A Sestak challenge will not move my Senator, Arlen Specter, to the left. Nothing will.

The guy is GOP to his core, and all that moderate talk has always been a front to help him keep his seat.

He's not going to be the mythical 60th vote. He'd cut out his own tongue before he provided that vote.

Welcoming him was a gigantic mistake, but he fits right in with what Sen. Reid wants--GOPers in Democratic clothes.

58% approval rating for Vitter is unfortunate. And somehow, I don't think he's in real trouble. Which is a damn shame.

Vitter slipping to 58% - Combination of tougher restrictions for diaper salesmen and eradication of cotton mouths, eh?

Attention Steve Benen: Randomly putting 'wait for it' in a sentence stopped being funny the first 758 times you did it.

I'd like Sestak to run, because I'd like a better choice than a Republican and a wingnut.

I wonder if it would be possible to move to Pa. next year and campaign in the primaries for Toomey & Sestak. Would love to see that matchup in the fall.

I still question the value to dumbocraps of allowing Spectre into the party caucus. He is still a rethug & will vote largely with the other rethugs. It is understandable why there is no f*cking discipline in the dumbocrat party when Joe LIEberman can do whatever the f*ck he wants; when Evan (DLC/DINO/Rethug-Lite/Corporately Owned) Bayh can do his own corporate thing; and when they will allow Spectre do 'join' the party to add another saboteur to the caucus.

If Obama & the DLC have made financing promises to Spectre, then they are just working to keep a progressive from the seat and that is fucked.

When health care 'reform' becomes just another corporate welfare program and when energy legislation gets obliterated, it will be because of the republicrats in the dumbocrap party. This all seems to be playing out that the dumbs can have a circle jerk and shoot each other in the foot.

Should we start a movement to get a progressive to run against Obama in 2012? Russ Feingold anyone? Bernie Sanders as his running mate?

On the issue of David Vitter, what ethics issues would you be talking about? He did not get caught with a male prostitute and that is the only sin for a rethug.

For all the purists who complain about Specter and Lieberman... Being purists is what has led the GOP to his current sorry condition.

Purists are great, if we have more than 2 parties to chose from. I don't like Specter either; actually I plan on donating to the fund to whomever runs against Specter in the Primaries. As long as we only have 2 parties, I'd say it is better to allow some unsavory members into it (Nelson, Bayh, Specter, etc...) At least it alls the party to set the agenda, and that is what matters.

I think, Specter will lean more towards the center/left once a contender challenges him. Why do you think he became a rabid right winger the last election cycle? To appease the base. It's no different on the Democratic side: he better please the base or he'll be ousted. (Hint: Lieberman being forced to run as an Independent when he lost) Spector does not have that opportunity in PA.

Can someone explain where Rep. Joe Sestak stands on the issues ?

Is he a liberal or a progressive ?
a populist ?

Can someone explain where Rep. Joe Sestak stands on the issues ? - MSierra, SF

I don't know much about him, but he was on CNN this AM with Michelle Bachman. He mostly defended Obama's performance last night, but he also said he was against using reconciliation rules, and rather suggested that Dems were to blame for lack of bipartisanship. It may have been the CNN format, but he didn't contest any of a number of dumb things Bachman said, and even complimented her for making good points when she said Americans are concerned with the government just pumping out worthless money for wasteful spending. If you didn't know him, I'm not sure you would have guessed he was a Dem.

Roland Burris needs to go blaze a new trail. Find something different to etch on his tombstone. Go Schakowsky!

Governor Crist will have blown it with moderates
(and progressives) with two bills that he may sign...one has to do with voting ...both of which are being pushed thru by the Republicans which will make older, poorer people and perhaps younger students ineligible to vote. The other bill has to do with water and land uses which will make it easier for developers to pave over the rest of Florida. Of course, if the voting bill passes and he signs it...he can probably steal that election also! Which seems to be the norm for Florida.

Sestak is viewing Specter in the appropriate light, as someone who will do anything to stay in the senate but who is also against nearly all of the democrats stands. We don't need another republican lite conservative whose only connection to the dem party is he put a 'D' after his name.

Specter has not seen the light. He voted against Obama's budget and is against EFCA. The only ... ONLY...reason his switching partys right now is important is because his vote will potentially prevent filibusters so items will get up or down votes. But nothing about Specter has changed but he will prevent Toomey from getting elected...and Toomey is a far right wing nut job.

The main issue here is keeping Toomey out of the senate and Specter's switch will do that though Sestak would be the better "democrat".

I'm all for anyone that can keep Toomey out

Um, after Vitter got caught with his diapers down, Louisianans patted him on the back and swore they'd never quit him.

Why are they just now losing the love?