PA-7 Watch: Joe Sestak and Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District

As if there was any doubt...

2008-11-07T10:32:00.003-05:00

Joe Sestak has won the reelection he deserves. He ran a superb campaign and was able to stand on a remarkable constituent service record (his office handled more than double the congressional average of cases).

One indicator of his bipartisan appeal can be found in the raw vote totals. State Rep incumbents are normally the chief vote getters in municipalities. Normally, the Democratic Presidential candidate can be expected to receive more votes than the other down-ticket Democratic candidates (excluding incumbent State Reps), and this was true county-wide. However, it was Joe Sestak who came in second in terms of total votes in many municipalities. Delaware County Republicans will often vote for a Democratic Presidential candidate and still support down-ticket Republicans. However, in many municipalities with a strong Republican presence, Joe Sestak was able to outpoll both Obama and McCain, indicating significant support from Republican voters. Here are a few examples:

Haverford Township (mixed R & D)
Sestak = 17,640
Obama = 16,722
McCain = 11,557
Williams = 10,089

Springfield Township (solid R)
McCain = 7,482
Sestak = 7,274
Williams = 6,888
Obama = 6,859

Upper Darby Township (mixed R & D, large African American pop.)
Sestak = 23,554
Obama = 23,422
McCain = 13,286
Williams = 12,145

Sestak's large margin, including a significant number of votes from Republicans is quite an achievement when you consider the following factors:

Republicans outnumber Democrats in the 7th Congressional district.
Craig Williams had an impressive resume and ran an aggressive campaign.
The Delco GOP machine - 'nuff said (that's a compliment, by the way).
The poor organization of the various Delco Democratic committees.
Craig Williams had the endorsement of the largest area newspaper.

Sure, Joe enjoyed the Obama bump, but that's far from the whole story. The fact that he enjoyed larger vote totals than Obama in many municipalities reflects his appeal with moderate Republicans. That's something for the Delco GOP to chew on while they prepare for next year.

Congratulations, Mr. Congressman!

Sestak, Williams on the bailout

2008-10-04T22:06:00.005-04:00

On Wednesday evening Congressman Sestak conducted number of impromtu community meetings in the district. The topic was the financial bailout legislation.

Sestak described the plan and the various parts of it. He described the process of how the plan had evolved from a 3 page bill originally from Paulson to a 100 page bill to a 400 page bill that eventually passed. Joe described this as the hardest vote he has had as a Congressman. And then he let the people yell at him.

Sestak traveled back from DC to meet with constituents, explain the bill and his position, and ask for feedback. And he certainly did get feedback. Some said that the government should let the market fail if it had to. Others said we should be putting the perpetrators in jail. Nobody that spoke liked it.

Many don't like this bailout and the problems that led to it. But I left the meeting with new respect for Joe Sestak. He used the terms "Representative" and "Congressman" to describe what he does. He gave his constituents the opportunity to tell him what they thought, and listened to them. He was their representative. In the end, he did what he thought best, even thought he know it was not popular.

Nobody knows ahead of time if this bailout will work, or if it was the right thing to do. I think Sestak felt the effects of a credit freeze and economic fall would be too dire to allow it to just happen. I think he cares less about Wall Street and is worried more about what will happen to the average middle class family. But anyway you look at it, he put his reputation on the line.

Contrast this will his opponent. Craig Williams has been all over the map on his position on the bailout. The Oct 3 Delco Times says: "Craig Williams, of Concord, the Republican challenger for the District 7 seat, agreed this new version of the bill needed to pass, but criticized his opponent for voting for the original bill."

I prefer Sestak style on this one. He showed a lot of guts. Williams showed a lot of willingness to flounder and say the politically expedient sound bite. Thanks Joe, no thanks, Craig.

The Debate On The Debate - The Continuing Adventures of Craig "Cry Baby" Williams

2008-09-30T12:04:00.004-04:00

Craig Williams seems be unsure of what, exactly, would be acceptable terms for a debate with Sestak.

One thing that caught my eye in the Daily Times article from September 23rd (see the 9/25 post on this blog) was the quote from Craig Williams' press release, saying that he was "greatly disappointed that Sestak’s rhetoric about campaigning on the issues in a free exchange of ideas will only last for two hours."

In the next day's Bulletin, however, he's quoted as complaining that, "the two-hour length could dissuade radio and television outlets from running the debate."

He doesn't like the timing, he thinks he's being given too much time to give his answers, he doesn't like the long time for opening and closing statements, and he was apparently in favor of a long debate time before he was against it? Unless, of course, he's not in control of his press communications and wasn't yet briefed on what his position was supposed to be. Considering that the rest of his campaign is based on boiler-plate Republican talking points, I wouldn't be surprised by that at all.

Personally, I think that he needs to spend his time complaining about the terms of the debate because he knows he won't be able to stand on the issues. I think he's afraid of the long answer times because the only thing he's capable of doing in depth is drilling for oil.

Someone needs to bail Williams out before hurts himself

2008-09-25T22:59:00.002-04:00

Wow, Craig Williams just doesn't get it on the financial crisis.

In the Sept 23 Delco Times story:
"Williams said government-sponsored enterprises, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, need to be removed from the equation and the market must be allowed to operate freely to prevent future problems - an attitude espoused by former President Ronald Reagan."

But earlier in the article:
"Williams said if emergency legislation goes through allowing the bailouts to an as-yet-unknown number of financial agencies, he wants to see some serious accountability built into the provisions. He also stressed the need for transparency in the process and, if appropriate, some subpoenas and indictments being handed down."

Different positions (from the same article):

"Get government out of the way," said Williams. "If government had been out of the way from the start when it came to mortgage lending, the companies would have done fine."

Sestak said he does not agree with that philosophy. If anything, he said, this crisis resulted from a lack of responsible oversight and accountability.

So which is it Craig? Market rules only or regulation? You can't have it both ways. Reaganomics were awful, so if Williams makes up his mind and chooses trickle-down economics, it's just another reason to vote for Sestak.

Sestak - Williams debate

2008-09-25T22:45:00.002-04:00

A debate between incumbent Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak and Republican challenger Craig Williams will be held on October 29, 2008 according to the Delco Times story on 9/23/2008. The debate will be two hours long.

According to the story, Williams is unhappy about this. He wanted more debates and more time. I guess the Delco Republicans have a short memory - they forgot that incumbent Curt Weldon wouldn't debate anyone for years and only granted a 1 hour debate with Sestak two years ago.

Details from the Delco Times:

According to the agreement between the two campaigns, the Delaware and Chester County Leagues of Women Voters is set to jointly host the debate.
The format will include six-minute opening and closing statements, the order for which will be determined by a coin toss.
Each candidate will have five minutes to respond to questions, which includes rebuttal time. The campaigns agreed to allow the League of Women Voters to determine the location and designate a moderator to ask questions.

Can't figure out what Williams is going to say after he opens with "Drill Baby Drill". But I'm sure he will get drilled by Sestak!

Drilling Williams

2008-09-25T22:33:00.002-04:00

It seems that the only thing Craig Williams has to offer is that he is in favor of drilling for oil, everywhere and anywhere.

In recent (9/19/08) Delco Times article, it says "Craig Williams, the Republican candidate for the Seventh Congressional District, blasted his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, this week over his support of the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act."

Williams must be inspired by his connection with would-be VP Sarah Palin and the GOP convention chants of "Drill Baby Drill" as it seems this is his only issue.

Sestak sticks to the facts, as he has stated over and over again, that there are thousands of unused drilling permits, that the proposed ANWR drilling will have little impact, and that drilling is only a short term answer to bigger energy problem.

Pandering by Williams, knowledge and hard work from Sestak. That's par for the course in this campaign.

The Unbearable Silence of Spencer

2008-09-16T13:28:00.004-04:00

It's always a good laugh to read The Daily Times political coverage during election season, but there is a particularly interesting trend this year. If you review Gil Spencer's editorials and visit his Daily Times blog, you may notice a topic he seems to be avoiding - Delaware County politics.

Sure, he's chimed in on some local controversies here and there, but we haven't read his usual hatchet-jobs on Democratic candidates. I suppose Gil must be used to the fact that Vitali will be in his seat as long as he wants, but where are his screeds against Sestak? Maybe he's too pissed off about a potential Obama presidency and those nasty people beating up on poor Sarah Palin, or maybe he's lost track of Craig Williams, what with all that cross-continental traveling the man's been doing. Maybe he's auditioning for that national pundit career he's always wanted.

Maybe he knows which way the wind is really blowing and doesn't want to have to taste his own foot again.

Alaskans drill Williams

2008-08-16T11:17:00.004-04:00

In response to Craig Williams' piece in the Aug 6 2008 News of Delaware County advocating drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Eleanor Huffines, the Alaska Regional Director of the Wilderness Society wrote to the paper this week. (The response is not online.)

In short, Huffines debunks not only Williams' conclusions, but his methods. In typical Republican fashion, it appears that Williams listened to all the "pro-drilling partisans" and "vociferous pro-drilling forces" while ignoring invitations from native groups and environmental groups (including the Wilderness Society) to meet with him. One of the groups that Williams met with was called Artic Power, whose website says "The organization is committed to securing congressional and presidential approval of legislation opening the Coastal Plain of ANWR to responsible oil development. " As Huffines notes, it's "a front group who sole purpose is to lobby Congress to drill..."

Williams went there in favor of drilling in ANWR, met a bunch of people who agreed with him, and came back with the same notion. Williams got "a skewed picture of what drilling would entail." Kinda like watching Fox News.

This is not the kind of work that would make him a good Congressman. But it does give the voters of PA-7 some idea of how he would operate - he'd fall right in line with the Bush - McSame - oil lobbyist clique that is screwing up our country right now.

Williams' Alaskan Adventure - Drilling for the Eskimo Vote in ANWR

2008-08-08T21:31:00.006-04:00

PA-7 Watch is back!

Just in time to find Joe Sestak's opponent Craig Williams returning from his Alaskan Adventure to "steal the show" at a McCain rally, according the Delco Times.

Turns out the "rally" - later described as "the event, which drew a crowd of about 60 in the retirement community's Cardinal Clubhouse auditorium." Wow, I bet Williams rallied the seniors for McCain, since McCain is one of them!

But I got off track. Seems that Williams is having a hard time finding supporters in the PA-7 district, so he took his campaign to Alaska. According to the DelcoTimes story, "Williams discussed his recent trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the need for the United States to decrease its dependence on foreign oil by expanding drilling options and developing alternative fuel sources,..."

So Williams wanted to investigate first hand what would happen to ANWR if we drilled there. I'm not sure, but I think the idea is to figure out what would happen after the drilling happened.

Anyway, he wrote a bit in the News of Delaware County (not available online) where he talked about going to various Eskimo villages, including the village of Kaktovik, where he says the villagers are all for drilling.

So Williams thinks it's a good idea to campaign in Alaska when he has just a few months to go in an uphill battle against a popular incumbent in a Pennsylvania Congressional district. If he's trying to drill hes way to votes here by working the Eskimo voting block, it looks like his campaign is going to come up dry.

Joe vs The Sidekick?

2008-01-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

From Today's Daily News:
GOP delays nominations

The Delaware County Republican Party's nomination convention has been postponed from today until next Tuesday, putting off the selection of candidates for the 7th Congressional District and other races.

The party is considering nominating W. Craig Williams, an assistant U.S. attorney working under U.S. Attorney Pat Meehan in Philadelphia, to run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, according to party sources.

So, if true, the GOP scramble to "duel" Sestak has resulted in the GOP's primary dueler failing to show up and leaving his "second" to take the bullet.

The "W" stands for "Wendell". Wendell Williams does satisfy one of the comic book staples of having names with alliteration. (Lex Luthor, Peter Parker, Lois Lane, etc.)

Bye-Bye to Another Bat-Villian

2007-11-21T09:13:00.001-05:00

In an unsurprising move, Upper Darby Police Chief Michael Chitwood officially dropped out of the race he never officially entered in the first place.

Choice Quotes from the Delco Times article:
"Congressman Sestak and the Democrats don’t have to worry about me," Chitwood said. Duh! We didn't worry about him before.

Chitwood said the scales really tipped on his decision against the congressional bid about three weeks ago during a search for a 4-year-old girl who had gone missing in the Stonehurst section of Upper Darby. Me thinks 5 weeks ago Chitwood saw that Sestak had 1.4 Million in the bank.

The Times noted that "Chitwood has also several times expressed a dislike for fundraising. Sestak apparently does not share that outlook — as of October, the freshman congressman had a war chest of more than $1,420,000."

"It's too early to think about the election; Joe is focused on change from Iraq and the economy to health care," said Sestak spokesman Clarence Tong upon hearing news of Chitwood's decision. Too early to think about election? When during raising the 1.4 mill did Joe stop thinking about re-election? Spokesman is a crappy job, like a pimp without the cool hat.

Finally:
Delaware County Republican Party leader Thomas Judge Sr. said Tuesday a few other potential candidates had also recently fallen off, but there are about three names left on a "short list" of possible Sestak challengers the party is still looking at.

"Nothing's been formalized yet, but we are looking at some individuals," he said.

individuals = "lambs to the slaughter"

Podcast - Inteview with Joe Sestak by Robert Henson

2007-10-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Here is a radio interview/podcast from The Big Show with Robert Henson in Chester County.

Three New Bat-Villains

2007-09-20T09:36:00.000-04:00

In today's Philadelphia Daily News, Bill Bender takes a peek at three new names being floated to take on Sestak, especially Michael Chitwood.

Chitwood confirmed yesterday that he has been asked by Upper Darby Republican leader John McNichol to consider running for Congress.

If McNichol is backing him, what's McNichol hoping to get out of it? The GOP is certainly desperate to knock out Sestak now, while he is still a freshman, and they perceive him as vulnerable. (Clue: Joe was most vulnerable last year when he had no money, no name recognition, no political experience and running against a popular 20 year incumbent.)

Also on the list are John McMeekin II, a Philadelphia attorney and Radnor school board member, and Stephen Elliott, a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. State Department.

McMeekin said he is "very serious" about a congressional bid, but would back anyone the GOP selected. Elliott could not be reached for comment.

How serious is McMeekin if he will just go along with whomever the GOP machine picks? There's a little thing called a Primary for those that are "very serious".

The rest of the article focuses mostly on Upper Darby Police Chief, Chitwood. (Let me guess, he's going to run on a platform of "law and order".) I don't know a lot about Chitwood's politics (yet) and it's unclear how his local experience will translate on nation issues like energy policy, education, Iraq, environment and health care. I wonder if he is for or against gun control. Does he think that terrorism is a military or police matter? Would people be concerned that a cop-turned-legislator would be a good defense against the trend to turn the US into a police state?

The article also mentions that Chitwood turned down an opportunity early last year to enter the gubernatorial race in Maine, where he had served as a police chief.

Now, that is interesting. Would the former Weldon-zombies repeat their chant of "carpet-bagger"? While I suspect that Chitwood is tough-as-nails and in good shape for his age, that I doubt he is ready to run a marathon campaign. Chitwood is 63 and I doubt he can maintain the same level of energy as Sestak (who outlasted his staff of twenty-somethings).

My recommendation for Chitwood: end your career with successes in Upper Darby, not as a sacrificial lamb for the Delco GOP machine.

Papa's Got a Brand New bag Blog.

2007-08-31T00:22:00.000-04:00

Since there is nothing interesting going on in the PA 7th race (yet), and we have a lot of local elections... I'm branching off to start a NEW BLOG!

My blog is PA Delco Watch (at PADelcoWatch.com)

My new blog will focus on the races and politics of Delaware County. As far as Joe goes, I'll be free to hold his feet to the fire, if the situation warrants.

Also, NO anonymous blogging:
If you want to post comments, strap on a pair, get a free blogger account, and quit hiding.

Joey the Crank

2007-08-15T08:44:00.000-04:00

Haverford Township's resident crank, Joseph R. Breslin, wrote a letter to the Delco Times. For those that haven't hear Mr. Breslin speak, picture Archie Bunker, without the class. His letter is little different.

His Delco Times letter is supposedly a copy of one he sent to Sestak's office. In the letter, Breslin starts with:

As I stated in an announcement on Nov. 15, 2006, which was never carried by the local press, I will oppose the newly elected Democratic Congressman as a Republican for the 7th Congressional District, and will present issues and a platform each month to strengthen America and return government back to the people.

Gee, not stated in the press, or even during his failed County Council campaign. Only 3 months ago, Breslin was running for County Council, with his stated purpose of preventing Andy Lewis from getting elected. Seeing as how 6 were running for 3 open seats, even if Breslin got more votes than Lewis, he couldn't guarantee that Lewis wouldn't have been in the top 2 of the other 5 candidates. I've never hear anyone say that Breslin was good at math (or any other intellectual skill).

But, here are my questions... If Breslin had actually made it to the November ballot, and even less likely got elected, how was he planning on running against Sestak? And if abandoning a County Council position to run for Congress was his plan all along (since November 15, 2006 as he claims), why did he bother to run for County Council if he never had any intention of serving out his term? (Does this constitute a fraud on the contributors to his failed primary campaign or is Breslin protected by the adage "A fool and his money are soon parted."?)

I guess I should comment on the rest of Breslin's letter. It concerns itself with the fictional proposals for a NAFTA Superhighway. For literate Internet users, it doesn't take much searching to discover that there is no such plan/proposal. It was a political rumor created to fan the anti-immigration crowd and have a phony issue for politicians to oppose.

Breslin is such a lightweight, that I can't even add him to the list of Bat Villians. He wouldn't even make a decent henchman, though if any Bat Villians need a court jester, they needn't look far.

Better Late Than Never...

2007-08-07T00:15:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Aug 4th, Joe Sestak and 4 other Democratic Congressmen joined the other 126 co-sponsors of a bill to end the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. The new bill, H.R. 1246, The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2007 now has 131 co-sponsors.

The purpose of this Act is to institute in the Armed Forces a policy of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation.

In other words, to stop kicking out valuable soldiers from the military just because they may happen to be gay. Prior to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", the policy was open discrimination and bigotry where soldiers could be interogated about their sexual preferences and removed. The current policy prohibits a direct investigation, but still requires gay soldiers to hide who they are, and is quite simply: "Un-American". Unfortunately, in the 1990's, it was the best policy that progressives could get past the bigots.

Even today, the military classifies homosexuality as a mental disorder, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Maybe they should classify bigotry as a mental disorder.

Not long ago, 55 Arabic translators were discharged from the military once their orientation was uncovered. One in particular had his emails read during a routine fishing expedition looking for fraud in some department. This translator hadn't been asked and hadn't told, but was discharged just the same (and he WANTS to serve). These translators are crucial to the safety of soldiers in Iraq because they translate insurgent communications about ambushes and road-side bombs. There was information about 9/11 that didn't get translated until 9/12 because we were short-handed.

As John Stewart put it on the Daily Show: "Some people rather would rather be killed by a terrorist than saved by a gay hero."

The vast majority of the current generation of soldiers, most under 25, don't have a problem with gays serving openly (and many of them have shown integrity by not ratting out their fellow soldiers). There are still some old homophobic bigots running the show that are preventing progress, but, hey, they can't live forever (just like the slave owners).

It is long past time that the current institutionalized discrimination was abolished.

Back to Joe....
While I had hoped Joe would have been one of the original co-sponsors, I have even greater hopes that his involvment and military credentials will provide some movement on this issue in Congress. For some, it may raise their awareness, for others they may be inspired by Joe example, and a craven few may simple use Joe as political cover to justify support to their less-progressive constituents.
Whatever gets the job done.

Though I still feel very strongly against Joe's Iraq vote last May, I am pleased that Joe is getting it right with his support of a bill that truly honors the soldiers and improves their security.

Spencer speculates on potential GOP candidates for 2008

2007-08-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

In DelcoTimes' Gil Spencer's latest rant about Joe Sestak, he peeks into the minds of the Delco Republican power mongers who are not pre-determining for the voters of the PA-7 region who they will put up against Joe Sestak in the 2008 election.

Spencer talks to John McNichol, recently retired from his Delaware County patronage job, now spending time trying to figure out how Sestak defeated their top elected official Curt Weldon last year, and plotting Sestak's demise. McNichol talks about two potential candidates: real estate developer Tim Pulte and attorney Steve Elliott. Spencer speculates that McNichol prefers Pulte. Spencer quotes McNichol: “The family has a ton of money,” McNichol says, and the candidate would have his own “personal fortune” from which to draw.

It's nice to know that McNichol is holding with long-standing Republican traditions. It would be disturbing to see the local GOP machine appoint their candidate based on something like positions on the issues or track record for service. Anything but complete self-interest and power-mongering would be a complete break with the local GOP ideals!

As far as Spencer's attacks on Sestak in his latest diatribe, he says, "Unfortunately, Democratic congressmen like Sestak have a vested interest in seeing America fail in Iraq." You have to wonder why editor-in-chief Phil Heron allows Spencer to continue to shoot himself in the foot with junk like that.

Sestak's volunteer party, July 27, 2007

2007-08-02T23:07:00.000-04:00

Joe Sestak held a reception for volunteers on Friday, July 27, 2007 at the Media Borough Hall. Joe had just returned from Washington that evening after his week of work in the Capitol.

At the gathering, Joe gave an update on what was going on in Washington, and then took questions. It was an interesting Q&A session. There were many supporters who were angry about impeachment, or should I say, the lack of any impeachment actions to oust Bush and Cheney. And there were lots of people who wanted immediate action on exiting Iraq. There weren't too many easy questions. In fact, I can't remember one. For a group of supporters, they were pretty tough on the freshman Congressman.

Sestak handled all questions diplomatically and described what was going on. On impeachment, Joe described that there are just not enough votes to make impeachment stick, so there is little point in pushing that issue. He would rather work on more constructive actions instead.

On Iraq, Sestak described that the actions on extricating the US from Iraq will define the Democratic Party effectiveness as leaders. And it will have a huge effect on our country and the world. There is not much room for error on this issue. Even though Bush and the GOP started this war, it's up to the Dems to get us out...and the manner is which that is done is critical.

I heard later that Joe stayed until after 11 PM to answer all questions.

Next time, will someone lob him a beach ball question? Just one!

Sestak: Strategic approach needed end Iraq war

2007-07-15T22:25:00.000-04:00

A few days ago Joe Sestak (D, PA-7) wrote a statement about the Iraq war troop withdrawal bill (to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq by April 2008) that was up for vote. Sestak wrote the following, an excerpt from the entire statement in Politico:

We need a strategic approach to ending this war because the consequences of failure are immense. Congress is close, as it should be, to ending this tragic misadventure but we need to set a date certain for a safe redeployment. Ending this war is necessary, but insufficient. How we end it, and by what means, are more important for our troops' safety and our own security. It takes a strategic approach that defines the "end" of the commitment which President Bush once said would not be open-ended. The Congress must define why and how such an approach is in our best interests, including for a stable aftermath in Iraq. It can be done by a timely date-certain; we must define it to the public and the world for it is our responsibility to do so when the consequences are so great for our nation.

Small Business is Good Business

2007-06-23T22:19:00.000-04:00

It's my firm opinion that small business are the backbone of our country. They hire people and keep them. They run the small manufacturing shops and independent stores and places in our neighborhood. They contribute more to the GDP than the big companies that get all the press, and they employ more people too. They are the lifeblood of our nation.

So I was very happy to see the Small Business Administration (SBA) Entrepreneurial Development Act that was introduced by Rep. Joe Sestak was passed in the House a few days ago and now moves to the Senate.

Inc.com says:

The SBA Entrepreneurial Development Act, introduced by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) will expand the role of both Small Business Development Centers and SCORE programs in helping small-business owners deal with rising Health-care and energy costs, among other challenges.
Two other bills will provide additional services at Women Business Centers and Veterans Business Outreach Centers, while a third creates a customized program for Native American entrepreneurs.
Recent studies show that small-business start-ups that seek government assistance have a better chance of succeeding.

For more on this bill, see the Library of Congress / Thomas listing or GovTrack.us. H.R. 2359--110th Congress (2007): SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) or GovTrack.us. H.R. 2359--110th Congress (2007): SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act of 2007.

Six months of work from Joe Sestak

2007-06-21T18:00:00.000-04:00

In just under 6 months, new Congressman Joe Sestak has been a very busy man. Sestak has been active in Washington and in the PA-7 district. I've run into him at numerous events myself. From his recent email update, he makes these statements and lists the following activities:

During my campaign, I ran on the belief that national security begins at home, in the health, education, and economic security of our people. Those three pillars, along with defense security, give us National Security.

Upon arriving in Congress, I was able to secure assignments on the committees that best serve those four pillars: Armed Services Committee (Defense Security); the Committee on Education and Labor (Education Security and Economic Security); the Committee on Small Business (Economic Security?of which I was honored to have been selected Vice-Chairman); the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (Health Security); and the Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and Trade (Health Security).

During the past several months, I have held numerous Summits in the 7th District on the four pillars as a way to bring together local, state and national experts to develop legislative solutions to the issues facing us.

From these Summits, I have gathered numerous proposals for amendments and bills that have become passed legislation, some of which include: two amendments to improve mental health care for our wounded soldiers; an amendment providing student loan forgiveness for Head Start teachers; an amendment expanding small businesses' access to federal government contracting opportunities; and an amendment ensuring the Department of Defense is not duplicating efforts and is reaching out to small businesses.

In addition, the expansion and re-design of the Philadelphia International Airport is the major local issue within the District, as the proposed re-design flight plan by the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") will severely impact the health, safety and economic welfare of the citizens of the 7th District. I have held several hearings in the District, as well as meetings in Washington, DC with Deputy Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, and House Committee on Transportation Chairman James Oberstar, to review and emphasize the impact of the FAA's proposed Philadelphia airport/airspace re-design on the District. Of most importance, I have recently been successful in getting the General Accounting Office ("GAO"), the investigative arm of Congress, to investigate the cost, efficiencies and environment impact of the re-design to prevent the proposed plan. This accomplishment was due to the factual reports of my assembled FAA Expert Advisory Board that were presented to the FAA. This should be the beginning of the end of the FAA's proposed re-design flight path over the District.
Further, because of what I believe and my previous military career, I have taken a leading role in discussing the primary issue of our time - the "tragic misadventure" in Iraq and strengthening our National Security. This past spring I traveled to Iraq with Republican Senator Chuck Hagel (a Vietnam veteran) and met with Iraq Prime Minister Maliki and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker to discuss the situation over there, as well as visited our proud men and women serving in various regions throughout Iraq. My experiences have allowed me to appear on Meet the Press with Tim Russert; This Week with George Stephanopoulos; Hardball with Chris Matthews; News Hour with Jim Lehrer; Lawrence Kudlow & Co.; PBS's Travis Smiley; and C-Span's Washington Journal, as well as several other newscasts, to forcefully assert that a "date certain" is the best, and safest way, for our troops to redeploy out of Iraq.

Set forth below are more details on the Summits and some of the significant legislation to date.

DISTRICT SUMMITS
Education Security Summits
February 26, 2007 Elementary and Secondary Education Summit with Congressman George Miller, Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, and Terrell Halaska, Assistant Secretary of Education, on issues dealing with Early Childhood, Special Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Head Start Program.

March 16, 2007 Higher Education Summit with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, Chairman of the Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness Subcommittee, which brought together Presidents of the District's 11 universities, colleges, and community colleges; Deans of Education and Engineering at various advanced training schools; chambers of commerce; businesses; unions; regional development groups; and principals and superintendents of high schools to discuss issues related to Higher Education and Advanced Training.

May 14, 2007 Congressional Field Hearing on No Child Left Behind with Congressman Dale Kildee, Chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary and Congressional Hearing Subcommittee.

Economic Security Summits
April 24, 2007 Economic Development Summit with District's CEOs, venture capitalists, local chambers of commerce, business owners, economic development professionals, elected officials, union leaders, and members of the higher education and advanced training communities to discuss and work on strategies enhancing the local and regional economy.

May 21, 2007 Summit on Economic Growth and Resources where panels of Federal, State and Local Agencies presented their resources/programs to assist small businesses and business development.

Health Security Summits
February 27, 2007 Mental Health Parity Summit with Congressman Patrick Kennedy on mental health parity to highlight the need for insurance carriers to provide the same level of coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical illnesses.

Upcoming June 25, 2007 Health Security Summit that will bring together, doctors, nurses, administrators, experts, and interested parties to debate ways to improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of our healthcare system.

Listed here are the summits regarding the FAA's proposed re-design flight path of the Philadelphia International Airport because of its impact upon the safety and health/welfare of the citizens of the District:

February 9, 2007 FAA Town Hall. Town hall meeting held with FAA Airspace Manager that allowed community residents to ask questions and express their health, environmental and cost concerns directly to the FAA Airspace Manager.

March 12, 2007 FAA Summit. FAA hearing held with Congressman Jerry Costello, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation; local officials; and my FAA Expert Advisory Board to discuss the impact upon Delaware County of the FAA's proposed re-design/airport expansion.

May 12, 2007 FAA Town Hall. My staff and I mobilized residents to turn-out to voice opposition to the FAA re-design plan. Over 2000 residents showed up to voice their displeasure to FAA officials, who commented that the turnout was the largest of any of the 100 meetings that the FAA had held on its re-design plan in the New York-New Jersey-Philadelphia area corridor.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Education Security

Successfully passed amendment to H.R. 1429, The Improving Head Start Act, to provide for loan forgiveness of up to $17,500 for Head Start teachers upon completion of a Bachelor's degree and a commitment to work in the Head Start program for at least three consecutive years.

Along with Chairman George Miller and Congressman Dale Kildee, introduced legislation, the Improving Head Start Act (H.R. 1429), to reauthorize and improve the Head Start program, including continual support of parental involvement in local Head Start policy councils; extending eligibility of Head Start for families up to 130 percent of the poverty level; and fund methods to recruit/retain head start teachers.

Helped push, and co-sponsored, passage of the College Student Relief Act (H.R. 5) which cut interest rates on student loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent.
Joined Congressman Chris Van Hollen in introducing legislation, the Keep Our PACT Act (H.R. 627), to fully-fund No Child Left Behind and IDEA by 2014.

Introduced the College Aid Made EZ Act (H.R. 1608), along with Chairman George Miller to streamline and make more user-friendly the Federal student financial aid application process.

Health Security
Successfully passed two amendments - with unanimous support - to H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, to improve mental health care for our wounded soldiers. The First Amendment clarified that 'medical care' as defined in H.R. 1538 includes mental health care services. The Second Amendment requires the Secretary of the Department of Defense to develop a plan to help prevent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other stress-related psychopathologies (including substance abuse conditions) from developing in our military service members. In addition, it requires the Secretary to submit to Congress within 180 days a plan for establishing a Peer-Reviewed research program to research the prevention of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how best to strengthen the psychological resiliency of our military service members.

Helped expand funding for embryonic stem cell research by cosponsoring and voting for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R. 3).

Introduced the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act (H.R. 1553), along with Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-OH), to encourage and expand support for biomedical research programs for childhood cancer and to establish a population-based childhood cancer database.

Pushed for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate with drug manufacturers to obtain more affordable medication prices for Medicare beneficiaries by cosponsoring and passing the Medicare Prescription Drug Direct Negotiation Act (H.R. 4).

Passed the Trauma Care Systems Planning and Development Act of 2007 that provides grants to improve access to and development of trauma care systems.
Cosponsored and passed the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act (H.R. 1553) to encourage and expand research programs for childhood cancer.

Passed legislation to create a reserve fund of up to $50 billion for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) - reducing the number of uninsured children across the country.

Economic Security

Successfully passed - with unanimous support - an amendment to the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act (H.R. 1873) which will ensure small businesses greater access to federal government contracting opportunities. Over the past five years, the federal government has increased the use of a practice known as "contract bundling," which allows federal agencies to consolidate purchases into mega-contracts ? contracts so large they cannot possibly be performed by a small company. As a result, significantly fewer small businesses were receiving federal government contracts. The Amendment will ensure that more large contracts will be reviewed as to their appropriateness to be bundled, and potentially broken into smaller pieces more suitable for small business.

Helped increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour by joining Chairman George Miller in introducing and voting on the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 2).

Cosponsored the Family Small Business Tax Fairness Act (H.R. 868) with Congressman Lloyd Doggett to streamline small business joint-tax filings.

Joined Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in cosponsoring the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), which provides for more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex.

Introduced the SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act (H.R. 2359) to assist small businesses through open access to loans, credit and capital.

Passed an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that mandates that a contract officer must certify that they have done market research, including by using a web browser, to see if small businesses qualify for any contract over $1 million. This is important because 23% of all federal contracts are to be given to small businesses, but currently only 6.5% them are given to small businesses in the 7th District.

Passed the Sowing the Seeds Through Science and Engineering Research Act that provides support to young researchers, who are the source of some of the most innovative research today.

Passed the 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act which will increase the number of qualified math and science teachers through education scholarships.

Passed the Taxpayer Protection Act, that will increase IRS outreach to provide taxpayers with stronger protections from identity theft and tax fraud.

Passed the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act that creates a fair and open federal contracting system so that all businesses - including small businesses - have a fair shot at winning a federal contract.

Passed the Small Business Lending Improvements Act of 2007 that makes capital more accessible for small businesses, which often spur technological innovation.

Passed the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007 that authorizes $21 billion in funding over three years for the National Science Foundation, including funding for math and science education.

Passed the Technology Innovation and Manufacturing Stimulation Act of 2007 that fully re-authorizes the National Institutes of Standards and Technology - an organization that has enabled breakthrough technologies and improved our safety and quality of life.

Passed the Veterans' Programs Act that creates two new Veteran Business Outreach Centers to help veterans pursue or resume business activities after they leave service.

Passed the Women's Business Programs Act which provides dedicated funding to open new Women's Business Centers, sets benchmarks to measure their success, and provides additional assistance for outreach and low-income areas.

Defense Security

Introduced legislation, H.R. 960, the Enhancing America's Security through Redeployment from Iraq Act, which requires that, no later than December 31, 2007, all U.S. Armed Forces serving in Iraq be redeployed outside of Iraq, either to locations within the Middle East or Southwest Asia regions or other regions or nations, or to the United States.

Voted for H.R. 1591, the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act, which sets a date certain for redeploying our troops from Iraq.
Cosponsored and voted for H.R. 1, the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act, which is the first comprehensive response to the non-intelligence reform recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Secured $36.8 million in authorized funding, contained in the U.S. Department of Defense Authorization bill for fiscal year 2008, for vital research efforts in equipment technology, bio-terrorism, wireless technologies and software in the District and surrounding region to assist our men and women in the armed services.
Passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that makes military readiness a top priority so that our nation is fully prepared to face today's and tomorrow's threats and challenges, and focuses on improving health care, benefits, and pay for our troops.

Passed the Intelligence Authorization for Fiscal Year 2008 that authorizes the largest amount of funding in history for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities for the U.S. government.

Passed the COPS Improvements Act of 2007 that will put 50,000 additional police officers on the streets over the next six years, and provides funds for COPS technology grants and for hiring community prosecutors.

Passed the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007 that will improve the security of railroads, public transportation, and buses in the United States.

Passed the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that keeps America safe by increasing funding for homeland security supporting first responders, increasing contractor accountability, and strengthening and streamlining the Department of Homeland Security.

In response to the scandal at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, passed the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007 that includes measures to ensure our troops and veterans receive quality care.

Health Care Summit on June 25, 2007

2007-06-21T17:41:00.000-04:00

From a recent message...
Rep. Joe Sestak

...will be hosting the 7th District's first Health Care Summit at West Chester University, Sykes Student Union Building. The event, which will be held from 8:00AM until 2:00PM [Monday June 25, 2007], will bring together health care stakeholders from across our District and region to create a forum where we can start a dialogue together to address the health care challenges facing our nation today. I believe in the value of fostering a partnership among patients, providers, employers, and their government.

Health security is critical for our collective prosperity, but it is not just an individual's responsibility. To meet the challenges of the future we need healthy, educated Americans who have access to high-quality, affordable health care. We must all be productive and proactive citizens within our community if we are to participate in a health care system that will flourish efficiently.

The Health Care Summit will consist of panels on providing Adequate/Quality Health Coverage, Affordable Health Coverage, and Accessible Health Coverage, and I have invited a wide range of individuals from policy experts to health advocates, nurses, doctors, hospital administrators, small business owners, workforce and labor leaders, and government to share their experiences and viewpoints as panelists.

Sestak campaigned on a platform of addressing health care issues in our country, and this is an excellent step in that direction. It also shows that Joe is committed to getting input from constituents and experts on the issues.

If anyone is able to attend, please comment.

Sestak's Bill to Restore Habeas Corpus: HR 2710

2007-06-21T17:22:00.000-04:00

Last week, Rep. Joe Sestak introduced HR 2710, a bill to "restore the habeas corpus rights repealed by the controversial Military Commissions Act last year", according to the Constitution Project as quoted on The World Monitor.

This is a key action in rolling back one of the many actions of the Bush administration and the previous Republican-controlled Congress encroaching on civil liberties.

Joe knows what the Constitution is supposed to do, and restoring Habeas Corpus gets us back to those Constitutional rights eroded by Bush.

FYI, Habeas Corpus (according to Wikipedia), "is the name of a legal action or writ by means of which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment. The writ of habeas corpus has historically been an important instrument for the safeguarding of individual freedom against arbitrary state action."

Nice work Joe! Let's get this bill passed.

Weldon redux...too much irony to skip

2007-06-09T23:13:00.000-04:00

Bill Bender, who moved on from the Delco Times to the Philly Daily News, is covering Delaware County. His recent article, Corruption job for Weldon firm, talks about how Weldon's new employer,

Defense Solutions, an Exton-based project-management firm, announced yesterday that it had landed a contract with the Bashundhara Group to assist the corporate conglomerate in "ridding itself of even the hint of corruption and illegal business practices."

Well, if they do end up assigning Weldon to this project, at least he'll know what to look for!

Also included is an update on the FBI investigation:

Meanwhile, Weldon's fate remains unknown, nearly eight months after FBI agents raided the homes and business office of his daughter and close political ally. The probe is reportedly focused on whether Weldon helped the pair obtain foreign lobbying contracts.
An FBI spokeswoman said yesterday that the investigation is ongoing, but declined to elaborate.

Just for kicks, we'll keep our eyes on our old pal Weldon and his friends and family.

Disagreeing with my fellow PA-7 Watch blogger

2007-06-04T23:36:00.000-04:00

I have not posted to this PA-7 Watch blog for a long time, mostly because I haven't taken the time to do so. In not paying attention, I've let a few things go by here that need to be addressed.

DD has posted a few disturbing posts here, taking Joe Sestak to task for his vote on the recent Iraq Ward funding bill, and commenting on the Delco Democratic County
Council candidates. On both of these issues, I completely disagree with DD.

On the Iraq War funding vote, Sestak made his choice and explained why he voted the way he did. This vote was a no-win situation for Sestak. Either way he voted he opened himself to criticism. And the votes were lined up to go the way it went.

Congressman Sestak's top priority is to get the USA out of Iraq. This vote was not going to get us out of Iraq. I believe that Sestak will continue to work towards the goal of getting the USA out of Iraq, and that's why I supported him in the 2006 election and continue to support him now. I'm not a cheerleader, but I do have loyalty and am willing to see things through. I will not I say I support something or someone that I don't believe in. But bashing Sestak on this vote is short-sighted and asinine. And I'm disturbed that DD has done so here.

I'm also disturbed that DD has used this forum to relay his viewpoints on the candidates for County Council candidates. Very simply, this blog is about the PA-7 Congressional elections and candidates. Besides that, I disagree with DD's qualms about the various issues he raised.

We will refocus our blog on our main topic (PA-7) and continue to discuss the pertinent topics as they arise. And it's obvious that we don't always agree! That's simply the way it is in politics I guess.