The nation has broken the promise of the American Dream, that the next generation will have the opportunity to do better than the present one, Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak told a small crowd in Penn Square Monday afternoon.

Sestak said that's why he is running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Arlen Specter.

"To restore that promise," the Delaware County lawmaker said.

Sestak took on Specter's voting record on the economic stimulus bill and discussed health care reform and Afghanistan in a wide-ranging speech and question-and-answer session in the square.

Sestak said that Specter, who switched from the Republican to the Democratic party earlier this year, was in Lancaster County on Monday to break ground for $9.3 million in renovations to the Elizabethtown train station. The renovations are being funded by the economic stimulus bill.

Sestak said Specter initially voted to deny states any stimulus money. Specter at first supported a proposal that would have featured $421 billion in tax cuts alone, Sestak said.

When that was unsuccessful, Specter voted to reduce transportation construction by $9 billion in the bill, Sestak said.

On other topics, Sestak said:

• He supports a public option for health care reform.

The option would not be subsidized by the government, but by co-pays and premiums of those who choose this option, Sestak said.

The co-pays and premiums would not be used to pay for large administrative salaries and advertising now provided by private insurance companies, he noted.

Such an option would ensure competition with private insurance companies, which he said have "almost a cartel" in some areas.

A public option also would mandate that every American could get health care coverage, Sestak said.

"This is good for America," he said of the public option.

• The U.S. needs an "exit strategy" to get out of Afghanistan, Sestak said.

The strategy should use benchmarks so there is a level of economic and government stability in the country before troops withdraw.

Sestak was endorsed Monday by three local Democrats: Lancaster County Commissioner Craig Lehman, city Councilman Tim Roschel and state Committeewoman Janet Spleen. All three attended his speech.

E-mail: cstauffer@lnpnews.com