Sestak All But Running

Congressman Joe Sestak of Media Pennsylvania is not officially a candidate for US Senate but he is making the rounds across the state as if he is running. Over the weekend he met with Democrats at a party dinner celebrating the life of former Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. He was not allowed to address the members directly, as US Senator Arlen Specter was, but he spent plenty of time shaking hands and making contacts some 300 miles from his home district. While in town, Sestak stopped in the DUQ studios to talk about his thoughts on the election. Sestak says he has made the decision to run and his wife is fully supporting him but they are waiting for the blessing of their 8-year-old daughter. His daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and given just a few months to live. That was more than three years ago. She is still undergoing periodic operations but Sestak says he thinks she will give her blessing sometime in the next few weeks. That blessing coincides with a deadline to report campaign fundraising numbers. Sestak says he became interested in running for US Senate after Arlen Specter switched parties to become a Democrat and then was immediately supported by President Barack Obama, PA Governor Ed Rendell and other party officials. He says he thinks the voters of Pennsylvania need an alternative to the “anointed candidate.” He says he understands the President’s need for a 60th vote in the Senate but he says the voters of Pennsylvania need to look beyond that short-term gain and choose a candidate that they can trust to represent their interests for the next 6 years. He says he simply cannot trust Arlen Specter. The two-term congressman says he has proven his own credentials over the last three years as a person that will fight for healthcare, workers rights, and energy independence. He says his priorities more closely align with the President’s priorities in the long run than those of Specter. Sestak has about $3 million in his campaign war chest and is actively seeking additional donations before the June 30th reporting deadline.
Listen to an interview with Congressman Joe Sestak