60 Responses

1. She’ll campaign that she grew up in a house with 10 kids and one bathroom.

2. Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

3. Wrong, the people who write checks are paying attention at this point

4. Yes, Anybody But Marcel – the burning question is why? All these machinations simply because of some supposed antipathy toward embattled Joe Sestak? Really? It strains credulity, does it not?

5. Barbara-

   “The power politicians do not want him to be a Senator because he will serve the people, he has a high moral code, he has strong beliefs.”

   That is 100% wrong. Sestak serves himself. Ask his former staffers. He has no moral code (his word is worthless in many cases and he has a history of creating some unspoken condition that was not met when it comes time to honor his promise to get out of them). His only strong belief is that he’s better than everyone else.

   He was booted from the Navy because he was unfit for command. In civilian life he continued his abusive behavior to both his campaign and congressional staff.

   As for McGinty, I agree that a congressional seat may have been a better move. As for abandoning Wolf, that doesn’t seem likely for three reasons:
   1) It’s a great opportunity for one of his people to move up.
   2) He’d rather have McGinty in Congress than Sestak on votes that affect PA
   3) If the criticisms of McGinty as Chief of Staff are true, then this is his best way to “hit the eject button” without losing face.

   Look at me-
   This is not that late of an entry since no one is really paying to the race yet. Sestak’s fundraising is so weak that McGinty will quickly pass him and likely get her own separate PAC like Toomey has.

   eagleswing-
   Besides Delco, what county party endorsements will Sestak get? McGinty will be the name on most sample ballots at the polls for “endorsed” dem candidate. If the money race goes the way I expect it will, Sestak will have very little air time and McGinty will dominate the ads (and endorsements).

   Here’s a poll question: How long will it take Sestak to put his PA house up for sale if he loses the Primary?

6. The big shots in the Democratic Party are hard at work this week, pulling strings to install their chosen puppets and stooges. Rank and file party workers, and voters, be damned! You don’t count.

7. perfect storm of poor decision making guarantees a Toomey win. One flawed dem candidate hindered by poor fundraising pit against another flawed dem candidate hindered by a late entry, this will be great!

8. The Big Blue National DSCC Machine is at work again. The same folks who handed Sestak a 2 point loss against Toomey, now at work to defeat him again. They will find it surprising to learn that grassroots Dems actually exercise their own judgment on who will win the Dem primary. (Viz- Obama vs. Clinton?) The DSCC may have gotten rid of the Dem state chair after months of backroom deals and side offers. . But they will find it difficult to control grassroots Dems who don’t necessarily agree with the DSCC. No wonder PA is one of the last 4 states to hold on to ‘democratic endorsements:’ They’d be terrified of an open primary: because we would not be listening to Them. Never have, never will.

9. Did Harold Stassen endorse Katie in 2014?

10. Looks like Rendell and Brady found the puppet they need to dance for them…

11. Other than knowledge about environmental issues( which is important) what background does she have to qualify her for the Senate? Does she know anything about foreign policy? Does she have any ideas about the economy? Has she ever deAlt with a coma tatie legislature? Has she fought any political battles that she has won? Does she know her own constituents? Has she dealt with real people? Every job in government she has had was handed to her.

    Sestak has fought battles in the real world during his military career, serving our country. He knows the grief of war. He has fought battles, not only in the U. S. Congress, but even in his own Democratic Party. The power politicians do not want him to be a Senator because he will serve the people, he has a high moral code, he has strong beliefs. These qualities are not admired by the Brady’s, the Rendells, the Groens or by State. committee. They want someone to answer to them, rather than to satisfy the wishes of true Democrats.

    If McGinty had run for the house seat last year from our Congressional district, she could possibly have served several terms, learned the ropes and then graduate to a Senate seat. But I am afraid she is an opportunist, who ended up deserting the Governor during difficult budget times.

12. McGinty is a complete lightweight. She will bring some former Clinton administration officials to Pennsylvania to campaign for her, so that will be exciting, but she won’t be able to raise the money. And talk about dedication. Six months on the job, making sure all the Wolf campaign people and Mike Mikus have sweet jobs and then she’s outta here. Maybe she’ll run for Senate for six months and then change your mind and decide to run for Congress in the 7th come January.

    McGinty isn’t the hitch and not getting a budget done. That is solely in the hands of Mary Isenhour. She’s too busy drinking her breakfast, lunch and dinner to get to negotiation table. Why someone would for someone in as head of Legislative Affairs, who is been bashing Republicans for years and her official position to negotiate with Republicans now is beyond me.

13. McGinty is no leader and she is devoid of any real accomplisents. She has the backing of left wing loonies that have undercut our National interests and those of our allies. Gore sold his network for a profit to
    The scum at Al Jazerra- as for rfk jr-?you must be kidding his father was in a different class. whether sestak or toomey- we can do a lot better than McGinty- a lightweight of the worst kind. Shame on us as Dems if we support a left wing loonie like her. So many qualified women/ -McGinty is not. Defeat Obama and anti semitism vote against McGinty and her nut case supporters!

14. Thank you Katie, now you and Sestak can make bigger fools of yourselves. Welcome back to D.C., Senator Toomey.

15. Sestak would have a better shot in the general with a foe like Toomey. Her resume and endorsements will be baggage in the Philly burbs and swing voters.

16. As an R, I watched both of them “live”; I found Sestak disingenuous and ignorant regarding ObamaDon’tCare and McGinty engaging during the Portuguese Society Debate [Rhawn St.] last year…which BB skipped due to a fight with the ward-leader [I’m told].

    This may replay the Sestak/Specter primary; Toomey supporters know, however, that the Dems coalesced thereafter and, thus, cannot depend upon grudges…regardless of who wins.

    What seems intriguing “from the outside” is how quickly this conversion from “I won’t leave until the budget-battle has been decided” to “$-raising time must commence”; I would think that she will emerge victorious, if only due to the fact that she satisfies the need for political predictability…from the perspective of party leaders.

17. Katie is not a recognized environmental leader. She’s a recognized greenwasher with financial ties to energy companies.

18. FYI… Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Al Gore both endorsed McGinty for Governor in 2014.

    Katie McGinty is a recognized leader in environmental protection, business investment, job growth, and energy innovation. With more than twenty-five years of experience in public service and the private sector, Katie knows how to solve big problems at the highest levels, and she knows how to fight for working families. In Katie, Democrats throughout Pennsylvania have an energetic and compassionate voice to fight for middle class families.

    Katie was born in northeast Philadelphia the ninth of ten kids to a police officer and a hostess. After attending college and law school on scholarships, she worked her way up within the Clinton Administration, eventually serving as a trusted advisor to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore as the first woman to chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Later, she served our state and Governor Ed Rendell as the first female Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection. Since 2008, Katie has been working in the private sector helping to drive sustainable business development.

    Katie, her husband Karl, and their three daughters live in Wayne, Chester County.

19. McGinty has neither the accomplishment nor credentials to be a U.S. senator. How sad the party of JFK and RFK has degenerated to a lightweight and loser like McGinty. Moderates and Jewish Democrats will not support this left wing lightweight. They have hurt our Party and our Nation! Send the anti Semites at Emily’s list and McGinty to losers corner. Any Chester county Dem who supports her- will find dems who will organize to defeat them. Better Sestak or Toomey than garbage like McGinty. It would be great to have a lady Senator- but let’s find one who is deserving.

20. With friends like these, who needs Republicans?

21. @jmarshak-Yes, it is insulting to vote for women just because of their anatomy, just as it is insulting to vote for a man for the same reason. Women who support or promote women solely based on anatomy do no one a service. I am proud to say that my mother (& father) taught me well-you research the candidates, ask questions, & vote for the person you believe is best suited for the position they are seeking, regardless of gender or party affiliation.

    My insider tells me there is renewed hope in the legislature for budget talks to begin again in earnest, now that the largest road block has been removed. Let’s hope.

22. jake-

    “Democrats for toomey,who is with me.”

    Umm… Sestak after he loses the primary.

    Sestak will absolutely 100% vote for Toomey if McGinty wins the primary

23. Democrats for toomey,who is with me.

24. FYI-

    Probably “yesterday” with checks post-dated to tomorrow. 🙂

25. @DD – “Tomorrow” should also be an option

26. PoliticsPA–

    Suggested poll: How long will it take McGinty to have more cash on hand than Sestak?

    3rd quarter 2015 report
    end-of-year 2015 report
    first quarter 2016 report
    Never (have to put this one in for the Sestak fantasy league players)

27. Jerry you are in the same degree of denial Republicans were when they believed Corbett would actually be reelected. I hope you’ll vote for McGinty in the general after she beats Sestak in the primary by a landslide!!!!!!!!!

28. Hey Admiral; SHE SUNK YOUR BATTLESHIP!!

29. Jerry-

    Sestak would rather sink the whole party rather than lose the primary. Sestak’s not a team player because he is a selfish @sshole, not because he has staked out some higher moral ground.

30. Sestak still has my vote, not because I have anything against McGinty — I probably am closer to her politics that to Sestak’s — but because she has made herself an instrument of the Democratic machine that would rather lose with anyone than win with Sestak because he does not fit their idea of a “team player.” Sorry Kate. You are going to lose the primary, and you may just be handing the general election to Toomey. Everyone says you are a class act, but I am starting to doubt that.

31. McCord is talking. This may not last long.

32. Isn’t it incredibly insulting to women to say that you should vote for them because of their genitalia rather than their qualifications and positions on the issues?

33. Michael
    There is a strong feeling that Sestak is too much of a goof and a bungling fool to win. He’s like Trump, in that he won’t listen to advice that didn’t come the mirror or his own rear orifice.

    But, that aside, his fundraising is far too weak. Last time, he had raised over $4 million cash on hand to “hold onto the 7th”, but then diverted (stole) it for his Senate campaign. This time around he has several deficits:

    1) He won’t have anywhere near $4 million for the primary. This time he won’t have enough money to run a statewide primary.
    2) He can’t trash McGinty the way he trashed Specter as untrustworthy/republican.
    3) Specter was an old man with cancer related health issues. Sestak ran footage of Specter to exploit this (while separately exploiting his own daughter’s health with old footage of her).
    4) Joe isn’t going to get the vote of women still upset over Anita Hill.
    5) McGinty will have the support not only of Rendell, Brady and Wolf, but most likely incoming state chairman Groen. There is zero chance of Sestak getting Philadelphia or Montco endorsement. And McGinty is from Chester. Sestak will get Delco endorsement, but not much else.

34. So which Wolf campaign goons will McGinty/Mikus be hiring to run this new clown car operation?

35. Alan Kennedy-Shaffer will blow both of them away in the primary!

36. Can’t wait to cast my vote for Pennsylvania’s first woman United States Senator!

    #TeamMcGinty

37. Here’s what I mean about Honest David Sweet (Bradbury was convicted, Sweet was not even indicted.):

    http://www.sec.gov/litigation/aljdec/id274jtk.htm

    “On June 22, 1998, Bradbury, Sweet, and O’Neill discussed the Forum Place offering by telephone (Tr. 344, 756-58; DX 20). At the hearing, Sweet and O’Neill claimed that they could not recall the specifics of this conversation (Tr. 79, 346-47, 349). During his investigative testimony, O’Neill’s recollection was considerably more precise. O’Neill’s investigative testimony explained that he learned that Forum Place was the third transaction of its type (after Riverfront and Capitol Associates) and that Bradbury had already lined up interested buyers for the Forum Place bonds (Tr. 344-47) (“it was described to me as sort of a done deal”). During his investigative testimony, O’Neill also recalled that the computer disc came with an explanation that the Forum Place project had “a tight time frame,” that “they needed a [draft POS] quickly,” and that using the Riverfront POS “would save a lot of time” (Tr. 347, 349). Bradbury did not remember saying that Forum Place was a “done deal,” but otherwise he did not contradict O’Neill’s investigative testimony (Tr. 727-28). I credit O’Neill’s investigative testimony and I give little weight to the hearing testimony of Sweet and Bradbury on these points.”

    And there is much more about Sweet in those findings of fact…

38. You men really have a problem with women who are intelligent and can think for themselves. I see the same names on Kathleen Kane’s page running her into the ground – get over it – this is 2015. Women actually have the right to vote and we vote!

39. Hillary and Katie – great combination!

40. Oh, and David Sweet barely escaped prosecution in the parking garage bond failure ten years ago. His name was ALL over the corrupt backroom deals… Bond counsel? Ha. More like swindler’s helper. Check out the SEC report on his credibility… So he will fit right in, in Harrisburg.

41. Attention shoppers! Candidate for Sale! All offers welcome! (See Mr. Rendell at the sales desk for terms and conditions of sale.) Prime ownership opportunities available for the right price!

42. This is insane. Bill Ward and Steve Aichele will no longer be housed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Chief of Staff Wall of the Worst. The entire wall will now be a dedicated to the 6 months of Governor McGinty and her record of bridge renaming and gridlock.

43. Yes – and why are national Democrats so desperate to be rid of Sestak? Are the explanations that have been put forward credible? Really? Or is there another explanation?

    As previously mentioned, the prescience of David Diano will become quite evident in the months to come.

44. “…when Sestak successfully defeated incumbent Senator (and Republican turned Democrat) Arlen Specter for the party’s nomination. A lot of effort went into getting Specter to switch parties and the Democrats didn’t want a costly primary hampering their chances to hold the seat.”
    So now the Democrats want Katie McGint to run a costly primary hampering their chances to win the seat.
    I belong to no organized party; I am a Democrat -Will Rogers

45. Well, that explains why I saw David Sweet coming from the Governor’s Office today. Best thing that could happen to Wolf. Hope he continues to keep Hanger behind closed doors.

46. She’s got my vote!

47. It will be good to have a primary to put this to rest.

48. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

49. Hillary and McGinty, what a combination, yuck.

50. Well, that happened pretty quickly. 🙂