Sestak accuses Specter of 'swiftboating,' asks Biden to condemn new ad

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) accused Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) of "swiftboating" his military record and asked Vice President Joe Biden to condemn the "tactics."

Sestak used Biden's own words in a letter asking him to "disavow these lies and demand that they be stopped immediately."

"Swiftboating is not going to work this time, and the reason it's not is, number one, I'm going to smack 'em right square in the chops," Biden said in 2008, invoking the term that has come to represent an aggressive take-down of a candidate's military record.

Sestak invoked the comment in reference to Specter's new TV spot that claims the former Navy admiral was relieved of duty at one point for creating a "poor command climate."

Sestak also called on Vice President Biden, who will campaign with Specter in the Scranton area Friday, to denounce the attack ad.

In a letter released to reporters, his campaign asked Biden to "call for an end to Arlen Specter's baseless attacks on Joe's distinguished career in the United States Navy."

See the full letter after the jump.

(This post was corrected at 9:41 p.m. The original story incorrectly attributed Vice President Biden's quote to Rep. Joe Sestak.)

Dear Mr. Vice President,



You said it best -- and in a way only you could -- when you promised in 2008 that you would never permit the swiftboating of another Democrat:

"Swiftboating is not going to work this time, and the reason it's not is, number one, I'm going to smack 'em right square in the chops." (Sept. 10, 2008)

Today, I am calling on you to fulfill that promise.



Rather than discuss his own record or the issues that are important to Pennsylvania, Senator Arlen Specter has decided to attack my 31-year career in the United States Navy -- a career that the President, just last month, described as one of "outstanding service to our Nation."

A political attack on the service of a Veteran is a dishonor to every man and woman who has worn the cloth of this Nation. Mr. Vice President, you're a Pennsylvanian. You know how proud we are of our Veterans. We have the second-highest population of Vets in the country. You know our Commonwealth deserves better than this kind of politics.

After the shameful political attacks we saw carried out, with unfortunate effect, against Veterans Senator John Kerry and Senator Max Cleland, you know we cannot allow even tacit approval of these tactics -- not in our party, not in our country.

I understand that Arlen Specter is your longtime colleague and close personal friend, but I call on you to disavow these lies and demand that they be stopped immediately.



Sincerely,
Joe Sestak