Curt Weldon: The Troublemaker

Weldon’s challenger
Since the campaign started, Weldon has branded Sestak a carpetbagger. Although he was born in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, Weldon charged, he left to pursue his career and didn't maintain the home base the way Weldon has. Sestak owned a house in Virginia but rented in the district, while Weldon, who owns no property in Washington, takes the train home each night, unless he sleeps in his office.

In April, The Hill ran an article on the Sestak-Weldon race. Without quoting him directly, the paper reported, "Weldon also suggested Sestak should have sent his daughter to a hospital in Philadelphia or Delaware, rather than the Washington hospital."

For Sestak's most ardent supporters -- and for many political journalists -- Weldon's comments showed that he had gone off the deep end again. Indeed, the remarks triggered a wider critique of Weldon's "looniness," as several liberal commentators put it, which included his claims about Iran, the CIA's smear tactics, and Able Danger (one blogger quipped that Weldon should be named the "Fable Arranger"). Days after the remark, a Weldon campaign aide told The Washington Post that Weldon denied making the girl's sickness an issue, but also confirmed that while talking to The Hill, Weldon had made a reference to the quality of hospitals in the Philadelphia area.

Weldon the "street fighter" had become the comfortable, 10-term incumbent. Faced with a real opponent and the possible loss of his seat, he barreled out of his corner, threw a big, rusty hook, and missed. Months later, Weldon is still trying to land knockout punches, while Sestak, careful not to make the campaign too personal, bobs and weaves. Weldon "no longer listens," Sestak said recently. "He fails to come back [to the district] and listen to opposing views." Then a jab. "I want to respect him for his public service. But I am worried that he's bent upon conspiracy theories." And then, the body blow. "I find that in the security arena, there are always individuals hanging around who have their pet theory or pet conspiracy. And they're persuasive about it, they are emotional about it, and people can become attracted to finding the Holy Grail of an answer overseas. And that individual who doesn't take the time to ensure that they have all the information from the sources is easily bent upon making a name for oneself by trying to stand up and say, 'I have the answer.' I think in the long term it does serious damage to our national security."

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