Rep. Sestak criticizes his own caucus

A profile of Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) in the Philadelphia Inquirer offers a glimpse as to why former Republican Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) has become the favorite of Washington Democrats.

The House Democratic Caucus "is the most undemocratic place there is," Sestak told the paper. "There are times I can't find out what's going on, and that doesn't bode well for transparency for the public."

More from the Inquirer:

_{Sestak's intensity propelled his rise in the Navy and may also have contributed to his career's end.}

_{Shipmates remember him as a demanding boss, a micromanager who demanded precision. That meant drill after drill, with Sestak eating his meals on the tactical deck and badgering his junior officers with questions and demands for backup research.}

_{"Joe never did the minimum requirement - he always wanted to go above and beyond," said Glen Cain, a petty officer under Sestak on the USS Samuel B. Roberts. "Overachieving doesn't sit well with a lot of people, but his attitude was that it's not good enough to get across the finish line, you've got to sprint across it. He used to say, 'There are a lot of ways to die out there, so let's make sure we're as good as we can be.' "}

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_{In 2001, as a two-star admiral, he was assigned by his mentor Adm. Vern Clark, the top officer in the Navy at the time, to revamp the Navy for the future. Clark and Sestak believed in a more nimble, sleeker Navy to fight terrorism. Sestak scoured the budgets and proposed deep cuts to the fleet, using computer technology to link fewer ships more effectively.}

_{The plans struck fear around the E-Ring, where Sestak was also earning a reputation for driving his 100-member planning staff hard. He would show up sometimes at 4 a.m. and stay until 9 or 10 p.m. He was infamous for calling staff meetings at 9 p.m. on Friday and demanding that everyone return by 10 a.m. Saturday.}

Meanwhile, Sestak debated former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) Sunday in Philadelphia, but the two largely avoided blasting Specter, who was absent.

During an exchange on national issues, Toomey offered praise for former President Bill Clinton. "He helped balance the budget, he lowered taxes on capital gains, he reformed welfare and expanded trade agreements," he said.

Sestak was not so generous in praising the GOP. Instead, he likened Toomey to Specter. "I'll just call you Arlen, you can call me Joe,” he said he told his opponent before the debate.

A new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Poll shows Toomey beating either Democrat in a general election match up.