2010 PA Senate Debates: on Homeland Security


Pat Toomey: Economic viability is most important national security issue

Sestak noted, "China holds so much of our reserves. If they dumped them on the stock market--imagine what would happen. Remember, it really is a strong economy that undergirds our military. That undergirds our education, that undergirds our health system," said Sestak.

His rival agreed with him on that one. "I agree with Joe that the most important national security issue long term is the economic viability of our country," Toomey said.

Source: Epoch Times coverage of 2010 PA Senate debate Oct 23, 2010

Joe Sestak: 2005 Navy reassignment: personnel change or morale issue?

Specter opened the debate demanding an apology for a Sestak ad in which a veteran asks Specter not to "lie" about Sestak's Navy record, and he repeatedly asked Sestak to release his service records to explain a 2005 reassignment by the Navy.

Sestak ignored the requests, called his service honorable and aggressively worked to tie Specter to the policies of former Pres. Bush. "There is no record except the Republican record for Arlen Specter," Sestak said.

Specter countered that he had stood with Democrats on their top priorities, even during his 28 years as a Republican. Specter switched parties last year.

Sestak has said he was reassigned in 2005 because the newly appointed chief naval officer wanted his own team in charge. Specter has cited a report in the Navy Times that said Sestak was reassigned from his job as deputy chief of naval operations for creating a poor command climate--a term for morale.

Source: Lehigh Valley Live coverage of 2010 PA Senate debate May 1, 2010

  • The above quotations are from 2010 Pennsylvania Senate Debates.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Homeland Security.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Joe Sestak on Homeland Security.
  • Click here for more quotes by Pat Toomey on Homeland Security.
Candidates and political leaders on Homeland Security:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Jul 18, 2019