If you have any doubt that this is an important race that both parties still care very much about, this article should assuage any doubts.
The Dems, deciding who to cut loose as far as additional spending go, have recently decided to pour $3.2 million into the PA Senate race between the Wall-Street lapdog and Tea Party favorite, Pat Toomey and our guy, three-star Navy Admiral and current unabashed progressive Congressman Joe Sestak.
Meanwhile, the Republicans are answering with a "seven-figure" spend on Toomey. Not to mention the nasty ads bought (to the tune of about a million dollars) this week by the NRA AND the Chamber of Commerce (video below).
Joe Sestak is a closer. And apparently, everyone knows it. His newest ad, on Social Security, is great (video also below). But he cannot do this without our help. Stop paying attention to the O'Donnell trainwreck and focus on a race that still needs us. Thanks to everyone helping on this one - follow over the fold for ways to get involved.
First things first, though - anyone, anywhere can help the campaign by Donating or Calling (through the campaign's virtual phone bank) --- this is one race the Netroots should get behind. Sestak challenged Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter in the primary and beat him, despite a complete lack of support from the establishment, and is now in a serious contest with one of the most extreme right-wingers this election cycle.
(And, I wrote and published this before seeing Sestak was ahead in internal polls! He's a closer, all right!)
It's put up or shut up time for the party machinery, deciding who to spend money on as the election nears and who to cut loose. If you have any doubt about whether this race is still in play, just follow the money:
[emphasis mine]
To date, the DSCC’s spending has focused on the set of races that are genuinely balanced on a knife’s edge, according to Federal Election Commission data. Through the end of September, the committee had put $3.1 million into the Colorado, where incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet is about evenly matched with Republican challenger Ken Buck, and $3.2 million into Pennsylvania, where Rep. Joe Sestak trails Republican Pat Toomey by single digits. It has also spent substantial sums to retain seats in Connecticut, Illinois and West Virginia, and to flip Republican-held seats in Missouri and Kentucky.
[snip]
So when it comes to campaign spending, the NRSC is leaning most heavily into the set of races that would take it from around the five-pickup marker to the eight-, nine- or 10-seat mark. It’s already spent or committed independent resources in the Democratic-held states of Colorado, California, West Virginia, Illinois and Washington. And it has marked off seven-figure sums for coordinated spending in several additional states, including Pennsylvania and the Republican states of Kentucky, Missouri and Florida.
--- Politico
Here are the ads from the NRA and the Chamber of Commerce that I mentioned in the intro (can't get the NRA video to embed but the link should work):
And here is the Social Security ad from Sestak. Another hard-hitting ad, I think --- coupled with the one where Toomey brags about being like Rick Santorum, you can tell why the endgame in Sestak's races matter so much. Granted, Toomey has backpedaled a bit since supporting GWB's scheme to gamble away all of Social Security on the stock market, and now claims he just wants to give the option to younger workers. But I suspect Mr. Wall Street would support a total privatization plan in a second if any Republican leader suggested it.
But Joe Sestak absolutely cannot do this without our help. We know we won't see the turnout of 2008, but with the amount of cash the Republicans are pouring in, if we don't do everything we can to GOTV now, we will lose this one.
If you can help the Sestak campaign reach their goal of $400,000 by Oct 22 (the amount that the NRA spent on that one ad above) - please do so. If you can spend any time calling (no matter where you live) or canvassing, please do so.
Here's a more complete list of ways to get help:
- Donate (Seems to me this diary series ought to be able to get at least 50 contributors - and the Sestak campaign is trying for a goal of $400,000 raised between now and Oct. 22 - let's help put Sestak over the top!)
- Canvass --- getting out the vote is critical. You can also go to their contact us page
- Call - they have a Virtual Phone Bank, so you can make calls from anywhere! (h/t angel65)
- Send email (link takes you to the earlier diary that contains a template) or call or talk in person with those you know in Pennsylvania about this race.
- Go to go.joesestak.com (GoJoe for short) create an account, and look for ways to get involved.
- And, if you are in Pennsylvania, plan to vote, and bring as many people with you as possible.
Other diaries in the series:
#19 - Specter and Sestak, together at last.
#18 - "You don't vote just once for change" and GOTV Challenge Results
#17 - GOTV Challenge - You comment, I call.
#16 - New ad says Toomey=Santorum (w/VIDEO)
#15 - Sestak pummels Toomey on economy (w/VIDEO)
#14 - Pushing Obama on Afghanistan, and October debates!
#13 - GoJoe site is back and today is voter reg deadline!
#12 - The narrative begins to change.
#11 - Matching funds until tonight! And, Sestak in his own words.
#10 - New Poll, We're Gaining Ground!
#9 - Toomey's outlandish beliefs on parade
#8 - Knocking on doors in Pittsburgh this past weekend
#7 - The Admirable Admiral weighs in on tax cuts.
#6 - Sestak v. Toomey on crime
#5 - Mobilizing Pennsylvania's Progressives
#4 - Why is dKos advertising for a Tea Party Republican?!
#3 - Obama's other engagement today
#2 - Lies, Damn Lies, and Pat Toomey's ads.
#1 - Let's do better than the teabaggers in DE. Seriously, people, fight for it.
Thanks for reading and for all your help, and make sure to check in to see what tomorrow brings in this incredibly important contest.