Ridge is not pro-abort. Ridge supports PA’s abortion control act signed by the late Bob Casey Sr. The PA abortion control act mandates 24 waiting periods for abortions, parental consent for minors, and bars state funded abortions.
On another note, the GOP grew in PA under Tom Ridge. The GOP took control of the PA General Assembly in the 1990s. Plus the GOP was competitive in the down ballot races in the Keystone state.
Since Pat Toomey headed the Club for Growth, the candidates endorsed by the Club have turned out to be real duds. Club endorsed candidates lost in the MI-07, MS, and ID of all places.
Therefore, does this mean Tom Ridge is the better party builder than Toomey?
Ridge was quite underwhelming during his stint in Congress (he was the most liberal member of the PA GOP House delegation when he retired in 1994). He drew a 3rd party opponent twice for Governor because he was a self-proclaimed abortion supporter, and as a Catholic, that was clearly an offensive position (and that is what cost him the VP nomination in 2000). Had he combined Bob Casey, Sr’s stridency on the issue with a solid Conservative record on the other issues, he might very well be the President today, but because of his squishy-ness, he pissed it all away.
As was mentioned, he’ll be another Dick Thornburgh type, and we all see what happened in his Senate run in 1991. If we’re going to run anyone absent Toomey, why not run Mark Schweiker ? Had Schweiker chosen to run for a full term in 2002 as Governor, he more than likely would’ve wiped the floor with Fast Eddie. He engendered a lot of warm feelings on his behalf. But until something else comes along, I think Toomey has worked his butt off and deserves our support. Ridge is just another symptom of what’s wrong with our party kow-towing to RINOs.
“Ridge is not pro-abort”
Pro-abortion, pro-choice, whatever. He wants it to be legal in most cases and supports Roe V. Wade doesn’t he?
If think the pro-life vote is key in PA. Isn’t it?