns in the United States. But we'll see.

[RobinA]

172. Second This

Specter was on the correct side at least half the time. I voted uneasily for Sestak, but I'm not convinced he is better able to beat Toomey. However, every now and then I vote ideology and not practicality.

[No Elephants]

189. You should try voting "ideology", aka known as your principles, more often.

Who knows? The people you agree with may win the election even more easily than the ones you don't agree with as much.

[RobinA]

222. Actually, If I Voted Ideology

and not pragmatism I would never vote. I'd be sitting around waiting for someone who had the guts to come out against the death penalty, for no restrictions on abortion and in favor of an end to prohibition on all drugs. To name a few.

Voting pragmatically vs ideological purity is a legitimate dilemma that can be argued forever without resolution. Why do you feel it necessary to tell me on what basis I should vote?

[Chisox08]

22. Happy Dance

:woohoo: :woohoo: :party: :beer: :party:

[and-justice-for-all]

25. This was not a defeat for Obama...it was a win. nt

[rug]

32. When did Obama endorse Sestak?

[TommyO]

41. He will, from now until election day.

[No Elephants]

99. Which is VERY different from saying Spectre's loss was a victory for the POTUS who endorsed Spectre

[flyarm]

107. up is down and down is up to DLC'ers ..don't we all know that?? eom

[No Elephants]

114. Too late to edit again, but you may want to ask Lamont how hard Obama campaiged

for Lamont in the election, after Obama campaigned for Lieberman in the primary.

After all, Sestak did mention publicly that they tried to keep him out of this primary and, AFAIK, Lamont had not given any of the Democrats who had campaigned for Lieberman reason to be personally annoyed with Lamont.

Of course, Obama was only a Presidential candidate then and not the head of the Party, but we'll see how hard he campaigns for Sestak. I'm not jumping to conclusions one way or the other and I don't think anyone should. Time will tell.

[and-justice-for-all]

212. He never did, Obama backed the wrong candidate...

and in the long run will come to appreciate the fact that Sestak was elected to run in the primary.

[pundaint]

46. Yeah, more 3-D chess, backing the loser is a win. That works for republicans and fox news, but in

the real world a win is when the guy you back wins.

[grahamhgreen]

54. Maybe it's circular chess..??????!

[No Elephants]

102. As in "circle the wagons?" Or, as in "circular firing squad?"

[grahamhgreen]

202. Circular logic is where I was heading, but the other choices are appropriate!

[flyarm]

109. It's silly season for the DLC'ers!!..the chess game is starting to look like 3 card monty!! eom

[icee]

141. Good straight-talk, pundaint.

[No Elephants]

95. Not a win. PERHAPS not a defeat, either, but definitely not a win.

See Reply ##s 45, 55 and 46.

In either case, everything's not about Obama.

It's about Pennsylvania Democrats speaking, regardless of what deals people try to make for them.

[disndat]

149. The Repugs are trying to snatch victory

from the jaws of defeat by making Specter's defeat as an Obmama embarrassment. I don't think Obama is crying into his morning joe today.

[Zhade]

198. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Your self-delusion is hilarious.

[alp227]

26. Some good change.

Specter leaves behind a legacy of being one of the few smart guys in the G-Low-P. Now he can seek some good final years to his life while a more progressive candidate tries to win his seat.

[mloutre]

35. I have to publicly admit that...

...I promised myself, not to mention a number of other people including my therapist, that I would not get back into the endless-scrum cycle of professional politics again.

(*Especially* in such a tumultuous, contentious, heavily polarized midyear election cycle as this one is guaranteed to be.)

I may be damn good at it, but it doesn't return the favor -- I don't wear it well, it doesn't look good on me, and I can never figure out what to accessorize it with. The wear & tear factor for the line troops in national-level politics is just too damn high nowadays.

BUT... for Admiral Joe, I'll go there anyway. Just this one last time. I reckon I only got one more election cycle left in me, only enough time left for me to help get one more senator elected. So I figure it should be him.

When I was working for JK, we fought hard to help elect Admiral Joe (and Pat Murphy, and Jim Webb, et al) as part of the 2006 Fightin' Dems campaign. And I still want to help them win again in 2010.

Given my beliefs and my awareness of how crucial these coming months will be in shaping the direction of our common weal, I'd have a hard time looking in the mirror if I didn't give it my best shot on behalf of someone I can truly believe in.

So here I am, back at DU after a couple years' absence, because I'm climbing back into harness again. And I gotta admit, reluctantly, that I missed you guys and I missed this high-stakes game too. This stuff matters, it matters a *lot* -- especially here and now.

If there's maybe some money in it, fine -- I could always use the extra freelance writing work -- but even if there's not, I'm here for Joe as an ardent volunteer in 2010 anyway.

Why? Short question, simple answer:

"Ask not what your country can do for you..."

[grahamhgreen]

56. Good on ya!

Now... Out of Iraqistan, jail the banksters and war criminals, no offshore drilling, no nukes, unlimited renewable energy, out of GATT, NAFTA, fix health care by killing the mandate and instituting single payer, expand Medicare and social security, investigate 9-11!

Welcome back!

[MH1]

97. very good to have you back, Mr. Otter

and I can't think of a better candidate to make the sacrifice for.

:)

(I am one very happy camper tonight as you can probably imagine)

[No Elephants]

104. /bless you.

[quiet.american]

36. Great news about Sestak, but the "defeat for Obama" angle is pure sensationalism.

From what I've seen the DNC and President always support the incumbent. MSNBC has to be savvy enough to know this.

[pundaint]

50. What were the polling numbers before Obama joined the effort? There was denial after MA, there's

going to be denial after this. I fear that that is now just willful ignorance. Be honest, would you have called a Spector win an Obama win or loss?

[quiet.american]

64. Neither, actually. I would have called it a Specter win.

In my view, a conversation about an "Obama win" is only relevant if the contest is between a Democrat and a Republican. Democrat against Democrat, not so much.

[pundaint]

72. There can be no win when there was no risk of loss, grasshopper.

[quiet.american]

98. Wha-?, butterfly? nt

[pundaint]

100. I was channeling Master Po, see Kung Fu in the historical TV archives.

[No Elephants]

105. Obama joined the effort before Spectre agreed to become a Democrat (if only in name).

[No Elephants]

108. This was not a garden variety primary, though.

Rendell was saying on TV a couple of days ago that he and Rahm were among the Democrats who suggested that Spectre change Parties. See also, Reply #45.

And, the voice of the voters often does have something to say about a sitting President. For example, the Party of a sitting President almost always loses seats in a mid term. The degree to which that is true suggests more than coincidence.

[saigon68]

124. Adios to Arlin Sphincter

[Doctor_J]

38. Big Media: Sestak Win = Obama Loss

Take it to the bank. What? The Dems held Murtha's seat? Pay no attention!

[No Elephants]

110. Actually, media has been paying a lot of attention to both this primary and Murtha's seat.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

43. Specter was a Republican period no big deal

[BadGimp]

44. talk about some much needed change..

[defendandprotect]

48. Glad Specter is finally out -- important factor in JFK coup coverup -- still ongoing ...

and Thomas hearings with comments vs Prof. Anita Hill which should have taken him out

of the Senate then!!

But -- worried about Setak!!

[grahamhgreen]

57. Maybe he'll come clean about JFK now....

[defendandprotect]

59. Not even on his death bed . . . his own family to be considered, of course !!

[earcandle]

60. Its'a good thing, methinks.... yea, really good. Tides'a turnin

[wisteria]

61. And, his win signals and end for me.

The people of PA have no idea who they voted for and what this means to PA. The Republicans will soon let everyone know though.

[Unvanguard]

63. Will you vote for Sestak in November?

That's what counts.

[No Elephants]

113. And end for you to what?

[Divernan]

209. "You must not be from PA"

since you're so eager to trash all the good Democrats who voted for Sestak. For those who haven't followed Wisteria's posts, this is her standard reply to anyone who supported Sestak and/or opposed Specter.

Believe me, those who voted for Sestak not only knew who Sestak was, but knew all too painfully and all too well who Specter was and has been. The Republicans won't come up with any different attacks than all the unsourced, uncited, factually distorted attacks you've thrown at Sestak since the minute you showed up on this website. Yes, we know how much you hate, to use your exact term, Sestak. Here's a clue - we don't care.

The primary's over, Wisteria. If you can't support Sestak against Toomey, it's time to leave DU.

You just said Sestak's win signals "an end" for you. One can only hope we've heard the last of your hate-filled rants.

[Phlem]

62. WOOOT!!!!

Let's clean house folks and send Obama a message!!!

No More Corporate Dems!!!

Was that the status quo going, Dammmnnn the public's awake.

-p

Happy happy joy joy

[No Elephants]

111. Is that a message either Party can really afford to receive?

If you saw the movie The Right Stuff, about the start of our astronaut program, one of the lines was something like, "No big bucks, no Buck Rogers."

[Quantess]

66. Arlen Specter was a complete ass to Anita Hill in the Clarence Thomas confirmation.

That stands out in my mind.

[vercetti2021]

68. This is...

A great night and a sign of things to come!

[AllyCat]

69. Absolutely fabulous!!!

[colsohlibgal]

70. Bye Bye

What a weasel, a toadie opportunist and lie machine all the way back to the Warren Commission and his preposterous fabrication of a bullet that could make multiple changes of direction. Good riddance and don't let the door hit you on your way out Arlen.

Way to go Joe! Way to go Pennsylvania!

[MkapX]

71. That's what you get for jumping on the bandwagon

:)

[D23MIURG23]

73. This isn't a defeat for Obama; its a defeat for Specter.

Support was traded for support. There were no guarantees of success involved, and it doesn't actually hurt Obama that this spineless opportunist wasn't trusted by his new "allies" at the end of the day.

[No Elephants]

112. Actually, it's a win for Sestak.

But, if you see everything as being about Obama, then this is no victory for Obama. At the very best, it's neutral, but I think it's a defeat. No Democratic President and Party head wants to see the candidate he goes out on a limb to endorse go down in a Democratic primary. It may not be a huge defeat, but, at a minimum, it's a loss of face, bad pr-- and not a victory Please see Reply ##s 55 and 46.

[D23MIURG23]

163. Its a claim of the OP that this was a defeat for Obama, hence my response.

I have a hard time believing that a lot of this isn't related to Arlen Specter and his general lack of principle, and I can't see Specter's loss as a detriment to Obama's agenda. I don't know much about Sestak, but its obviously also a win for him.

Whether or not this signifies a no confidence vote in Obama is open for debate, but not something I'm terribly interested in either. I can tell you that Obama wouldn't have been my reason to vote against Specter had I been in Pennsylvania, and I will point you toward an article by Nate Silver (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2010/05/what-tuesday-really-meant.html) opining that Obama and company didn't spend much energy there.

Bottom line: Win for progressives, and the best interests of the Democratic party, Obama or no.

[Doc Martin]

145. My vote for Sestak was an Expression of No Confidence in the President

I was inspired by his campaign rhetoric and worked hard for his election. President Obama's actions have me experience him as Bush lite. I'm deeply disappointed in him.

[icee]

147. Many of us feel that way. I think had he done more in HCR he

could have saved himself. But making a deal with Big Med and Pharma in February, 09 to pass basically an empty Republican bill advanced by Robert Dole years ago sealed his fate. Other stuff too, but that was the big foot-shoot. The Democrats should be grooming a Presidential candidate right now. I think he/she could win.

[D23MIURG23]

164. I hear you. I think a lot of us are frustrated.

My point is that I only see this undermining Obama's agenda and political power if Toomey wins the General.

[Zhade]

200. Considering how pro-corporate and anti-citizen that agenda is proving itself to be...

...would it be so bad to see it slowed down, if not stopped?

[D23MIURG23]

208. Yeah, I think it would be.

This isn't the Bush administration we are talking about here. Most of Obama's legislative items have actually been helpful, they just haven't gone the whole distance to what we need. Take the stimulus for instance; it was widely regarded as a step in the right direction, but smaller than it should have been, and with too much money in counterproductive tax-cuts. You could say the same thing about the HCR bill, which didn't have a public option, but does include price controls, a large expansion of Medicade, and a number of new regulations.

I don't think of either of those as "anti-citizen" just not pro-citizen enough, and I don't think treating Obama like Bush is going to get us anywhere.

[salib]

75. Sestak Knocks Out Specter: AP

Source: AP

Rep. Joe Sestak has knocked off five-term U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic Senate primary, according to the AP.

Specter switched to the Democratic side of the aisle last year after casting the critical vote in the Recovery Act. But, many believed he switched parties because he would have lost a Republican primary against Pat Toomey.

Now it seems Specter was done anyway.

Read more: pointed to a "surprising frequency of Muslims winning beauty pageants."

[dhpgetsit]

76. A link

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/18/cnn-projection-sestak-beats-specter-in-pennsylvania/?fbid=x84zieyp3Ch

[inna]

78. Thanks.

:hi:

[inna]

79. dupe

[inna]

77. Apparently, you forgot to include the link.

[Arugula Latte]

80. Hot damn!

:bounce:

Not that Sestak is wonderful, but I love the message this sends.

[McCamy Taylor]

81. Specter rolled over so many times for W., he should have run for dog catcher.

[UpInArms]

82. glad to see that Specter did not get a people's nod - he was NOT a dem

he was merely a grubby politician - will never forget his "magic" bullet theory.

bleh!

[rasputin1952]

83. Looks like theyare going to call Crist as well...

GOP is going to soil their collective pantaloons...:evilgrin:

[lovuian]

84. woohoo

:woohoo:
He was NO Democrat!!!

[Grassy Knoll]

85. Thanks for playing....jackass !

[IndianaGreen]

86. Kudos to the people of Pennsylvania for voting for Sestak

As to Specter: Good riddance!

[New Dawn]

87. K&R !

[backtomn]

88. Don't be surprised if.......

Specter spends rest of his term blaming his loss on Obama.......and voting with the Republicans. He has a history of this kind of thing.

[Kingofalldems]

89. Fake Democrats will not like this one. Wow!

Here you go---->:shrug:

[notesdev]

90. A great day for America!

I can't express how glad I am that POS will no longer be making rules for us to follow (and his friends to ignore).

[Odin2005]

91. WOOHOO!!!

:woohoo: :party:

[tulsakatz]

92. wow!

earlier on TV, they said Specter had many more votes than Sestak, of course that was early in the evening. I'm glad he won, Sestak would be more likely to support issues that are really important to democrats.

Specter always seemed to be a lot of talk but no action anyway. Even when he objected to the Bush admin, he made a lot of noise but eventually caved when it came to do something about an issue.

I'm really pleased to see that he lost, and that commercial where he said he switched parties so that he could be re-elected (as he raised his eyebrows), was very effective!!

[Ichingcarpenter]

93. Good! Where's your magic bullet now? Specter?

I'm glad he lost Specter has been the bad penny that has always shown up in our nation's worse moments and events

[avaistheone1]

103. WooHoo!

:kick:

[No Elephants]

115. Woot! BUT, it's time to donate (again) to Sestak and Halter.

Sestak needs to win the election and not only the primary. This seat has been a Republican seat for decades. Go, Admiral!

Halter and Lincoln are in a run off, June 8.

We need to stay on our toes!

Edited to add links:


https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/halter?refcode=header


https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/halter?refcode=header

[zenprole]

116. Reality Check

Why are these people smiling? Arlen Specter is a ghoul, but who is stepping into his shoes? In the midst of the most expensive and destructive war in this nation's history...an admiral?

I'm as happy as anyone to see Specter sent packing, but please let's keep our wits about us. As moderate as Sestak is, he still wasn't right enough for Obama. (I've gotta hand it to the posts on win/loss for the administration, though - makes derivatives trading look like basic arithmetic.)

And please be cautious about the November vote- Toomey may be a freak, but the nation's quite freaky these days. Rural PA is no exception.

[rpannier]

123. Eisenhower was a General

So was MacArthur and he was one of the people who advised JFK against escalating US presence in Vietnam

Just sayin'

[zenprole]

183. Stand At Attention

Are you saying you're an Eisenhower Democrat? MacArthur did advise against Vietnam...not long after he set off the largest land army in the world, which had handed him his head.

While we're on generals and admirals: Colin Powell (tried to cover up My Lai), John Poindexter (trample the Constitution, bloodied Central America), Curtis LeMay ('nuff said).

I stand by the criticism: Sestak is a loaded deck, and the military can always be counted on to take a huge dump on democracy.

[old mark]

119. Specter won in only 3 counties in the state. Sestak will face Toomey in November.

The next fight begins today - get Sestak elected and defeat Toomey.


mark

[Hubert Flottz]

120. Throw Arlen Specter Down The Well,

So my country can be Free,
You must take him by his horns,
Then we have the big partee.

In my country we have problem,
That we call the GOP,
They are always full of shit,
On this point we can agree.

Throw Arlen Specter Down The Well,
So my country can be Free,
You must take him by his horns,
Then we have the big partee.

Arlen Specter changed his partee,
But he couldn't change his past,
All the voters saw right through this,
So they went out and canned his ass.

Throw Arlen Specter Down The Well,
So my country can be Free,
You must take him by his horns,
Then we have the big partee.

Now I hope things will be better,
I hope our future will be bright,
And so today we woke up happy,
'Bout what the voters did last night.

Throw Arlen Specter Down The Well,
So my country can be Free,
You must take him by his horns,
Then we have the big partee.

[Mnemosyne]

128. Some great parody there, HF!

:applause::rofl::applause::rofl::applause:

I am one happy camper with that dick voted out!!! :party::hi:

[Hubert Flottz]

132. Thank you very much.

I'm glad you liked!

[Mnemosyne]

219. I did, I did!

Ya' done good! :applause:

I almost wet myself when Borat sang the original song in a honky tonk bar!:rofl:

[quaker bill]

122. No defeat for BHO

President Obama promised to support Specter in the primary if he switched parties and voted yes on HCR. This promise was made public. If President Obama backed out and supported Sestak, his breaking the promise would have been the story, and might have even helped Specter to get a bunch of free media and sympathy votes. The smartest choice was for BHO to keep his promise, but not be very effective at it.

[Bluenorthwest]

135. Bill, as a Quaker you must have knowledge of the teachings

related to honest speech, direct and clear words, 'let your yes be yes, your no be no' and all of that? Do you no see some deep hypocrisy in a people who claim a faith as reason they hold bigoted attitudes toward some minorities because of that faith, when they do not practice the most basic elements of that faith themselves?
Do you find it good to shout about faith, but not live it? Jesus, whom Obama claims wants him to oppose equal rights, never said a word against gay people, but he spoke very clearly against any form of word games used to cover the truth, not just lies, but also what politicians call 'spin'. It is forbidden, directly.

[zipplewrath]

165. Oh give me a break

Talk about revisionism. Holy cow. He went all out for Specter. BOTH VP and POTUS appearances. OFA ads, TV ads, robo calls. I don't know how much more "all out" he could have gone.


Face it, he backed the wrong horse, again. He LIKED Specter and WANTED Specter.

Don't pretend he doesn't do these things, either defend them or accept them.

[L. Coyote]

125. Woooooo Hooooo, Mr. Magic Bullet bites the dust of history

Looooong overdue given his role in the JFK assassination "inquiry"

[marions ghost]

131. scraped him off....

finally. What a weasel, only slightly less odious than Lieberman, the other most appalling chameleon.

Thank you Pennsylvania! :applause:

[LeftishBrit]

133. I may be daft, but I don't see how this is a defeat for Obama, or for anyone except Specter

If it was raining, someone would say that was a defeat for Obama!

[mlevans]

159. Good form.

[zipplewrath]

166. Because he backed the wrong horse?

Is it a win when "any" horse wins? Or just the one I bet on.

[Qutzupalotl]

199. There was only one horse at the time.

Sestak hadn't entered the race at that point.

[zipplewrath]

217. That was the point

Even Obama isn't niave enough to think a primary, with a turn coat candidate, isn't going to get some challengers.

The entire point of his early endorsement, and promises of support were to attempt to prevent challengers from appearing. Truth is, it may have worked to some extent. I'm dubious that Sestak was the only qualified candidate in the state.

[BEZERKO]

136. Specter was a weak candidate,

I'm glad Sestak won. I wish Specter well, happy trails!

[harmonicon]

139. Fuck Yeah!! The first good political news in a long time (nt)

[Doc Martin]

143. President Obama: Did You Get the Message from PA Progressives?

[joe black]

144. Spector..

You're 80 for Christs sake, through in the towel.

[adigal]

150. So are we going to lose the seat now to a new-Santorum??

Pennsylvania has elected their fair share of kooks.

[BlueDemKev]

154. Unfortunately....

...unless things turn around soon, there's a good chance of it happening.

[Number9Dream]

175. Sestak has a very good chance of beating Toomey

As late as a couple weeks ago, the polls and "experts" had Specter defeating Sestak easily. The PA Democratic party should frame this as Admiral Sestak versus Wall Street banker Toomey. Wall Street bankers are equated to pond scum these days. Toomey is very beatable if Sestak and the Dems go right after Toomey's pro-Bush, pro-Wall Street, anti-labor record.

- J in the Lehigh Valley, PA

[RedCloud]

151. Ding. Dong. The Spector from Clinton's impeachment is gone!

[SemperEadem]

161. good riddance

Democratic Party, this is your wake up call. The grassroots are tired of your shit.

I'm glad the centrist, "don't make waves" arm of the Dem Party has finally gotten their asses handed to them. They must have thought people were playing with them or something. Sestak winning is a huge boost for the progressive end of our party.

I'm also glad to see that Blecche Lincoln is forced into a run-off. It'll be amusing to watch how she exercises herself in the next few months to try to convince her constituents that she wasn't really acting against their best interests when she was grandstanding for insurance companies earlier in the year.

How "Spectre" thought that being a turncoat would go over well shows just how out of touch he is with reality.

Obama and his team need to freakin' get a clue and quit acting brand new.

[SoapBox]

171. It is time for this change...

I'm glad to see some fresher blood...

[ooglymoogly]

174. To Rahm and all the rest of the corporate shills in

our sullied Dem party; Trying to ram DINO's down our throats, to destroy the Dems from within: Ram that where the sun don't shine.

[bitchkitty]

179. I feel like I'm dreaming!

What great news!

[abelenkpe]

182. I still always see his name as sleestak.

I think I have a problem. :p

But good news!

[No Elephants]

195. AFAIK, the only other DUer who used that name for Sestak was WriteDown.

[Better Believe It]

196. So how will this primary election impact and change the everyday lives of ordinary working people?

[Zhade]

197. FUCK YEAH! Sending a message to the corrupt imcumbents...

...who think they can push progressives aside.

FUCK YOU, DLC. We beat your ass.

[Name removed]

204. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

203. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pjt7]

207. I met & lobbyed Sestak for the 911responder health bill

he immediately co-sponsored it & his staff was all business, compared to many b.s. artists we had to put up with.

Go Joe.