Gift my eye. The Dems have targeted Weldon for a number of reasons. Most of Sestak's contributions come from outside the state. He was recruited by the DNC to get Weldon.
There was a site I was on earlier this year or late last year that specifically addressed the Dims looking for and drafting veteran candidates (especially those who agreed with or could be made to agree w their stance on the war). I can't find that site, but did find a list of Dim 'veteran' candidates:
Veterans running for Congress
The Intelligencer - February 9, 2006
Directory of Veteran Candidates
Alabama
2nd District: 'Chuck' Dean James
3rd District: Greg Pierce
Arkansas
3rd District: Woodrow Anderson III
Arizona
3rd District: Herbert Paine
California
2nd District: A.J. Sekhon
3rd District: Bill Durston
4th District: Charles Brown
46th District: Jim Brandt
52nd District: John Rinaldi
Colorado
5th District: Jay Fawcett
6th District: Bill Winter
Delaware
At Large District: Dennis Spivack
Florida
1st District: Joe Roberts
6th District: David Bruderly
7th District: John Chagnon
15th District: Bob Bowman
18th District: David Patlak
Georgia
1st District: Rev. Jim Nelson
Illinois
6th District: Tammy Duckworth
14th District: John Laesch
16th District: Richard Auman
17th District: Phil Hare
Indiana
3rd District: Dr. Tom Hayhurst
Kentucky
2nd District: Mike Weaver
4th District: Ken Lucas
5th District: Kenneth Stepp
Maryland
6th District: Andrew Duck
Michigan
8th District: Jim Marcinkowski
Minnesota
1st District: Tim Walz
Missouri
2nd District: George Weber
7th District: Jack Truman
9th District: Duane Burghard
New Jersey
3rd District: Richard Sexton
New York
23rd District: Bob Johnson
26th District: Jack Davis
29th District: Eric J Massa
Ohio
3rd District: J. Richard Chema
4th District: Richard Siferd
7th District: William Conner
12nd District: Robert Shamansky
Oklahoma
4th District: Hal Spake
Pennsylvania
7th District: Joe Sestak
8th District: Patrick Murphy
10th District: Chris Carney
19th District: Phillip Avillo Jr.
South Carolina
3rd District: Lee Ballenger
Tennessee
7th District: Bill Morrison
Texas
3rd District: Daniel Dodd
5th District: Charlie Thompson
6th District: David Harris
10th District: Ted Ankrum
13th District: Roger Waun
21st District: John Kenneth Courage
23rd District: Rick Balanos
Virginia
5th District: Al Weed
http://www.dccc.org/races/veterans/