I'm not sure I get why Joe Sestak is responding this way to Arlen Specter's new attack ads:
MEDIA, Pa. – A retired Navy veteran who's challenging Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary has asked Vice President Joe Biden to denounce a Specter ad that suggests the military fired him.
Philadelphia-area congressman Joe Sestak asked the vice president in a letter Thursday to disavow an ad that claims Sestak was relieved of duty "for creating a poor command climate."
Biden is scheduled to headline a Friday rally for Specter in northeastern Pennsylvania.
...
The Specter ad relies on information in a 2005 Navy Times article. Sestak disputes the report's accuracy and accuses Specter of using "Swift Boat"-style tactics, a reference to the 2004 presidential campaign.
Thinking about this from a purely political perspective, here's two thoughts:
- Link Specter to McCain-Palin, not swift boat tactics. Instead of accusing Specter of using swift boat tactics, it would be better to accuse him of using McCain-Palin tactics. Sestak could say something like: "I'm not surprised. What else would you expect from a McCain-Palin supporter trying to win a Democratic primary?"
- Ask Biden about Specter's support for Palin, not the ad. Clearly, Sestak is trying to find a way to get some earned media with Biden in town. Instead of focusing on Specter's ad (which Specter would be happy to talk about), Sestak should instead look for a way to underscore the fact that if Arlen Specter had his way in 2008, he'd be standing on stage with Sarah Palin instead of Joe Biden.
It's one thing for Sestak to save his campaign cash until the last moment, but this is free media, and if he wants to win this thing, he can't waste opportunities to link Specter to Palin.
