Sestak wins KP straw poll

Joe Sestak wins online progressive straw poll
Wins Keystone Progress poll with 62.8% of vote, Specter 2^nd with 27.6%

(WEST READING, PA)—Congressman Joe Sestak is the clear choice of progressive activists for U.S. Senate in 2010, according to a straw poll conducted by Keystone Progress. Sestak received 62.8% of the votes, while incumbent Senator Arlen Specter was a distant second with 27.6%. No other candidate received 2%.

Sestak’s dominance was statewide, although he was strongest in the southeast (70.4%) and the Lehigh Valley (73.9%). The only category that Specter won was among the small number (16) of progressive Republicans who voted. Specter bested Sestak among Republicans by a 37.5-31.2 margin.

The poll was described as “very unscientific” by Michael Morrill, Executive Director of Keystone Progress. “We asked our subscribers ‘Who should Pennsylvania progressives support for U.S. Senate in 2010?’ The results are from those who chose to participate. Still, the results reinforce what we’re hearing anecdotally among progressive activists.”

Keystone Progress (www.keystoneprogress.org) is the state’s largest online progressive activist organization. The participants in the poll were all subscribers who have taken action with the organization on issues ranging from keeping electric rates low to standing up for LGBT rights.

Over one thousand people (1011) participated in the straw poll. They were asked “Who should PA progressives support for U.S. Senate in 2010?” Voters were given the option of picking from the five declared candidates—Democrats Bill Kortz, Joe Sestak, and Arlen Specter; and Republicans Peg Luksik and Pat Toomey. Candidates were listed in alphabetical order, with Democrats listed first. Voters were also given the option of picking another candidate. None of the write-in candidates received 1%, nor did Luksik. Those votes were all added to the other category.

Multiple votes from the same computer were counted only once. Out of state votes were not counted.

The page used for voting can be viewed at: http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/pasenate

Complete results follow. Total votes by party do not total 1011 because party identification was voluntary. Total votes by geography do not total 1011 because we were unable to identify a small number (20) by zip code.

Keystone Progress will conduct a similar poll for the 2010 governor’s race beginning next week.

	Bill Kortz		Joe Sestak	Arlen Specter	Pat Toomey	Other	Total Votes
Total	1.9	62.8		27.6	1.3	6.4	1011
Democrats	1.7	65.4		29.0	0.1	3..8	693
Independents	2.9	51.4		28.6	-	17.1	35
Republicans	-	31.2		37.5	18.7	12.5	16
Greens	-	68.7		-	-	31.2	16
Northwest	-	56.2		31.2	6.2	6.2	32
Southwest	4.4	54.7		35.2	1.9	3.8	159
North Central	-	54.3		37.1	-	8.6	35
South Central	2.9	55.1		33.8	2.2	6.0	136
Northeast	1.3	59.2		34.2	1.3	3.9	76
Lehigh Valley	2.2	73.9		19.6	2.2	2.2	46
Southeast	1.2	70.4		23.7	0.1	4.2	507

Specter Scorecard Created to montior his voting record

 

 

Arlen Specter has switched teams in mid-season.  He says he's ready to play the game as a true progressive, but after years of being the guy that George W. Bush called his "firm ally when it mattered most," a lot of us are waiting to see if he's ready to knock it out of the park on progressive issues or whether he'll  strikeout when his vote really matters for the progressive team.

To keep track of Senator Specter’s votes on key progressive issues, we’ve created a new website called Specter Scorecard (www.specterscorecard.org).

Specter Scorecard will do two things:

It will keep you informed about key upcoming votes where Sen. Specter's vote will be vital to the success of the progressive position.  We'll give you accurate information about the issue and we'll provide you with the opportunity to take action to help persuade Arlen to do the right thing.

We'll let you know how Sen. Specter has voted on important progressive issues since he made the switch.  We'll display his "progressive batting average" and keep it updated when he takes votes on those issues.

To view the site, click here (www.specterscorecard.org).

If you'd like us to send you updates about changes in the website, click here (http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/specterscore).

Michael Morrill
Keystone Progress

Specter Scorecard is a project of Keystone Progress, PennAction, ProgressNow and True Majority.  
The information on Specter Scorecard is not intended to support or oppose the election of any candidate for public office. The sponsoring organizations encourage you to use this page to support or oppose the issues we have included on this site.

Specter took $235,350 from union busters in 2008

From Talking Union:  http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/specter-took-250k-from-union-buster-in-2008-then-turned-back-on-workers

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) has spent a career crafting an image of independence and integrity. On March 24 he sacrificed both when he turned his back on the working people in his state. Specter announced that he would not vote to allow the Employee Free Choice Act to receive an up or down vote on the Senate floor; a move that some consider fatal to the legislation. In a statement on the Senate floor he waxed eloquent about his belief that a difficult economic climate is no time for workers to receive a living wage. 

Specter received $235,350 in 2008 from Blank Rome LLP a self described “union avoidance” law firm.

Read the whole article here:  http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/specter-took-250k-from-union-buster-in-2008-then-turned-back-on-workers

Tip of the hat to Alan Hart from UE News for pointing us to this article.- MM

Tell Specter: Let the Senate Vote on Employee Free Choice

Tell Senator Specter:

Allow the Senate to vote on the Employee Free Choice Act

Last month we sent an email asking whether Senator Specter was on the side of Rush Limbaugh or on the side of working families. Yesterday he answered the question. Specter came down solidly on the side of Limbaugh and the CEOs of Citigroup, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs.

Specter said he will not allow a Senate vote on the Employee Free Choice Act. In a textbook example of irony, Specter said his reason was his belief in the sanctity of majority voting as a cornerstone of our democracy.

Specter said he will impose his will and refuse to allow the Senate to vote on the Employee Free Choice Act, despite the fact that it is favored by a majority of his fellow Senators, a majority in the House of Representatives, and most importantly, a majority of the American people. Specter said he will use an antiquated Senate rule that allows a minority to block votes to keep this popular bill from passing.

That's not the way the system is supposed to work. And it belies the hypocrisy of Specter's decision.

Click here to tell Senator Specter to let the Senate vote on Employee Free Choice. http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/specterEFCA

If he opposes the bill, he can vote against it, but he should not singlehandedly impose his will on the Senate and working families across the nation.

In Solidarity,

Michael Morrill
Keystone Progress
www.keystoneprogress.org
Follow Keystone Progress on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/keystoneprogres

More on Employee Free Choice:
When workers are free to choose to join a union, our economy can work for everyone again. That's why we need the Employee Free Choice Act-a bill in Congress that would help to level the playing field and give workers the freedom to choose a union.

Employee Free Choice will allow workers to determine whether or not they want a union, without undue intimidation and interference from the employer. It will let workers decide whether they want to hold an election or simply have a majority sign a petition to determine whether or not they can have a union. Both options exist now, but instead of letting the workers decide, current law allows the employer to decide which method is used.

According to American Rights at Work, the Employee Free Choice Act would:

·         Help America's working families improve their standard of living. Workers in unions earn 30 percent higher wages and are 59 percent more likely to have employer-provided health insurance.

·         Fix a broken system that gives corporations far too much power. When workers try to organize unions, they are often harassed and intimidated; 25 percent of companies unlawfully fire pro-union workers.

·         Restore fairness and the promise of the American Dream, with a robust middle class, economic growth, and shared prosperity.

Tell Specter to let the Senate vote on Employee Free Choice:
http://www.keystoneprogress.org/page/s/specterEFCA