This Time Joe Sestak Probably Will Beat Pat Toomey

With the announcement Monday from Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane that she will run for reelection rather than seek the state's Senate seat currently held by Pat Toomey, the path to the Democratic nomination is wide open for Admiral Joe Sestak. As far as I can tell his only opponent is a thoroughly mediocre Montgomery County Commissioner, Josh Shapiro. Sestak served for two terms in Congress before beating Republican-turned-quasi-Democrat Arlen Specter in 2010. The entire Democratic Establishment, from Obama on down-- but especially conservatives and corporate shills like Ed Rendell-- campaigned vigorously for Specter. Though the underdog, Sestak beat Specter 568,563 (53.9%) to 487,217 (46.1%). In the general, with Toomey, a Wall Street favorite, outspending him $16,958,449 to $7,524,257, Sestak lost narrowly, 2,028,945 (51%) to 1,948,716 (49%). It's been clear for some time that he would seek a rematch.

Toomey's from the Greed and Selfishness wing of the Republican Party. He was one of the only Wall Street shills willing-- and eager-- to publicly defend the derivatives deregulation that was slipped into the CRomnibus last week. His tactic was a nasty, personal attack against Elizabeth Warren. It's very personal for Toomey, formerly a sleazy derivatives trader himself. He's also one of the loudest proponents of outsourcing American jobs of anyone in Congress. During the 2010 campaign Toomey attempted to hide his record on outsourcing, which wasn't easy given his book, The Road to Prosperity, in which he insisted Americans have an “unfortunate tendency” to use “buy American language” in legislation. According to a report in the Allentown Morning Call a month and a half before the election, Toomey said he favored a regulatory system more like Hong Kong. He's a big fan of China's authoritarian approach. "I was seeing pretty close up which economies were succeeding and which ones weren’t, and there is an unmistakable correlation," Toomey said. "Those that are heavily regulated and centrally controlled underperform. And those like Hong Kong, where there is regulation but it is sensible, they thrive." There was a lot of talk at the time that China was helping finance Toomey through large sums of money to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent $1,692,056 in Independent Expenditures on Toomey's behalf.

After Toomey's attack on Elizabeth Warren we asked Admiral Sestak how he felt about the Wall Street deregulation agenda Toomey, who has taken $4,865,798 from the Finance Sector for his efforts, has been pursing. He has a very different approach:

"I want to advance individual opportunity so everyone can contribute to the advancement of America. Sen. Toomey, on the other hand, simply believes you’re on your own and therefore doesn’t believe in helping the working class.

The most important issue for me is to re-gain the trust of the American people by willing to be accountable as a public servant for one's deeds. Sen. Toomey, on the other hand, will say one thing in Pennsylvania and vote another way in Washington, D.C., against the middle class. Take for example Toomey’s recent vote that puts taxpayers on the hook to bail out banks that gamble with derivatives. This is a change from what I had voted for and passed, which made sure that banks were no longer too big to fail."

Of course, deregulating Wall Street predators isn't the only instance of Toomey saying one thing to Pennsylvania voters and doing something entirely different in Washington. Recently an insipid Toomey newsletter blathered on about how on December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, five days after Delaware, by a vote of 46-23. Frederick Muhlenberg (who would become the first speaker of the House of Representatives) presided as president of the ratification convention, with PA Supreme Court Chief Justice (and future 2nd governor) and how on December 5, 1933, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Ohio approved the 21st amendment, fully ratifying the repeal of prohibition. Today, Pennsylvania is home to more than 100 breweries throughout the state."

Pennsylvanians who follow Toomey's activities in DC, however, might be tempted to consider a different perspective on history. From a Joe Sestak e-mail this week:

It was a Pennsylvanian, Gouverneur Morris, who coined the phrase, “We the People of the United States,” the words that begin our Constitution. The first three words are the greatest of our land-- they are our very soul-- and are the essence of the greatest invention of humankind: our U.S. Constitution.

In contrast, Sen. Toomey believes that, "The free market has been one of the greatest human inventions ever." For Toomey, it is not about "we the people," but rather an unfettered private market. It is why he votes repeatedly against "we the people"-- our nation-- providing health care for our veterans coming home injured from war-- a war that he voted to send them to. And why he votes against legislation our nation provides for our children’s safety and health. And why he did nothing as a congressman as 162 Pennsylvanians were losing their health care every day-- these Americans were "on their own." And why Toomey has sponsored legislation to dismantle the ACA 30 times: because of his belief that "we the people"-- our nation-- has no role in effecting a better health system.

Pennsylvanians deserve better than a U.S. senator like Sen. Toomey who believes that "we the market" or "we the bank" is his first priority.