[BillyBoy]

Tim Holden might be a fun choice. The RAT base definitely can't stomach him on social issues — he's certainly more of a social conservative than Specter is! (and he was a handful of Dems to vote against the bankruptcy bill, another liberal pet cause) Of course the problem is these pro-life & pro-gun RATs from Reaganesque districts tend to sell their soul when they run statewide and immediately fall in line with the DNC platform.

But as it stands now the RATs can't stand Holden anymore than we can stand Specter.

http://chicomax.com/chico2/?p=14

[fieldmarshaldj]

Holden’s ACU rating is in the toilet. He has gotten a “16” over the past two years in a row, well below Specter’s 42. That would not be an improvement. Where McHale would be an improvement is that he actually went to work for the Bush Administration as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense, so he clearly has national security credentials. I think he would vote even more Conservatively than he did when in the House.