Specter slams Sestak on Twitter as primary officially begins

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) fired the first salvo in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary just after his opponent, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), officially entered the race.

The fifth-term senator on Tuesday used Twitter to slam Sestak:

His months of indecisiveness on his candidacy raises a real question as to his competency to handle

the tough rapid-fire decisions required of a Senator.

During his continuing taxpayer-financed self-promotion tour around the State, Sestak should explain why,

when Pennsylvanians are working harder, he can barely show up for work. http://tinyurl.com/mckkle

The link directs to a Specter campaign web feature entitled the “Sestak Report” that chronicles the second-term congressman’s missed votes. Rumors of a Sestak run had coalesced in recent week, but he officially announced his candidacy today.

Signs of a heated primary became evident even before Sestak officially declared his candidacy this morning.

When he was mulling a run for Senate, Sestak attacked Specter, who switched parties in April, for not being a true Democrat. Specter shot back that Sestak was a “flagrant hypocrite.”

Cross-posted to the Briefing Room