They're Deliberating On Santa Claus Too

Here’s the latest from the Joe Sestak campaign:

VALLEY FORGE, PA – Former three-star Admiral Joe Sestak, the Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, today outlined a planned end to military engagement in Iraq within the next year before a group of local veterans and others.

"The war in Iraq has been a tragic misadventure," Sestak said. "It was undertaken at the wrong place because there was no clear and present danger. It was undertaken at the wrong time because it distracted us from the job that needed to be finished in Afghanistan. Curt Weldon voted for this war, and now his and President Bush's policies have led our country into an inconclusive, open-ended occupation, with elusive ever-changing goals."

Over the course of his 31 years in the Navy, Sestak led a series of operational commands, culminating in command of the George Washington aircraft carrier battle group that conducted combat operations in Afghanistan and precursor operations to the war in Iraq.

"Americans have a decision to make," Sestak continued. "'Victory', defined by the Bush Administration as the insurgency being crushed within a stable, secular Iraqi democracy, is unlikely without a significantly larger U.S. force that can stop both the insurgency and the internal sectarian Sunni-Shiite fighting. There is the real likelihood that our continued presence will lead to a prolonged occupation with rising death, injury, and cost for an unknown number of years. We must look for a new way forward; failing to do so means significantly hurting our other, more important long term interests in the world."

Sestak asserted that the best way forward in Iraq is a definitive timetable for re-deployment within a year. Such a date-certain timetable will serve as the "catalyst for change in Iraq," with the planned U.S. redeployment forcing the major parties in Iraq to accept their responsibilities for ensuring peace.

In summary, Sestak said, "U.S. interests in the world do not include pouring endless amounts of our national treasure of lives and money into elusive, endless goals when we have so much else to achieve in this world."

Pennsylvania's Seventh Congressional District includes parts of Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester counties.

So what does “Crazy Curt” Weldon have to say in response? This wonderful quote (noted in this story):

“I think the jury is still out on WMD.”

And this totally unfounded lie (also noted in the story)...

Weldon campaign chairman Michael Puppio said Sestak should take responsibility for what he said was a scheme to funnel $100,000 from Enron Corp. to the Democratic National Committee by threatening in 1995 to cut off U.S. aid to Mozambique if the African nation refused to let Enron develop its natural gas fields.

Sestak said he had no involvement with Enron as the National Security Council’s director for defense policy.

"Mozambique?" he asked, appearing confused by Puppio’s allegation. "I’m sorry, I don’t know what they’re talking about."

Curt, the whole “fear and smear” thing is soooo 2004 of you. Reach into your slimy bag of tricks and come up with something else. Or better yet, try to have AN HONEST DEBATE ON THE ISSUES with Joe, OK?