Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.)

Finish this sentence: My favorite place in the whole world is …
Rep. Sestak: Standing in my daughter’s room when she is sleeping and looking down at her. There is nothing as precious as a 6-year-old sleeping.

And this one: The one thing I cannot tolerate is …
Rep. Sestak: Someone not stating their candid and honest opinion. I believe honesty is the basis of trust and is most valued. It goes toward the endurance of any relationship, working or personal.

What household chore do you dislike?
Rep. Sestak: Cooking. I am not a good cook. I love doing dishes, but having been a bachelor until 47 years old — I lived on a bachelor’s diet of popcorn and cheese twists.

Has God ever spoken to you?
Rep. Sestak: No, but I felt one time as though it was almost a physical acknowledgement that he was there. It was 10 minutes before I walked out for the ceremony to meet my wife coming up the aisle. I remember reflecting off a private room of the sanctuary and saying a prayer that it would be a wonderful relationship and I felt an acknowledgement that there was something there. It was a heart acknowledgement. I felt something different.

Finish this sentence. If I weren’t a politician I’d be …
Rep. Sestak: Walking a lot more with my daughter. No matter what else I was it wouldn’t matter. I wouldn’t mind just being a stay-at-home dad. This job is a passion for me. I had a career, but this is a passion. My daughter had a brain tumor at 4, so every moment is valuable.

What is your favorite possession?
Rep. Sestak: A bracelet on my left wrist. My daughter made it before she went in for her brain operation. I never take it off.  It has white plastic squares and seashells with A-L-E-X spelled out.

Who is your favorite TV talk show host?
Rep. Sestak: I don’t have one. I hardly ever watch TV. I cannot tell you the last time I watched a TV talk show.

If you could fire one lawmaker, who would it be?
Rep. Sestak: I say this in all honesty: none. I have had personally good relationships, even though I may disagree with other people — they represent someone else.

Greatest regret:
Rep. Sestak: Not getting married earlier to Susan. I proposed to her two days after I met her and it then took me about seven or eight years to convince her. She was going with somebody and all that. My biggest regret is not having her for longer.

Best moment:
Rep. Sestak: Watching Alex be born, without any question. Right after that was the moment when I got married and watching her come up the aisle. Professionally, the best moment in my life was commanding my first ship as a young officer.

Are you morally opposed to premarital sex?
Rep. Sestak: I think that is a private decision between two adults.

Saddest moment:
Rep. Sestak: When we were outside of the operating room and waiting for my daughter’s first brain operation to finish, knowing it was a tumor but not knowing if it was malignant. The doctor came out, and when I asked how long she had to live, he said three to nine months. She’s here today and she’s one of only two children with her type of tumor that made it two years after the diagnosis. She’s going to make it; I told her she was going to run for my seat.