Sestak back in the grind, and the coffee flows - Inquirer

[MH1]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20100520_Sestak_back_in_the_grind__and_the_coffee_flows.html

Every time Joe Sestak wins an election, he has the same morning-after: early handshakes of gratitude with commuters on a train platform.

So it was Wednesday, when, on less than three hours' sleep, the two-term congressman from Delaware County showed up in his flight jacket at the Market East SEPTA station before 6 a.m. to thank commuters for making him the state's newly minted Democratic Senate nominee.

The end of his day - three state lines and about 18 hours away - would come in a House committee, shepherding a sheaf of amendments to a spending bill through a series of votes. He would trade the flight jacket for a blue sportcoat and purple tie, make at least half a dozen appearances on national media outlets, and grin at every round of congratulations for being the man who ended the career of Pennsylvania's longest-serving U.S. senator in Tuesday's primary.

...

Sestak's phone had started ringing at 10:12 p.m. Tuesday, when the race was called: congratulations from Democrats who had opposed his run - President Obama, Gov. Rendell, Mayor Nutter.

Then he and aides huddled to map out the first day of his general-election run - and balance that against casting votes in Congress. (He could ill afford to be a no-show - Specter had made an issue of votes that Sestak had missed.)

Dawn Wednesday found the candidate on the move - and in demand.

By the time he rode a green Toyota Prius from Market East to the VideoLink studio on North 17th Street, he confessed to "looking haggard" as studio employee Lilie Berkov dabbed makeup on his cheeks. But to a national audience, he looked like the Democrats' leading argument that they, too, could harness anti-incumbent fervor.

Then it was back to the green Prius, rolling west on Market Street to the Amtrak station and a ride on the Acela. The victor splurged: An upgrade from his coach-price plan bought Sestak an extra hour on Capitol Hill.

There, his day was a succession of committee votes and office meetings - plus national attention. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D., N.Y.) left a message. Lobbyists and reporters waited for Sestak to dart back and forth to votes. More congratulations flowed, he reported, from "as many Republicans as Democrats," forcing the Armed Services Committee to pause briefly in its business.

Beat Toomey, support Joe: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/sestak2010

[femmocrat]

1. Toomey is already running ads for the general election.

Geez, give it a rest!

[Divernan]

4. Are Huff-Post's Toomey ads just going out to Pennsylvania?

Toomey ads, mainly focusing on trashing Sestak, have been ubiquitous on Huff-Po since the day after the election. Why pay for national advertising for a PA Senate race? And why this early?

Given the level of political sophistication on Huff-Po and DU, Toomey's advertising strategy will be about as successful as Right-to-Lifers advertising to NARAL members.

[blue neen]

5. I wasn't particularly impressed with the first Toomey ad that I saw on TV.

IMHO, it was ineffective.

It's hard to believe that we got rid of Santorum in '06 only to have Toomey running now.

[MH1]

6. haven't seen the ad yet myself

but unless PA has gone certifiably nuts, or easily bamboozled (unfortunately THAT is possible), they will not pick Toomey when there is a sane option running.

[noel711]

2. This shows Sestak is in it for the long haul...

He knows what campaigning in about,
and the WH is in the boat with him...

NO whining on MTP yesterday about how 'exhausted' he was
unlike the poor, put-upon Rand Paul, who seems to be
wallowing in pity, because everyone is picking on his sorry ass.

[MH1]

3. Yeah the contrast between Rand Paul and Joe Sestak is rather striking, I'd say

and not just on policy positions.

:)

[blue neen]

7. +1

Agreed. :)