Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

The advisers registered the kind of so-called "play it safe" strategy that has backfired repeatedly in recent election contests against Republicans.  Despite Sestak's strong conviction that troops needed to be withdrawn from Iraq, the advisers warned him not to articulate this belief since he would be encouraging the image that Democrats are weak on national security.

Sestak thankfully spurned the advice to go wishy-washy in fear that the Karl Rove Republican hate brigade would score points against him for stating beliefs predicated on knowledge derived from a 31-year military career.  

This background provides Sestak with a wide edge in experience and insight in ideologically tackling scorched earth neocon war policies enacted by chicken hawks devoid of practical experience in the area in which they proclaim expertise.  

Kate Zernik writes, "Nine months later, having ignored their advice, Mr. Sestak has put a 20-year Republican incumbent on the run for the first time, turning a bid by a political novice into a real race.  Polls show that Mr. Sestak is running even or better with his opponent, Representative Curt Weldon, and that the war more than any other issue is propelling voters toward him."

The most recent Keystone Poll revealed that about a quarter of registered Republicans in the affluent suburban 7th District have responded that they would cross lines to vote for Sestak.  As Zernik noted, "In one evening, he (Sestak) went from a fund-raiser with Howard Dean to a meeting of Republican women in a suburban subdivision.  

Anne St. Clair, a Republican and former Weldon voter, is now heading the Republicans for Sestak organization.  She invited the women to meet the Democratic candidate at her Thornton, Pennsylvania home.  "People don't see a clear strategy," St. Clair revealed, "they don't see why we went in (to Iraq), they don't see how we're going to get out."

At one meeting where Sestak spoke, Lowell Young, a retired comptroller who voted for John Kerry in 2004 but stated that he did not like to think of himself as a Democrat, found Sestak's candor refreshing.  

"The Democrats are too wishy-washy," Young explained, citing the example of the debate over legislation governing treatment of terrorism suspects, where the Democrats sat back while Republicans negotiated with the White House.  "They're afraid to take a stand, they're afraid they're going to be seen as weak on national security.  They need a backbone.  Joe seems to have it."

Young speaks for many Americans.  As reported frequently from this quarter as well as on many other progressive sites, a Democratic Party that formerly aggressively promoted an agenda that appealed to the working class and stood in lockstep with unions and other progressives has recently become vanilla and wishy-washy.

Instead of setting its own party agenda and running on it proudly, too often focus groups of presumed experts have looked over their shoulder and expressed grudging admiration for Karl Rove and the Republicans.  Instead of acting as leaders and presenting a fresh progressive agenda many candidates imitating the "play it safe" and "me too" aspects of politics have followed the lead of the opposition.

Thankfully Joe Sestak resisted the advice provided to him.  Once he is elected it is hoped that he and others like him will set a fresh course for progressive government, rendering the reactionary neocon era of Cheney-Bush to a graveyard for ideological dinosaurs.

As for Curt Weldon, he is running scared.  Pressed for responses on the Iraq War, he presently advocates that "generals on the ground" make determinations as to bringing troops home from Iraq.  He cites the danger of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld making the decisions.

Weldon's reasoning is, "We don't need some armchair politician back in Washington, because they want to run for office to pick a date out of the air."

Weldon has also been placed in a vulnerable position recently as a report emanating from the Los Angeles Times has resurfaced, making its presence into the race.  It involves his 30-year-old daughter Karen receiving $1 million in consulting fees for her public relations firm from at least three foreign clients.

These foreign clients have all been aided by Congressman Weldon.  An authority on Eastern Europe, Weldon serves as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.  

Voters of Pennsylvania's Seventh District have a clear choice.  Will it be politics as usual with Curt Weldon or a fresh new start with Joe Sestak?