This spring, TPMDC broke the news that Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) was raising money from supporters ahead of an intended Senate candidacy. Now, with the fiscal quarter over, we know how well that effort worked.
“Many have doubted that we would be able to raise sufficient money for our upcoming race against Arlen Specter,” Sestak writes in a letter to supporters, “but we raised over $1 million last quarter … thanks to you … and now have over $4.2 million cash-on-hand, making us the number one Senate challenger in the nation!”
The letter, though, is also a fundraising appeal. “But we can’t stop there; here’s why we need to raise additional funds to continue this extraordinary momentum — Arlen has decided to start running his ‘GOP negative style campaign’ against us!”
Sestak’s referring to a recent dust-up, which touched off last week when Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) launched his first attack against his new rival.
Specter accused Sestak of hypocrisy for questioning Specter’s loyalty to the Democratic party, despite the fact Sestak himself did not register as a Democrat until 2006.
“Congressman Sestak is a flagrant hypocrite in challenging my being a real Democrat when he did not register as a Democrat until 2006, just in time to run for Congress,” Specter said. “His lame excuse for avoiding party affiliation, [was] because he was in the service.”
But Sestak says this is an attack on his military career.
“I was registered as an Independent during the 35 years I served in the U.S. Navy protecting our country,” Sestak says in his letter. “[B]ecause, like Generals Colin Powell and Wesley Clark – who were also registered as Independents, I believe it is important that military officers should be nonpartisan.”
You can read the entire letter below:
Dear Friend,
Many have doubted that we would be able to raise sufficient money for our upcoming race against Arlen Specter, but we raised over $1 million last quarter … thanks to you … and now have over $4.2 million cash-on-hand, making us the number one Senate challenger in the nation!
But we can’t stop there; here’s why we need to raise additional funds to continue this extraordinary momentum — Arlen has decided to start running his “GOP negative style campaign” against us!
Please Contribute: Contribute
“Never again.” said Senator John Kerry, a distinguished Vietnam War veteran last year, on behalf of Democrats:
“I support Barack Obama because he doesn’t seek to perfect the politics of swiftboating – he seeks to end it. … As a veteran, it disgusts me that the Swift Boats we loved while we were in uniform on the Mekong Delta have been rendered, in Karl Rove’s twisted politics, an ugly verb meaning to lie about someone’s character just to win an election. … We must be determined never again to lose any election to a lie.”
Arlen Specter vowed he’s not a loyal Democrat; last week he proved it … because while Arlen may have abandoned his party, he just can’t quit making Republican “swift boat attacks” on the integrity of Democrats who served in our military:
Arlen said, “Congressman Sestak is a flagrant hypocrite in challenging my being a real Democrat when he did not register as a Democrat until 2006, just in time to run for Congress. His lame excuse for avoiding party affiliation, [was] because he was in the service….”
I was registered as an Independent during the 35 years I served in the U.S. Navy protecting our country because, like Generals Colin Powell and Wesley Clark – who were also registered as Independents, I believe it is important that military officers should be nonpartisan.
* I’m proud that I was an Independent during my military service; proud that I immediately registered as a Democrat upon retiring from active duty in 2006; and proud that I opposed President Bush’s policies that year beating a 20-year Republican Congressman who had the full-throated backing of both President Bush and Arlen Specter.
* Let’s be clear: I voted for Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, and Barack Obama while Arlen Specter voted for George Bush, Bob Dole, and John McCain.
Running in a Democratic primary, Arlen knows he cannot win on his three decade Republican Senatorial record, where he steadfastly supported the Republican agenda, including the last eight years of the failed Bush Presidency. Instead, Arlen has decided his only shot at winning in the primary is to run a “negative campaign” against me; hence his attack on my military service and integrity.
That is completely unacceptable! That’s why we are asking you — today, of all days — to help us continue our momentum by responding to this specific attack — the opening salvo by Arlen. Help us send a message by what we raise in response to this email blast.
Please Contribute: Contribute
With only 28% of Pennsylvanians wanting him re-elected, Arlen has fully embraced his slashing “GOP negative-style campaigning” for which he is well-known.
* Arlen has hired for his re-election the same Republican media consultant who worked for President George W. Bush in his re-election campaign against Senator Kerry! We all remember those “swift-boat” attacks that impugned the integrity of Senator Kerry.
We are not going to stand by and let these attacks pass. We will continue to respond … “fast and hard”, while emphasizing the issues that need to be addressed for all Pennsylvanians, and America. Please contribute $5, $10, $15, $25, $50, $75, $100; or $250 … every dollar does make a difference in this type of negative campaign being waged by Arlen Specter.
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Leading an aircraft carrier battle group in the war in Afghanistan, heading up the Navy’s ant-terrorism unit after 9/11, or advising President Clinton in the White House as his Director of Defense Policy, I never considered my military service to our country a “lame excuse” for anything, but rather an honor. At the end of the day, this election is about accountable leadership!
Please continue our momentum, by responding to this specific attack. Never again!
Warmly,
Joe Sestak
Congressman, PA-7
