Sestak is still stirring, and agonizing

Pennsylvania's Rep. Joe Sestak, Sen. Arlen Specter's present cause of only moderately sleepless nights, appeared yesterday on Chris Matthews' "Hardball" to re-reannounce that he's still strolling, not running, for the Senate nomination.

Sestak said -- again -- that he's "personally" committed to taking on Specter, but the critical "go" for his still quasi-campaign remains an undispensed grant from his family, which more likely means that he doesn't have all his finance ducks yet lined up. Repeated network appearances for the purpose of saying you're in, but not yet, added to past declarations of family support, make no sense otherwise.

One can easily appreciate Sestak's quandary, which is to say, the money's hesitation. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Specter-supporter arm-in-arm with President Obama and V.P. Biden, had also appeared on MSNBC earlier to predict that in a Sestak-Specter match-up, Sestak would "get killed."

Specter, said Rendell, will raise exponential multiples of whatever Sestak can, plus the sitting senator for 30 years has been an attentive constituent-services pol and, as mentioned, he has the president's, as well as the influential governor's, machine support. Ouch, ouch, and ouch.

Matthews opened the interview by showing the latest Quinnipiac poll, and a seemingly devastating showing it was: Specter by 29 points. Yet these are volcanic political times, and in Pennsylvania, Obama just may have bet the wrong farm.

Matthews, a Philadelphia native who knows Pa. politics, positively radiated Sestak-supportive glee in reviewing Specter's abhorrent record of key support for the Bush administration's key and immensely destructive policies. The host was clearly encouraging Sestak to make the run and was pointing the way; through pounding on Specter's record, Pennsylvanians might decide that forgiveness, despite Rendell's confidence in his man, is out of bounds.

So, Rep. Sestak, why not? Last night you seemed genuine in your protestation that, for you, the Senate is no career-climbing move. You achieved that, you said, with your admiral's stars. So why not make this a national campaign? -- raise your money online from around the country, from coast-to-coast progressives, from veritable legions who'd love to see Specter sent packing.

You just might pull it off. What, really, do you have to lose?

Comments

[Barry Schwartz]

I did not like when Sestak said that he wouldn't have quit the Republican Party the way Arlen Specter did. There isn't a charitable interpretation to that -- it made Sestak look like a military hothead with warped values. Arlen Specter, at least, is a prodigal son returned; things like that matter to me.

[Edith M. Conrad]

Since all the 3/4 dead old men--one being named Spector, but there are numerous others, will not leave the Senate except in a pine box, I really hope Congressman Sestak will run for the Senate. WE need someone with brain waves functioning.

No, you have it wrong. I am 73 years old. These jerks did not have much going for them at 35.