Liveblog interview with Congressman Joe Sestak (with Updates!)

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Crossposted at Daily Kos

    I am thrilled to announce that Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA08) is live in a liveblog interview with me at TheProgressiveElectorate.com I have posted the body of my part of the interview below the fold and will be adding updates with Congressman Sestak’s commentary. If you wish, we are thrilled to have you join us and ask any questions you like of the Congressman as he fights to be the true Democratic voice for Pennsylvania in the US Senate.

Please join us at TheProgressiveElectorate.com where we would love to hear your input.

    Thank you for joining us this evening. The ProgressiveElectorate is honored tonight to be hosting this exclusive liveblog interview with sitting Democratic Congressman and former 3 star Navy Admiral Joe Sestak who represents Pennsylvania’s 8th district and is currently challenging current Republican Democratish Senator Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary for the upcoming Senate election in Pennsylvania.

   Before we start, I’d like to introduce Congressman Joe Sestak to our readers.

   Joe Sestak was elected to Congress in 2006 to represent the 7th Congressional District where he was born and raised. During a distinguished 31-year career in the United States Navy, Joe attained the rank of 3-star Admiral and served in the White House, Pentagon, and in operational commands at sea. He is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to either branch of Congress. He attended the Naval Academy and later earned a Ph.d. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. After retiring from the Navy, Joe returned home to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Alex, and proudly represents the 7th District.

joesestak.com

    Before asking Representative Sestak a few questions of my own, I would like to thank him again for joining us here tonight, and, of course, I strongly encourage anyone who is reading this to join in with Congressman Sestak and I with any questions they’d like to ask. The more the merrier, I always say.

   Now, on to the show.  

    I have prepared four questions for Congressman Sestak, which he can answer in his first comment below, and then I will be asking him a few follow up questions. If you, dear readers, would like to ask Congressman Sestak any questions, please feel free to do so. I can assure you that the Congressman is no “Sarah from Alaska” and will be well prepared for any potential Gotcha questions you might be able to throw at him.

1.    For my first question, I would like to ask Congressman Sestak what compelled him to serve our nation in the Navy? My own father was a Navy man who served as a helmsman on the U.S.S. Ranger, and I would be thrilled to hear why Representative Sestak decided to serve our nation instead of going into the private sector.

2.     For my second question I would like to stay on the topic of foreign policy. Therefore, my question to you, Congressman Sestak, is to ask why you think it may be that so many prominent Republican politicians like former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Congressman Tom Tancredo, former Congressman Pat Toomey and current Senator Arlen Specter strongly support military action and escalation abroad over diplomacy despite never having served our nation in the military themselves, even while sometimes going to great lengths to avoid serving our military even though they seem to show no qualms about sending other Americans off to war.

3.     For my third question, I would like to ask Congressman Joe Sestak what, if elected to serve in the Senate, would he do to make the Senate more responsive to the “change we can believe in” that President Obama campaigned on. I understand that much of the opposition to change and reform in the Senate comes not only from the hyper-partisan opposition of the Republican party, but also from Conservative Democrats like Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Independent Free Agent Joe Lieberman. How will you as Senator work to make the Senate more representative of America’s desire for change, and what can you do to fight for Pennsylvania and America if elected to the Senate?

4.     And finally, I would like to ask Congressman Joe Sestak what plans he has to help improve the American economy and to bring good paying jobs with good benefits back to America, as well as how to keep the ones we have here. It seems to me that our economy suffers because the middle class and the working class Americans that built this country are suffering and burdened with overwhelming debt. Prices rise year by year for food, energy and health insurance, yet wages have been stagnant since before the Reagan years. What can be done to alleviate this strain on working class Americas, particularly the unemployed such as myself, and how will you fight for those working class Americans if elected to the Senate?

   Again, I’d like to thank the honorable Congressman for joining us this evening, as well as you, dear reader, who makes this all possible. I fully support Congressman Joe Sestak’s campaign for Senate, and I strongly encourage you to do so as well. If you can, please make a donation to our ActBlue page where you can support the only true Democrat who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania, Congressman Joe Sestak.

Correction : In question two, I stated that Arlen Specter is a Republican. It turns out that Arlen Specter is a Democrat. How long that lasts remains to be seen.

I am still waiting for the moment when this picture is actually breaking news.

Thanks again to one and all. I look forward to the conversation to follow, and encourage one and all to join in.

Cheers

UPDATE #1

Great to be here!  

Thanks for having me, let’s get started, as I answer your four questions below.

1) I decided in third grade to be in the Navy because I wanted to be just like my father, a WWII vet who rose to be a Navy Captain, who was the greatest man I’ve ever met. I wanted to be just like him. We laid him to rest in Arlington Cemetery this October. Big void.

2) What I learned in the Navy were the limits of military power. Militaries don’t fix problems, they only stop them. It’s the other elements of our power, such as diplomacy, the power of our economy, educational system, rule of law, that truly fix problems for peace and prosperity around the world — which ultimately ensures our security. That’s the lesson I took from 31 years in the Navy, serving around the world and in the White House as director for defense policy — and serves as the underpinning for my approach to foreign policy.

3) What we most need to fix the Senate is accountable leadership, where politics is not the priority and principle matters over politics, and that is the principle of working for the working families. There’s nothing wrong with principled compromise, but not with the compromise of principle. Ben Nelson’s act of the deal was wrong, as is the Democratic establishment’s acceptance of someone as their nominee in the Democratic Senatorial race that cast 2,000 votes as part of the GOP leadership that harmed those working families. We Democrats have to understand that Mass. voters voted against the failure to uphold the promise of change…not the policies, but the politics. And that’s why I’m running.

4) Democrats must understand that “small business” is a good term and the spur of our economy, creating 75 percent of all jobs. For example, the majority of Pennsylvanians work at or own a small business. A 15 percent tax credit for every job created by a small  business, would create 5 million jobs in the next 2+ years. We need to guarantee community bank loans to small business up to 98 percent by the SBA. No capital gains tax on an investment on an investment in small business this year, let them carry their losses back over five years so they can get a tax credit for more profitable years. Accelerated depreciation and expensing and much more focused on where the majority of working families work. If Democrats can seize the twin rails of defense security, and economic security through small businesses of the working family, they gain credibility for the investments needed in education, health and environmental/energy security.

Update #2 A great question!

Hi Congressman Sestak

What are the biggest differences between you and Specter?

What are the main reasons Dems should choose you over Specter?

by: ReggieH

Re: Hi Congressman Sestak

I would never have voted, in contrast to Arlen, to permit the deregulation of Wall Street, that gambled with our seniors’ savings and the homes of working families; nor for tax cuts, of which 53 cents of every dollar went to the 1 percent wealthiest of Americans; nor to twice try to privatize Social Security; to cut Medicare by almost 300 billion dollars; against SCHIP 3 times, including for lower-income pregnant women; against Pell Grant increases four times; and against an increase in Vet funding for PTSD for returning service members; or for a tax loophole that ship jobs overseas and allow corporations to keep profits abroad rather than pay taxes; nor for the “Halliburton loophole” that forbids EPA from knowing which chemicals Halliburton is using to drill for natural gas in Pennsylvania…and 2,000 other votes for President Bush’s failed policies.

I believe in education security, and worked successfully for the increase in Pell Grants, Stafford Loans and Perkin Loans; and a health care plan from the day I got into Congress; and economic security focused on working families, not big business. There is much more, as we will here, that I am for, as we go on tonight. But probably the biggest difference is on principled, accountable leadership: I would lose my job to do what is right. The type of deal to keep Senator Specter’s job that was made is against the principle that we are no longer a country of kings and king makers and that the party is one that discourages people from being part of the process. The establishment forgot that we did not gain the White House through political calculation, rather it was audacity and the belief in the working family.

by: Joe Sestak

Update 3: How about a Dem who can handle the tough questions? I think I found one.

Political leadership?  

Sir, this is asked with all the deference I can muster, but one of your key political claims is that there has been a lack of leadership in the Democratic party over health care reform.  Since you herald yourself as a “leader,” having reviewed your legislative record I see that 22 of the 47 pieces of legislation you brought to the floor didn’t have a SINGLE co-sponsor, and 4 only had ONE. Is it that your ideas are incredibly unpopular, or are you so politically ineffective you can’t push them through?  

by: johnsmithrep1986

Rather, I would say that there is sadly little support in doing the right thing

many bills go without many co-sponsors. A good idea may be unpopular, and bad ideas may get more support than they ever should have. (example: Bush tax cuts)

by: MinistryOfTruth

Re: Political Leadership

I was called the most productive freshman legislator, in our first two years, with more pieces of legislation passed, than any other freshman Congressman, including the first Elder Abuse bill in 17 years, and the first funding moved into autism care in 12 years. We passed more bills last year than either PA Senator. Our office in the District is open 7 days a week — since my District as others has been hurt — and have handled 4 times the number of constituency cases than the average Congressional office. You’re right, no one did co-sponsor my bill for an outside ethics committee for Congress, to which anyone could submit a complaint, not just a fellow Member, with subpoena power and retired judges — much like the Inspector General’s office in the Navy. No one also co-sponsored my amendment for PTSD, but it was put into the Defense Authorization bill, and passed. In short, we do work hard on the right ideas, and because of a wonderful staff and good working relationships have passed more legislation than others in areas that have long been neglected. We are still working on the others — but will have even greater success in the Senate.

by: Joe Sestak

Update #4: Jobs, jobs, JOBS!

Regarding America’s job situation  

would it not be wise to follow in the steps of John Maynard Keynes and use the power of the Government to create jobs for Americans? We can rebuild this nation, we can rebuild our failing infrastructure and we can create a green jobs economy. In what ways can programs like these be started and/or supported by a potential Senator such as yourself?

by: MinistryOfTruth

I believe government works best when it incentivizes investment rather than mandating it — once you’re through a storm such as this savage recession we are passing out of. For example, there are $80 billion in tax loopholes for fossil fuel companies, but only $13 billion in tax credits for alternative energy (not including corn ethanol). What we should do now, is reverse those and incentivize investments in this emerging field for job growth that is sustainable.

It is where we place those incentives that is most important. All that said, however, I have been a strong proponent of what you have said in getting us out of this recession. And the Stimulus bill — which was really a slow the hemorrhaging of jobs bill initially — was intended to do that. I am supportive of a jobs bill that fills the lost revenue for states, so they don’t lay off workers, and for construction jobs (because the Senate took billions out of it — Arlen Specter bragged that he took $100 billion out of the bill) but we also must to begin to use incentives to readjust priorities for the sustainable jobs of the future in emerging fields that are good for quality job creation and real income growth.

by: Joe Sestak

Update #5: Two for one! Health care AND Accountability!

accountability

Sir,

 Since you mention accountability that is my cue.

 The Bush administration ran roughshod over this country for six of his eight years and the 2006 Democratic majority barely stemmed that tide. We all know the roaches are going to run as soon as the rocks are turned over. Why has pursuit of misconduct from those years been so anemic?

 I would extend this comment to our financial system – ginning up funny money on the south end of Manhattan has pretty much run its course as a business model, yet the large banks still hold swap on Capitol Hill. How do we reign them in? The S&L mess of the 1980s saw over a thousand bankers imprisoned, while the even larger mess we have today has only seen a small handful of truly egregious cases.

by: StrandedWind

I have not read of his work, but I will. I’ve looked at Maglev and other technologies and have supported their development, including a curriculum to train future workers at our local community college. I will follow up on this.

On the second question: If you could take the money out of politics, so much of our problem with the lack of accountability to working families would go away. I am co-sponsor of a bill for public financing (not a lot of co-sponsors on that one either), but while we are waiting that, the big change is to have leaders that don’t mind losing their job to do what is right. I am fortunate in that regard, since I’ve achieved everything I wanted to in life by 1986: to command a ship at sea. This is now payback to a wonderful nation that gave me the health care in the military that let my four-year old daughter survive her brain tumor.

by: Joe Sestak

How are you planning to proceed on healthcare

There appear to be two paths right now in the netroots for getting healthcare passed.

One group says that we can fix the bill right now using “sidecar” reconciliation. They say fix the bill and then pass it.

Another group says that we should have the House pass the Senate bill as is and work to fix it later.

What strategy do you think is best for getting a bill passed?

And if it came down to it, would you vote for the Senate bill as is and work to fix it afterwords?

by: Curtis Abbey

I think what may happen, and I would support, is to get package those items it would be hard to have many disagree with (no discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions, not charging women 150% as much as men, letting small business place their employees in at least a state-wide marketplace, …). Then work hard — but more clearly explain to the public the details and why on the remaining needed elements to break the insurance monopoly and get competitive pricing — for a second package. We should do it in a principled way, with transparency to call out the other side if they don’t support it. I believe that the congregation should begin to try to pray together, but I would not sacrifice good, needed policy at the alter of bipartisanship and therefore would support getting it through as needed. I think this is the better approach than just trying the Senate bill, because there are things in the Senate bill that are inadequate, and in at least two cases harmful in discriminating against married couples and families with children in the employer mandate, and pulling into a tax over the years to come, middle- and even moderate-income families.

by: Joe Sestak

Update #6: Best answer possible to the “Why not support Specter” crowd (which I doubt exists here)

Hi Congressman Sestak  

What are the biggest differences between you and Specter?

What are the main reasons Dems should choose you over Specter?

by: ReggieH

Re: Hi Congressman Sestak

I would never have voted, in contrast to Arlen, to permit the deregulation of Wall Street, that gambled with our seniors’ savings and the homes of working families; nor for tax cuts, of which 53 cents of every dollar went to the 1 percent wealthiest of Americans; nor to twice try to privatize Social Security; to cut Medicare by almost 300 billion dollars; against SCHIP 3 times, including for lower-income pregnant women; against Pell Grant increases four times; and against an increase in Vet funding for PTSD for returning service members; or for a tax loophole that ship jobs overseas and allow corporations to keep profits abroad rather than pay taxes; nor for the “Halliburton loophole” that forbids EPA from knowing which chemicals Halliburton is using to drill for natural gas in Pennsylvania…and 2,000 other votes for President Bush’s failed policies.

I believe in education security, and worked successfully for the increase in Pell Grants, Stafford Loans and Perkin Loans; and a health care plan from the day I got into Congress; and economic security focused on working families, not big business. There is much more, as we will here, that I am for, as we go on tonight. But probably the biggest difference is on principled, accountable leadership: I would lose my job to do what is right. The type of deal to keep Senator Specter’s job that was made is against the principle that we are no longer a country of kings and king makers and that the party is one that discourages people from being part of the process. The establishment forgot that we did not gain the White House through political calculation, rather it was audacity and the belief in the working family.

by: Joe Sestak

 

Update x7. About those growing military budgets.

Congressman Sestak. AndyS in Colorado asks  

via Docudharma.com

   I

   would like to ask the question of why the discussion of cutting the military budget doesn’t seem to be on the table much in Washington despite the facts that

   a). Cutting domestic spending during a continuing recession is a virtual guarantee of worsening the recession or being mired in it for a longer period, that

   b). The people who would be hurt in such a worsening recession are the very people the government relies upon to produce tax income, while whatever its relative good or ill, the military is a consumer of tax income, and

   c). Any domestic “discretionary” spending cuts account for such a small percentage of the budget that it wouldn’t really do much to combat the deficit?

   So what would be the prospects for repealing the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy and beginning to reverse out of control military spending if it’s not being discussed much in Washington?

by: MinistryOfTruth

I have been on record, since being a 3-star Admiral and here in Congress on its Military Roles and Missions Commission, that we are building a military, that while good, is not as great, nor as cost-effective, as it could be. For example, I advocated and submitted to Congress, as a 3-star Admiral, that the Navy needed about 250 ships, not 315. The monies would be placed in”knowledge-based systems” to better address the emerging threats. We are still measuring our military prowess in numbers of ships, air force wings, army divisions — rather than capability. For example, rather than four ships off Somalia to patrol against pirates, we should have cheap unmanned air vehicles that should have been procured years ago that can see for thousands of square miles that send an image to an inexpensive ship to launch a helicopter when a craft leave the Somali coast. How efficient compared to four billion dollar ships that can’t see but a little distance beyond the horizon.

So, in answer to your question, it will take leadership, not just to say “cut the defense budget” as you propose, but to transform the military into focusing upon the capabilities to best meet the emerging challenges. But yes, I agree, in a much more cost-effective way.

by: Joe Sestak

Update x8: All I can say is HOT DAMN!

Questions from Deaniac83 at DailyKos  

+ How fast and when does he think Congress can move to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? [him being the highest ranking ex military official in Congress, I think this is important.)

+ Since he is running for the Senate, if elected, will he advocate for the use of the Constitutional option to get rid of/limit the use of the filibuster in the Senate?

by: Curtis Abbey

I wrote the President, Speaker Pelosi, published op-eds (sent one to WaPO last week) that DADT must be repealed immediately (as should DOMA and so many other discriminatory laws). How can we not give equality to those who have defended our nation — and we need them. We should have a Senator leading on this charge.

The United States does not need reform — the U.S. Senate does. But I would caution as we do it, including how far to go on the number for a filibuster. Our fore fathers established a Constitution that ensure the protection of the minority; it was pretty wise how they did it, and the initial Senate rule regarding the 60-40 vote was also done to protect the minority during the Civil Rights Era. I very much respect our Democracy, because it is a “Representative Democracy,” established to protect the minority. Some day, we also will be that minority and how we do this is as important as the change itself, to ensure the right balance between protection of the minority (which doesn’t’;t happen at all in the House) but in the Senate has been used unfortunately for paralysis of the institution. So, yes, change is needed but getting it in the right balance is also an objective.  

by: Joe Sestak

Final Update

Fun Questions

Jay or Conan?

Best place to get a philly cheese steak?

Favorite Movie? Food? Sport?

by: Curtis Abbey

Conan. Definitely Conan

and I used to run a philly cheesesteak joint. I say Pat’s all the way!

Only a true philly guy would catch that, but I don’t want to ask Congressman Sestak to commit on that one. Too divisive.

And Cheeze whiz with!

by: MinistryOfTruth

I honestly don’t watch either…I rarely watch television…probably because of my time at sea, where we didn’t have it; A Wawa cheesesteak at 1 am as I head home, knowing the family is already asleep and it’s my dinner. I woof it down as though I was still a bachelor; Happy Feet with my daughter; popcorn with cheese on it (due to my bachelor days until I was 47, I’m sure); again, hula-hoop frisbee with my daughter.

I want to thank everyone for this hour. I wish I typed faster. I would be grateful for the opportunity to do this again. The questions were superb and those I didn’t answer, should have been. Finally, I honestly believe the principles of the Democratic party are the right ones for our nation. But we need to bring into those principles a greater sense of accountability, not just fiscally, but in being ready to do the right thing to achieve them, irrespective of the cost to a public servant’s job prospects. I joined the military during the Vietnam War and we were ranked last out of 15 institutions by the Gallup Poll in terms of public trust. We worked hard to regain that trust, and when I left four years ago we were first at 78 percent. I went to Congress, where we were dead last and were falling still…deservedly, unfortunately. I’d love to be part of the group and turns the public trust, that while everyone will not always agree with positions taken, they will always know where I stand early, having listened, but being forthright and then fighting for those positions, regardless of consequences for myself, believing in principled compromise but never a compromised principle. The lack of that trust is presently the greatest challenge in passing the right policies Washington DC faces.

by: Joe Sestak

I’d like to thank Congressman Sestak again for joining us this evening. It was truly an honor.

And again, if you can, show Joe Sestak some love at our ActBlue page. If you are serious about getting BETTER Democrats into the Senate I couldn’t think of a better place to start.

Peace and Love to all.

Cheers