It's fair to say that with the chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee pushing for someone (anyone? anyone? Buehler?) to oppose Sestak, he has to be promising competitive bucks - particularly to a county commissioner with NO campaign chest. The question is, should Sestak win the primary, will the national Dem leadership support a man who will not let them call all his shots. Speaking as a Pennsylvanian, I prefer a Senator who has the guts to tell puppeteers to pound sand - that he will vote for his constituents' best interests - not theirs.
That is why I long ago stopped donating to party fundraisers, and donate directly to the candidates. The party bureaucracy demands a quid pro quo of following their orders. One of the reasons the national Dems "are uncomfortable" with Sestak is that he had the audacity! the temerity !! to defy Rahm Emanuel and appear on the Stephen Colbert show without Rahm's approval.
As I've pointed out, our new Democratic governor rejected our decrepit state Democratic committee and ran his own campaign & fundraising. If we had campaign finance reform, an honorable, eminently qualified candidate like Sestak would win overwhelmingly.
Joe Sestak could provide great leadership within the Dem. Senate Caucus, if they welcomed him in. It seems his personal integrity and independence makes them cringe. Let's hope they wise up.
Shapiro last week telephoned the three Senate Democrats who had been encouraging him - Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada; New York's Charles Schumer; and Montana's Jon Tester, the chairman of the national party's Senate campaign committee - to decline. He also informed Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/Montcos_J osh_Shapiro_Will_not_run_for_US_Senate.html#DlzMVlRslXWHK4zW.99
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