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Renegade Democrats buck Barack Obama
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Race
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| Contributor | Monsieur |
| Last Edited | Monsieur Jun 15, 2009 08:56am |
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| Category | Election Guide |
| Author | Jonathan Martin |
| News Date | Monday, June 15, 2009 02:50:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | He’s riding high in the polls among his fellow Democrats, but President Barack Obama’s political sway within his own party is about to be tested.
Two House Democrats, Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania and Carolyn Maloney of New York, are poised to defy the unambiguous wishes of Obama and challenge incumbent senators of their own party.
Both indicated to POLITICO that they were likely to run — and would do so regardless of what Obama said.
Sestak, a second-term Philadelphia-area congressman and retired admiral, said he was just over a month away from announcing his intention to challenge Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter.
“I understand the very short-term, expedient desire to have the insurance of a 60th vote,” Sestak said, speaking of the implications of Specter’s April party switch and why the longtime senator was so quickly embraced by the administration.
But he added of Obama: “I believe in his heart of hearts, he really wants a real Democrat to win this race, and I think he very much respects that we are pretty independent-minded in Pennsylvania and we should have a choice.”
Asked directly if a plea from Obama would make any difference, Sestak shook his head and said: “No.” |
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