GOP blasts Dem Sestak

May 26, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

BLUE BELL, Pa.

Republican Senate candidate Pat Toomey said Tuesday that “it would be helpful” if Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak was more forthright about what job the White House offered him to drop a primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter — but that he wants to move on.

Toomey, speaking at an event in suburban Philadelphia with Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, said he prefers to focus on the candidates’ ideological differences.

“I do think that it would be helpful if Joe would be more forthcoming and clear the air, but I’m not going to dwell on this,” Toomey said after his remarks at the rally for Republican candidates from across Pennsylvania.

Sestak and the White House have declined to discuss the offer in detail, but Sestak has said he was offered a job to avoid challenging Specter. Sestak defeated Specter, a longtime Republican who switched parties last year, in last week’s primary.

Steele told dozens of Republican supporters at the rally that Pennsylvania needs “real, principled leaders” — and then took a swipe at Sestak.

“Speaking of forthright, don’t you just love Congressman Sestak right now?” Steele said. “Singing all kinds of tunes. White House is not happy.”

Sestak spokesman Jonathon Dworkin said his candidate’s opponents were spending too much time trying to create a distraction.

“If Congressman Toomey really wanted to focus on issues that matter to the working families of Pennsylvania, he wouldn’t be bringing in the Republican establishment from Washington, D.C., to speak for him about political distractions,” Dworkin said in a statement.

Dozens of Republican supporters attended the rally in the voter-rich Philadelphia suburbs, historically a key swing region.

Toomey and Steele said they were optimistic for big Republican victories in the November elections — in Congress, the Pennsylvania governor’s race and other contests.

Toomey condemned what he said was wasteful spending in Harrisburg and Washington. He also said he thinks voters will be united in their opposition to President Barack Obama’s health-care plan and other initiatives he said were resulting in bigger government.

“I think that we are a party more united than I’ve ever seen us,” Toomey said.