Barney Frank Cites ‘The Integrity Of The Political System’ In Backing Sestak Over Party-Switcher Specter

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
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On a conference call with reporters just now, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) talked about why he is endorsing Rep. Joe Sestak’s (D-PA) challenge in the Democratic primary against Sen. Arlen Specter, who switched form the Republicans to the Dems in April — and said that the integrity of the political system is an issue in the race.

Sestak said that when word had first got out that he would be running against Specter in the primary, Frank approached him and said, “Joe, I would love to support you.”

Frank laid out the reasons he was for Sestak, citing his record on issues such as national security and the economy. “I also think frankly that this is important for the integrity of the political system,” said Frank. “Sen. Specter has a very distinguished political career but he made it clear that he ad left the party he had been in for along time solely because he didn’t think he could be re-elected in that party, and he changed his views on a number of issues.”

I asked Frank whether he meant that President Obama, Vice President Biden and other Democrats were damaging the party’s credibility by supporting Specter. “I think they are mistaken,” said Frank. “I think – I understand the impulse, it is that we want to encourage converts, and I understand that. I do think though in this case, given the strength of a candidate like Joe Sestak, that they’re making a mistake.”

“I understand why he would want to focus on getting to the 60th vote,” Frank later added. “I understand that, but it doesn’t bind the rest of us.”

I put the same question to Sestak. “I understand why the president may have felt in Washington, D.C, that he needed the assurance of an extra vote,” said Sestak. “My concern is Pennsylvania and who we’ll be left with for the next six years, and so in my mind, while I appreciate what the establishment has decided, I believe that it is for Pennsylvanians to decide who their candidate and nominee will be for the U.S. Senate.”

Another reporter asked Frank about his opposition to the Afghanistan surge, which Specter also opposes but Sestak supports. “I will freely acknowledge that Joe Sestak and I do not agree on everything,” said Frank — but he also added: “I’ll put it this way: There is less difference between me and Joe Sestak than there is between Arlen Specter the Democrat and Arlen Specter the Republican.”

Sestak also said that he has respect for people who have come to a different view on Afghanistan. “The issue for me is, have you come to this position based on merit, or have you come to this position based on political calculation?” Sestak said, likening it to other areas where Specter has changed his position, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, the Employee Free Choice Act, health care, and of course his party switch.

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