Distractions and diversions

 

Pat Toomey thinks Joe Sestak and the White House could have saved us all a lot of trouble by speaking up a little sooner.

During a campaign stop in the Strip District Tuesday, the GOP candidates was asked about the oft-regurgitated story of President’s Clinton’s efforts to talk Rep. Sestak out of the Senate primary with the lure of a spot on some unpaid advisory panel.

“Well, you know, I hope that’s all there is to it,’’ Mr. Toomey said. “But I will acknowledge that it does seem a little strange that if the whole arrangement were indeed as innocuous as they have stated in their coordinated statements, then one wonders why it took so long, many months to get to the bottom of it.’’

Mr. Toomey noted that he didn’t bring up the subject himself, and was addressing it in response to reporters’ questions _ a burden he suggested that Mr. Sestak could have spared him.

“I think Congressman Sestak should have been more forthcoming earlier clear the air because what this has done is distract us from the substantial policy differences,’’ he said.

In response, the Sestak campaign insisted that their opponent was the prime instigator of distraction

“With all that is a stake for Pennsylvania, it is time to start talking about issues that matter,’’ the campaign said in a statement.  “If Congressman Toomey wants to continue to create political mischief in order to distract people from his record as a Wall Street derivatives trader who has spent his career fighting on behalf of big banks then that is his choice and its certainly understandable.’’