This morning I officially launched my campaign for U.S. Senate.
This campaign is not about me … it’s about all of us, and we are going to need your help to win.
In Pennsylvania, like all around the country, we find ourselves in challenging times.
But this nation has always thrived on the knowledge that with adversity comes opportunity. We have an opportunity – if we act now, with vision and resolve – to root out endemic problems in our financial system, to provide health care and educational opportunities for all, and to recommit ourselves to our core principles of honesty, accountability, and hard work … and to put principle above politics.
We must restore the promise of the American Dream – that our children will have the opportunity, based upon their talents, to do even better than their parents.
For too long, people in powerful positions have failed to remember that the American Dream has never been about getting ahead. It is about having an opportunity to do well and to create a better world for the next generation so they will be inspired to do the same.
It is that great pact between generations – that we will pass down a better world than the one we inherited – that has been lost for the first time in our history. That is why I am running for the U.S. Senate.
Why has that pact been lost? Because the people you sent to Washington to represent you – to look out for you – failed to do so, and must be held accountable. That’s why my District voted for change in 2006, our nation voted for change last year, and Pennsylvania will vote for change next year to remain committed to a new direction.
The challenge we face today is itself an opportunity to remember that America’s strength has never come from force of arms, industrial might, or even innovation. These are simply the fruits of the conviction that everyone deserves a fair shot, that everyone can and should contribute to their full potential, and that honest hard work will be respected and rewarded.
If you believe in that message, I ask you to please show your support at this time by making a contribution. We need every dollar to help restore the American Dream!
Curt Weldon, the current Congressman from Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District and future Pennsylvania prison system inmate, has pulled down the majority of his campaign ads for the closing days of the campaign.
TPM is speculating that based on a suggestion made in the DelcoTimes Weldon has pulled the ads to conserve money for his legal defense fund in the coming months.
And this is all good news for Navy Admiral Joe Sestak who will be a trustworthy and honorable United States Congressman from the PA 7th!
Two days after launching a new advertisement, U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon has canceled some of his TV time, fueling speculation Friday he was throwing in the towel and saving money for a legal defense fund. The campaign denied the rumors, saying it was merely redirecting cash to “Tele-Town Halls” to reach out to moderate Republicans and independents in the final days of the campaign.
“We’re not pulling anything. We’re scaling a few things back,” said Weldon spokesman Michael Puppio.
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Joe Sestak, Candidate for U.S. Congress
Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District
Lois Murphy, Candidate for U.S. Congress
Pennsylvania 6th Congressional District
Ray Murphy, Executive Director
Philadelphians Against Santorum
This first entry today won’t be long because we’re finishing up some work here in Cheshire, CT and then driving back to New Haven for some interviews.
Later this afternoon we’re driving due north to Rhode Island, home of one of the most closely watched Senate races in America between embattled Republican Lincoln Chaffee and Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.
We had a great night sleep, some tasty (healthy) food and we’re all feeling good.
Tonight, more writing and producing!
Keep an eye out for our next episode with Joe Sestak (PA-07) and Lois Murphy (PA-06) – the episode should be up within the hour.
As promised, some notes and thoughts on Joe Sestak, the Democratic candidate opposing Curt Weldon in Pennsylvania’s 7th District. It’s an interesting district, made up of Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester counties and while the greater Philadelphia area has been trending blue for a while, Joe pointed out in his speech that there is only 22% Democratic voter registration. All three of us grew up no more than 15 minutes from the district. We talked to him on Tuesday night and should have the interview up at some point this weekend.
Joe, as he told the questioners to call him, entered the room around 9:30 pm or so after a long day of campaigning, looking tired but relaxed in blue shirtsleeves. He’d done his first event after declaring to run with the Swarthmore Dems so he was amazed at how far they’d come. The polls have been tightening and Joe raised more money than Weldon in the last quarter. He gave us his basic stump speech, though he may have made it a bit more wonky for the college crowd.
The beginning basically told his story: three plus decades of miliary service in the Navy, fighting in Afghanistan, and the sense of honor and community he gained from his service. He told the story of his daughter’s sickness and how it inspired him to run when he saw another sick little boy “on the other side of the curtain” in the hospital, surrounded by social workers discussing whether or not he could stay at the hospital due to his lack of health insurance. Admiral Sestak was lucky enough to have wonderful healthcare for his daughter through his taxpayer funded health insurance. “I owe this country…I owe the people,” he said.
My favorite quote? “All the military officers are Democrats, they just don’t know it yet.”
And he told us of his sense of an American spirt and determination that is in real danger due to the disaster of the Iraq war. He called for our troops to be out within a year.
Though he’d been up since sunrise greeting commuters at the train station, he then took questions from the audience where he talked about Darfur, Medicare Part D and the “donut hole,” the deficit, and even his support for the International Criminal Court.
Joe Sestak is gonna make a great Congressman. Help him out.
We’re on our way home after a long but rewarding speech, Q&A, and interview with Joe Sestak sponsored by the Swarthmore College Democrats and their tasty pizza. I’ll write more on what Joe actually said tomorrow, but suffice to say, he’s a very impressive candidate. Thoughtful and well-spoken with a strong grasp of the issues, the Admiral should make for a very good Congressman.
We shot some video tonight too. I don’t know how much I can say about it now, but you should expect to see some video of us online soon thanks to a partnership with PoliticsTV. It’s pretty exciting. Photos too which will be up on flickr soon.
Oh, and I am loving this wireless broadband card. Streaming music and blogging from the highway is pretty neat.
We’re officially inside the DoubleSpeak minivan, driving on 95N past Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies headed to Swarthmore College to interview Joe Sestak. He’s running in the PA 7th against Curt Weldon and he’s got a great resume. Admiral in the Navy, multiple deployments overseas, etc. You’ll hear more about him on the show that will go up in the next day or two.
We’ll be sending out an official announcement in the next couple hours, but we are on the road. I’m so excited that this adventure is finally underway. PA interviews are going well. We are booked solid until the minute we leave the state and we’re looking forward to bringing our audience some really interesting interviews and great pics, video, etc.
We’re still working on finishing the website, it will be out in the next 24 hours or so and we’ll be putting out a national press release about the trip as well.
We’d love to hear from you. Contact us through our website or drop us a line over email. If you have suggestions about people to talk to, issues to cover or best highways to drive, we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Matthew is a bad driver. This could possibly be the last post I ever do.
Okay, that’s it for now. Make sure you check out Joe Sestak’s website and look forward to our interview. More later.
