You don’t see this everyday.
According to Jonathan Tamari of the Inquirer, the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals is endorsing Katie McGinty’s Senate campaign.
The unusual part?
PASNAP endorsed Joe Sestak back in 2013 but is rescinding that endorsement.
“We were just very disappointed in Joe Sestak in the fact that he steadfastly refused to stand publicly with nurses who were in a difficult situation,” Executive Director Bill Cruice told Tamari.
PASNAP represents about 5,500 nurses and professional hospital staff in Pennsylvania.
“Katie McGinty has shown that she is prepared to stand up for Registered Nurses and health professionals as they advocate for the interests of their patients,” PASNAP President Patty Eakin stated. “That’s the kind of leaders working people need in Washington.”
“It is an honor to have the backing of PASNAP because they represent nurses and health care professionals who are on the frontlines of delivering care to patients every single day,” McGinty responded. “As Senator, I will work to ensure that every American has access to affordable, health care. That means not only standing up to those who want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but also working with the health care community to reduce health care costs without reducing the quality of care people receive.”
The move comes one day after Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid predicted McGinty would win and the switch has already caught the attention of national pundits:
We talk a lot about The Establishment on the R side–if McGinty gets through this, HUGE win for D Establishment https://t.co/7FofcAX7VH
— Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) October 14, 2015
McGinty and Sestak are running against Braddock Mayor John Fetterman in the Democratic primary. Incumbent GOP Sen. Pat Toomey is also running for re-election.
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23 Responses
I am still on the fence for PA Sen 2016.
No word here on McGinty’s position on single-payer, but I vaguely recall during her gubernatorial debates, her being lukewarm at very best to one of our top Democratic priorities.
Sestak has long and steadfastly called for at least a public option, which I will take the moment I am allowed to opt for it.
This is a puzzling about face from the nurses, except that it follows one (1) day after NV (AKA, far away from PA) Sen Harry Reid predicted a McGinty win.
Thanks for reminding me that PASNAP endorsed Schwartz, and Schwartz certainly does not support single-payer. She is a shill for healthcare special interests and now lobbies for the insurance companies. That endorsement truly puzzled me. PASNAP, by the way, is affiliated with Nurses United, the largest nurses union in the U.S., though PASNAP is not the largest nurses union in Pa.
Isn’t this the Union who didn’t support a Union Labor Leader in the 26th Senatorial District for Senator. That’s not a Union. I guess their leader never saw a political state wide race. I’m 100 % sure Admiral Sestak would of attended if he wasn’t busy. Good luck PASNAP on getting someone who came in 4th place in a Gov. Race and quit her appointed job.
this whole brouhaha just proves that the pa Dem machine can make PA unions jump through any hoops they want for any given puppet candidate, whose views don’t really matter a whit.
Schwartz was not for single payer.
PASNAP endorsed A. Schwartz for governor, I believe. They show some pretty weird judgement? Schwartz also bombed!
I doubt PASNAP would have endorsed McGinty if she had not given them at least some private assurances regarding support for Single payer. It is one of their major issues.
Regardless of what McG may have said to people from Erie, she has never supported single payer and likely does not now. She did not support as Guv candidate. Should she hope to clear the air with a statement, that would be welcome news.
The childish comments people post here are truly beyond the pale. No wonder so many of you post anonymously, and yet another reason why this site does its readers a disservice by allowing anonymous comments. At least David Diano, to his credit, doesn’t hide behind an alias.
So they are nurses!?? I thought PASNAP was all the people in PA on welfare (using SNAP cards).
I don’t know the back-story on this, but PASNAP and Pattie Eakin (a friend om mine, by the way) are very strong proponents of single-payer healthcare. Pattie has spoken at several s-p events I have organized. PASNAP has also co-sponsored most of those events. When I ran for the Pa. House in 2010 PASNAP endorsed me and contributed to my campaign because of my strong support for single-payer health care.
I do not know if it had anything to do with PASNAP’s un-endorsement of Sestak, but he makes no secret of the fact that he opposes single-payer. I am told that McGinty has been a past supporter of s-p. I don’t think she has taken a public position now that she is a candidate for the Senate.
In any case, I respect PASNAP’s decision, but I will still not support McGinty because she is a product of the what I consider a corrupt political machine. I do not think less of Pattie or PASNAP if they disagree with my position. I do not rule out supporting Fetterman if his positions are closer to my own than Sestak’s. For now I remain a supporter of Sestak.
Why would any group endorse someone three years before the election?
So, McG is now for single payer? Or not??
I have discovered that PASNAP, the union, supported single payer in the past here in PA. Did Katie tell them she’s for single payer? Just wondering how many times she changes positions
smarter
From the link to the strike:
“Sept 24, 2014: Union nurses, on strike Sunday and Monday at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, plan to continue picketing on Tuesday, even as negotiators from both sides have scheduled a morning bargaining session. Management at the Delaware County hospital will not permit the nurses to return to work at 7 a.m. Tuesday when their two day strike ends, saying no shifts will be available until Friday. The hospital has hired replacement nurses. The nurses, who planned a rally for Monday afternoon, had been working under terms of a contract which expired June 8.”
Well, according to Sestak’s campaign FB page, he was actually in the area.
Sept 21: “Had a tremendous time at the Ridley Park Democratic Picnic!” (with picture)
Sept 23: “Great to be in Mt. Airy to support Leanne Krueger-Braneky for State Rep! (with another picture)
Sept 24: “L’ shanah tovah!”
Now, in Joe’s defense this is a Delaware County hospital, and Joe and his family live in Alexandria, VA, so Joe wouldn’t be expected to follow the local news or read the Philly papers.
Observer #2, please spare us your whining and desperation. You’re losing this campaign and you’re going to lose on primary day.
Katie McGinty has the momentum!
Clinton/McGinty for PA 2016!
Do you guys really believe anything McG says! She will say anything to get elected, even telling some people she’s for single payer. I doubt that she will repeat that to very many audiences. Toomey will beat her easily, only Sestak and possibly the new guy can defeat Toomey. And, Toomey has to go!
In observation, the root of this dispute sounds almost like a campaign-based issue more than a political one, that led to this. Perhaps Joe was unaware about the event, or didn’t realize how important it was. It may have been a campaign manager or internal error – obviously a pretty big one.
*no other labor unions have endorsed Sestak in his 2016 race.
USW, Sheet Metal Workers and PASNAP all are for McGinty.
@DD no other labor unions have endorsed Sestak in the 2010 race. They’ve all endorsed McGinty, the USW endorsed Sestak in 2010, but endorsed McGinty for 2016. Sheet Metal Workers also endorsed McGinty.
Once it became clear that Sestak mistreated his congressional staff and paid them less than minimum wage, Joe should never have gotten another union endorsement. Sestak is the kind of boss/employer that unions were created to oppose.
Hopefully, this will be the trend and Sestak loses ALL union endorsements. If the McGinty and Fetterman campaigns are smart, they will reach out to any remaining unions that have endorsed Sestak and explain why Joe is the foe of workers.
I bet if Joe laced up his boots and walked over to their headquarters, that would show them how sincere his is and they would take him back. Better get walking Joe!
Once again Joe Sestak is exposed as the phony he is. Sestak only cares about himself and advancing his own career. Sestak doesn’t stand with the people of Pennsylvania:
“We were just very disappointed in Joe Sestak in the fact that he steadfastly refused to stand publicly with nurses who were in a difficult situation”
-Bill Cruice, executive director of a union that represents around 5,500 nurses and hospital staff across the state, including about 3,500 in the Philadelphia area.