Sestak ditches Toomey debate for … fundraiser with John Kerry?
posted at 10:12 am on September 28, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
Seriously? Voters in Pennsylvania already think that Democratic candidates for Congress have lost touch with the electorate and want to avoid accountability. Given an opportunity to address those concerns, debate the issues with his opponent, and convince Keystone State voters to promote him to the Senate, Congressman Joe Sestak instead ditched an audience in Hershey … in order to hang out with Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, his wife Teresa, and some cold cash:
Democrat Joe Sestak on Monday skipped what was to be a debate between the candidates for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat.
Sestak, citing a scheduling conflict, instead attended a fundraiser in Pittsburgh with Sen. John Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz.
Lest one think that this was some minor event that had been squeezed into the schedule, the debate brought former ABC host Ted Koppel out of retirement as moderator. Instead of getting a debate, Koppel instead held a very public interview with Republican nominee Pat Toomey on spending, taxes, and other issues, as Toomey held forth on his fiscal-conservative agenda. Toomey wound up with a lengthy informercial and a big PR victory.
WHTM, the ABC affiliate, reports the situation rather politely, but outgoing Governor Ed Rendell wasn’t happy about Sestak’s forfeit:
Without debate, Sestak missed an opportunity to take on Toomey directly. The Democrat is trailing in the polls and considered the underdog in the race. Even fellow Democrat, Gov. Ed Rendell, conceded Sestak’s absence was a mistake.
“I think it’s important for all of our candidates to participate in all of the different debates,” Rendell said. “And the Chamber certainly has had a history of debates. I attended the Chamber debate both times I ran for governor.”
Shorter Rendell: I had more testicular fortitude.
Perhaps WHTM is just a little too polite. Saying that Sestak “missed an opportunity” makes it sound as though his car had a flat tire and AAA didn’t get there in time. Sestak ran away from an opportunity to engage Toomey directly, apparently afraid of what would happen. Either that, or he prefers the company of John Kerry over that of his fellow Pennsylvanians, and fundraising to accountability and intellectual engagement.
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Failure, from Obama on down.
Schadenfreude on May 9, 2013 at 4:42 PM
The Boston authorities are furious. They were intentionally left in the dark by Obama and Napolitano.
Schadenfreude on May 9, 2013 at 4:43 PM
The dead terrorist was buried in ‘undisclosed’ location.
Schadenfreude on May 9, 2013 at 4:44 PM
Nice to see that not everyone is susceptible to Obam’s Jedi Mind Trick speech.
You know, the one where he said the bombers failed at least 10 times?
Ben Hur on May 9, 2013 at 4:44 PM
Scouting out another Michelle Obama vacation?
The Rogue Tomato on May 9, 2013 at 4:45 PM
In 7 years, after 9/11, no one died from terrorism under GWB.
Since Obama is Pretender in Chief, there were 5 successful terrorist attacks in the USA.
“The media is (are) Obama’s scandal condom” — Greg Gutfeld
Schadenfreude on May 9, 2013 at 4:46 PM
why does napolitano still have a job?
Steven McGregor on May 9, 2013 at 4:46 PM
That picture looks like an ad from GQ.
Ward Cleaver on May 9, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Too busy frisking grandmas and kids in wheelchairs at TSA checkpoints…
albill on May 9, 2013 at 4:49 PM
What, don’t they know that the occasional 9/11 is no big deal?
Ward Cleaver on May 9, 2013 at 4:50 PM
Lieberman is a rarity, a Democratic Jewish supporter of Israel and as such has been always supportive of fighting Islamic terrorism, but it is precisely these types of flexibly principled people like him that enabled his party to gain power and continue their goal of weakening America, which he is now complaining about.
When asked to be the Dem VP candidate with Gore he dropped his sometime conservative pretension like a hot potato.
Don L on May 9, 2013 at 4:50 PM
Because this admin, as hard as it tries, can’t connect the dots to home-grown, gun-loving, bible clutching, Obama hating, TEA party conservatives.
And no matter how hard they keep trying not to all the dots right now seem to connect directly to terror prone radical muslims.
This admin can’t have that and won’t connect those dots. It upsets CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Saudis so much.
hawkeye54 on May 9, 2013 at 4:50 PM
Honestly, we just need you productive people to just cede moer rights and wealth.
Voila, problem solved.
tom daschle concerned on May 9, 2013 at 4:51 PM
Lieberman: “To put it bluntly, our homeland defense system failed in Boston”
========
Looks like the Light of Truth is slowly Illuminating
the facts of………………
canopfor on May 9, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Yes, because chechnyans are known for their long history of peaceful loving ways…
Blake on May 9, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Actually, far too many of those Bostonians probably think Bush did it (9/11) so they could relax now that he’s gone and a messiah has taken his place.
Don L on May 9, 2013 at 4:53 PM
We need to take yet more liberties from you and grow gubernut even larger if we are going to be able to do our jobs. Now don’t be greedy and fork over some more taxes…for the children.
Rinse and Repeat
trs on May 9, 2013 at 4:53 PM
It’s more than just willful ignorance. This is what happens when you scrub the truth out of the training material.
rightmind on May 9, 2013 at 4:56 PM
Because in the long run our rights and wealth are too important for us to manage ourselves. Government is in the best position to care for all our needs as it sees fit.
hawkeye54 on May 9, 2013 at 4:57 PM
So now he is complaining about it. Just like some who pushed [so called] ObamaCare are now complaining about it. Same clown show just under a different tent. Has Lieberman yet said “We had to pass it to find out what’s in it?”
VorDaj on May 9, 2013 at 4:58 PM
So what you’re saying is that when Bush trampled on our constitutional rights, he did it competently, while Obama tramples them in an incompetent fashion?
Either way, they’re both big government statists and I have no use for either of them.
Shump on May 9, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Both have profusely praised Islam, America’s greatest enemy.
VorDaj on May 9, 2013 at 5:03 PM
We have a homeland defense system ?
Is that what they call putting jihadies and their families on welfare rolls these days ?
burrata on May 9, 2013 at 5:05 PM
Let’s stop all muzlim immigration NOW. ALL kinds of visas. If it saves the life of a single child, we have to do this.
Let’s do this for eight-year old Martin Richard.
slickwillie2001 on May 9, 2013 at 5:11 PM
Oh, not to worry-there are plenty of Low-IQ Democrat Voters commenting at the WaPo link!
The always-delusional Fergie Foont leads the Laugh Cavalcade:
And the fun continues downhill from there…
And remember, these Rocket Scientists nominated Lieberman to be their Vice President in 2000.
Del Dolemonte on May 9, 2013 at 5:11 PM
I still can’t trust Lieberman – he looks too much like Senator Palpatine / The Emperor.
dentarthurdent on May 9, 2013 at 5:16 PM
It might have helped if the would link Islam with terrorism.
And the links are staring us all right in the face. Till we do that, there isn’t really much point except to sit back and enjoy the pain of the mutilated survivors.
And isn’t it funny how much coverage there has been of those survivors?
thgrant on May 9, 2013 at 5:16 PM
That too.
Shump on May 9, 2013 at 5:17 PM
So what’s new with this?
This regime has failed at EVERYTHING it has done that was supposed to be FOR this country.
The only thing they’re succeeding at is their unstated goal of destroying the country.
dentarthurdent on May 9, 2013 at 5:18 PM
So has somebody in an official position called this terrorism now? I ask because the rat-eared coward has not. Officially we have not had a single incident of terrorism on American soil since we elected the Muslim-named one. Unprecedented.
But I’ve got to wonder why exactly we gave citizenship to the live terrorist even as his brothers name is coming to the attention of the FBI and CIA. Guaranteed most of us would not even be able to get a government security clearance if we were on a list at one of the alphabet organizations. Or is Tamerlan Tsarnaev the “Joe Smith” of Russia?
Happy Nomad on May 9, 2013 at 5:26 PM
Another day, another Democrat admitting that everything they do to fix our nation’s problems just makes them worse.
txhsmom on May 9, 2013 at 5:27 PM
Well…. since none of these new departments (ahem – DHS) are effectual, lets scrap them and save some cash.
Free Indeed on May 9, 2013 at 5:39 PM
Every time I see that particular picture of Tsarnaev, I want to smash him.
That picture captures the essence of the foreigner receiving welfare, subsidies, and all sorts of goodies. And he dresses like a girl too.
portlandon on May 9, 2013 at 5:43 PM
There’s no way such a system can be omnipotent.
rickv404 on May 9, 2013 at 5:44 PM
That’s a pretty fancy get-up for a welfare kid.
steebo77 on May 9, 2013 at 5:57 PM
Seems many agencies within this administration ‘are taking a second look’ at how they’ve performed. Too bad they won’t issue any corrections.
GarandFan on May 9, 2013 at 6:03 PM
Well, if it makes you feel better, you should be using the past tense.
Happy Nomad on May 9, 2013 at 6:03 PM
That was one of the biggest mistakes ever. The GOP allowed itself to be bullied into creating that Frankenstein “federal police force” by that joke of a 9/11 commission that, itself, should have been laughed out of existence.
Now, I see these DHS SUVs all over the place with “POLICE” written on them in big letters, as if the US is supposed to have a federal police force. It is disgusting. And they have the label “federal protective police” written on their sides – to explain their alleged mission. I’m offended byt he sight of these SUVs and the idea that the feral government is moving so swiftly to institute the un-American idea that
“We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded [as the military].”
This place resembles Jakarta more and more every day. That’s what we get when a retarded Sukarno copy is given the executive power and allowed to operate with no constraints, at all.
ThePrimordialOrderedPair on May 9, 2013 at 6:05 PM
Makes me wonder if we are on the wrong path with the “Misha” lead. Misha sounds more like a fashion consultant than a jihadi.
It’s not easy to learn how to dress like a Russian pimp, maybe Misha helped him.
slickwillie2001 on May 9, 2013 at 6:11 PM
Seems many agencies within this administration ‘are taking a second look’ at how they’ve performed. Too bad they won’t issue any corrections.
GarandFan on May 9, 2013 at 6:03 PM
GarandFan:Exellent point(s),and they won’t take any heat,nor
firings,either!:)
canopfor on May 9, 2013 at 6:27 PM
Of course, those of us who believe in smaller government thought it was a terrible idea at the time. That is if the above quote is modified. Change eliminate to modify.
burt on May 9, 2013 at 6:32 PM
DUH!
Obama’s policies and attempts to protect American lives have failed:
… at Fort Hood…
… in Boston…
… In Benghazi…
… in Cairo…
… and in 18 other Embassies/nations on the anniversary of 9/11 on 9/11/12 when 20 Embassies were unprepared for attacks, Marines at the Cairo Embassy were ordered NOT to carry live Ammo that day, and after 2 previous terrorist attacks & much prior warning the 1st Ambassador in over 30 years to be killed was provided no protection and left to die alone.
easyt65 on May 10, 2013 at 8:55 AM