Solid Democrat vs. Career Republican - Train Action Endorses Joe Sestak

For all the hate towards ConservaDems dished out on this blog (rightfully so), there's someone who has managed to avoid some of the general progressive criticism because he's been a good senator for 9 months. What Democratic senator did the following?(via Chris Bowers)

1. Flipped his vote on the Employee Free Choice Act last year?
2. Voted against President Obama's budget?
3. Compiled a voting record far worse than Ben Nelson or Joe Lieberman?
4. Represents a state that President Obama won by more than 10%, and that has a Democratic voting registration advantage of more than 10%?

Blanche Lincoln? Mary Landrieu? Let's add a few more:

-Was endorsed by George W. Bush and Rick Santorum?
-Supported all of Bush's Supreme Court nominations?
-Campaigned, and voted for McCain/Palin because they were "the better choice"?

If it sounds like I'm describing a lifelong Republican, you would be right. Arlen Spector became a Democrat for one reason alone, to keep is job. He has no values, moral compass, and cares about absolutely no one but himself. While the the David Broders of the world will claim the opposite, Arlen Specter is the absolute personification of what is wrong with politicians, the Senate, and our Government. The idea that someone who enabled every aspect of the Bush Agenda that went before his Judiciary Committee would on a year later get endorsements of every prominent Democrat from the President on down is nothing short of a disgrace.

Even worse is the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO's, who also endorsement of Specter, the man who killed the Employee Free Choice Act as a callous attempt to save is own ass. The AFL CIO's decision to endorse Specter over Sestak is the just as much a step backwards as their courageous move to back Bill Halter over Blanche Lincoln was a step forwards.

So why did they endorse such an asshole? The simple answer is that he's been a good Democratic Senator for 9 months, that's mostly true. And why has he been a good Democrat for 9 months?

Because once again, Arlen Specter fears for his job, and we all know he is such a souless shit that will do a 180 on every position he claimed to believe in for 40 years in order to keep his place in the elite ego worshiping country club that is the US Senate.

And why does he fear for his job, even though Obama, Biden, Rendell and just about every other elected official with a D next to their name has attempted clear the field of actual Democrats?


He fears for his job because Joe Sestak has balls of the size of grapefruits, and hasn't been intimidated by the calls/threats to drop out, even when they came from the President of the United States. For more information on the race, here's a Chris Bowers' endorsement, someone who has serious knowledge of Pennsylvania politics:

Sestak is an extraordinarily relentless campaigner--I have honestly never seen anyone better than him on this front. His constituent services are, from what I understand, possibly the best in the entire Congress. His biography and resume are difficult, if not impossible, to match. Further, he is significantly more progressive than Specter according to all voting scorecards. Also, despite the standing ovations in front of the party leadership, there was a stronger anti-Specter undercurrent at the state Democratic committee this weekend then I think most news reports are indicating. You are talking about hundreds of people who spent thirty years trying to defeat Specter, after all.

I don't think many people are Democrats just for the sake of Democrats accumulating more power. People become Democrats because of the causes and ideals represented by the party. An octogenarian Senator who switched parties to save his job and who fails to cross even the bare minimum threshold on many of these causes and ideals is simply not why people are Democrats. The insider relationship that Governors and other high ranking party officials care about are irrelevant to the rank and file. In a campaign this high profile, most high ranking endorsements won't matter much, either. People want cheaper health care, and they don't want elections decided for them behind closed doors.

This is going to be a very close, election. I'm one Pennsylvania Democrat, state committee member, and former union organizer, who is throwing his lot with Joe Sestak.

I made a promise to myself that any time I heard Arlen Specter doing something good in the last year, I'd give 5 dollars to Joe Sestak. If I'd kept that promise I'd be nearing the fund-raising limit, because the transformation that Sestak has forced Specter to do has been nothing short of remarkable. Even if he doesn't win, making Specter fear that he has a competitive race is equally valuable in the short term.

Joe Sestak joins Bill Halter as the second candidate added to TRAIN ACTION, and even if you can throw 5 dollars his way, you can be assured it will go to good use.

Joe Sestak For Senate!

Fierce Bipartisan Log-jamming!!!

For the sake of unintentional comedy and to keep my blood pressure at steadily high levels, I follow John Boehner, Blanche Lincoln and other morons on twitter. There are days when John Boehner's picture is just too orange and I wonder if following them is worth it... and then there are the days when Blanche Lincoln's staff links to a letter to the editor written in support of her candidacy.

Wanting to understand what type of real live human would go out of their way to show their support of such a worthless politician, I clicked through and checked it out:

LTE: Senate needs Lincoln
Arkansas Democrat Gazette

I am the granddaughter and great granddaughter of Arkansans and I currently teach fifth and sixth grade in the KIPP schools in Helena-West Helena. I write to suggest that the integrity, honesty and straightforward approach that Blanche Lincoln brings to the U.S. Senate is exactly what the Senate needs right now.

In the face of fierce bipartisanship that is log-jamming all attempts at a health care bill, Lincoln has voted the sentiments of the people of Arkansas. I have known her through my Arkansas family for all of my 24 years. And now, as a new resident of the state, I am proud to claim her as my senator and urge my fellow Arkansans to join me in keeping her in Washington as she is the very best candidate to represent our rural, agricultural, educational and family interests.

Jordan Butler
Helena-West Helena

While there is plenty to like about the letter, such as the fact that the writer hasn't lived in Arkansas until now or that they don't name any examples of actual things Blanche has done... nothing, and I mean nothing, tops this sentence:

In the face of fierce bipartisanship that is log-jamming all attempts at a health care bill, Lincoln has voted the sentiments of the people of Arkansas.

A few thoughts on that sentence:
- Isn't fierce Bipartisanship something that Blanche Lincoln would support?

- Wouldn't log-jamming the health care bill be a good thing, considering Lincoln was fairly successful at log-jamming anything meaningful out of the bill?

- Does this person support or oppose health care reform, because after she log-jammed the shit out of it, Blanche ended up voting yes...

- Are there really so few logical letters supporting Blanche Lincoln that she had to highlight this one?

Bill Halter for Senate!

Introducing Train Action

Ranting about how much certain members of congress suck is all well and good, but we've been looking for more ways to increase the activism on the blog.

Train Action will be a clearinghouse of candidates endorsed by the blog, ones that we feel are worthy of sending a few dollars to help their cause. If you feel the urge to donate, doing so though our site will allow us to see how much Train readers raised for a certain candidate.

I've never given a sizable amount to a candidate (I think $20, multiple times to Donna Edwards is my record), and there's no pressure to do so (my job as a low level cog in a labor union hardly gives me that kind of income, either). But in the current era of fund-raising, a few contributions of 5 or 10 dollars can make a huge difference in boosting a candidate's ability to get more money from the people who actually do make those 100 and 500 dollar donations.

The nuts and bolts of this effort will be done by Act Blue, which is a great site that exists for the purpose of allowing site's like ours do things that are out of our league technical ability wise.

We'll be introducing our first candidates soon, and we're open to suggestions. Let me know if you have any questions/ideas suggestions in the comments, or at thetrainofthought @ gmail.com