Posted on 04/22/2004 7:17:43 AM PDT by LibertyJihad
ILL go straight to the point, said Arlen Specter, shortly after sitting down to dinner with Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation in March. Ive got a primary and Im being hit from the right. I want your support.
The Republican senator from Pennsylvania wasnt going to get it merely by breaking bread. Says Weyrich: I told him I was disgusted with how he comes around just before his elections and asks for conservative endorsements, when we all know he wont give us the time of day later on.
(Excerpt) Read more at 216.87.14.48 ...
One other thign..during the campaign, has Spector proised that he will actively support the winner of the primary?
You got that right, Mike! (thanks for the ping). There are four amendments to the Constitution that I would tear up and burn, were it my prerogative to do so (and the seventeenth sits right up there on the top of the list). But, for now (until we can somehow roll back the seventeenth), the senate is elected by the peoplee of each state, so we have to work within the framework of that particular handicap.
I have spent an average of about six hours a day this week (and will continue to do so up until next Tuesday night) talking to people about Toomey at local gatherings, door-to-door, on the phone, and at my office when the opportunity arises.
As is to be expected in a primary in which there is no presidential contest and no challenges for legislative seats, a majority of the people I have talked with were not even intending to vote on Tuesday and many of them were unaware of the stark differences between the two candidates. Once they were made aware of those differences, most of them have promised to head to the polls on Tuesday (I will be driving about a dozen senior citizens, who have difficulty finding transportation, there myself).
I have long sensed that conservative Republicans (at least those in my neck of the woods and I suspect it is this way in most pockets of conservatism) are generally good, decent, hard-working people who want what is best for this republic, but who are too busy taking care of their families and earning an honest living to pay sufficient attention to what those on the other end of the political spectrum (to whom taking care of their families and earning an honest living is often secondary to promoting an insidious political agenda) are doing to the country they love. If nothing else, last few days of politicking for Toomey has sadly verified that suspicion.
Those who have kept somewhat abreast of the goings on in Washington often say, We dont want to lose a Republican senator who holds a powerful position as a result of his seniority. These people have given little thought to the fact that, because of the GOPs self-imposed committee chairmanship term limits, Orrin Hatch must step down from the chairmanship of the senate Judiciary Committee, and that Specters seniority puts him next in line for that all-important (vast understatement) spot. The vision of Arlen Specter sitting as chair of that particular committee represents a conservative nightmare-in-the making. With the power of the judiciary in this country growing exponentially (even usurping much of the original intent power of the executive and legislative branches), the power represented by the ability to make or break judicial appointments is almost without precedence in this country.
With Specter chairing the judiciary committee, any potential conservative judicial nominees may as well consider themselves officially Borked. Specter is in the pocket of the trial lawyers, the education establishment, the international courts, abortion rights advocates .... No conservative judicial nominees would stand a fighting chance of appointment. They would fail each and every litmus test administered by a Specter-led committee. The crucifixion of Robert Bork back in 87 would begin to look like a romp in the park in comparison, and we would be almost assured that the next few appointments to the Supreme Court would be of the mindset of Sandra Day OConnor (i.e., the hell with the Founders original intent in penning the Constitution. International law and cultural consensus have taken on much more importance than the outdated vision penned by those long- dead white guys.)
Others have said to me that, since the President and our junior senator have endorsed Specter, thats good enough for them. They dont seem to comprehend the fact that those two particular endorsements (dispensed by two men whose political philosophies and goals are almost always diametrically opposed to those of the man they have endorsed) were obtained via a form of political extortion.
Having four long senate terms (a quarter of a century) behind him, Specter is a very powerful, ruthless and politically brutal man. The President, and the junior senator from Pennsylvania, dont want to get on his bad side. They will both need his help in order to accomplish what they seek to do. Yet, at the same time, they both seem to be suffering from short-term memory loss. Specters allegiance (to conservative principles, that is) is fickle, at best. He is addicted to power, and the leftist agenda, and he has been known (is actually infamous for) his independence, which often trumps his promises. The President and our junior senator have sold their souls to the devil, at least temporarily. Should Toomey prevail next Tuesday, they will no doubt fall in line behind him, although belatedly.
I am also hearing that Specter stands a much better chance than Toomey of winning in November, which is nonsense! Toomey can do at least as well as Satorum did back in 94. Santorum was running against a democrat incumbent, Harris Wofford, who had the backing of then-President Clinton (and had even been on Clintons short list of vice presidential possibilities). Santorum was merely a relatively unknown two-term congressman. Specter desperately sought an alternative to Santorum in the primary, and Clinton campaigned feverishly against him in the general election. But, despite those seemingly insurmountable odds, he won because of a much higher than usual conservative turnout at the polls.
With a win in next Tuesdays primary, Toomey can do in November even better than Santorum did in 94. He will not be facing an incumbent democrat. He will have achieved a courageous and conspicuous upset victory over a corrupt four-term incumbent from his own party, and he will enjoy the luxury of having a sitting President, and popular sitting senator, campaigning by his side. Christian organizations, sportsmen's organizations, and pro-life groups -- all of which will stand behind him -- have strong roots in Pennsylvania.
Ive said it before many times over the 51/2 years Ive been here on FR but Ive been painfully reminded of it in a very personal way over the past few weeks: In general, the people of this country are conservative, and they are willing to sacrifice in many ways financially, physically, emotionally in order to preserve the liberties and uphold the system of law and justice upon which this republic was founded. But too often they are too otherwise occupied to notice that both of those cornerstones are under relentless attack not always by forces from outside of our borders -- actually more often by those strongly imbedded within our own political system.
Pat Toomey represents the resolute remnant in our system that is seeking to reclaim our political roots. His allegiance is to the concept of limited government, individual rights, the sanctity of life, and the sovereignty of our liberties and our justice system from international interference. Arlen Specters agenda represents expansive government, over-regulation, expanded legalistic tyranny, over-taxation, and a reliance on international law over American law.
The former political philosophy would have been roundly supported by our Founders. The latter would have been decried as tyrannical and subversive to the Constitution.
The former is also embraced by the large majority of Pennsylvanians with whom I have spoken over the past few days (and will continue to speak until next Tuesday). The trouble is, most of them are not aware that Pat Toomey embraces the Founders vision and Arlen Specters agenda is to continue its covert, premeditated erosion.
I am afraid that a good many of those whose eyes have not been opened to the truth will be pulling the lever next to Specters name, not because they agree with his political philosophy, but because they arent acually aware of what it is.
If only educated (in matters of politics) voters were to cast a ballot next Tuesday, I have no doubt that Pat Toomey would be the next Republican candidate for senate. Oh there would certainly be the block of voters who are voting for their own special interest (trial lawyers, certain educators and education administrators, abortion rights advocates, those who embrace globalist doctrines, etc.) who would knowingly cast a Specter ballot. And there will also be those who are voting as a result of recently-embraced, superficial beliefs brought about by this weeks vicious, untruthful campaign ads. But I truly believe that, as it stands now, a large majority of Specter votes will be cast on the basis of simple ignorance of the candidates stance on the issues.
Pat Toomey will win on Tuesday if informed conservatives get to the polls in large numbers.
Please pray that they do. The implications are far-reaching. And they are not only Pennsylvanias. They are Americas.
~ joanie
Snarlin Arlen may try to convince you to settle down
But what you have done is fight his nasty beltway tricks with the issues, and if people know what Snarlin has voted for and said, vs Toomey, the people will make the right choice. God bless.
Arlen looks like Jackie Mason.
Would provide the expanse.
I've seen it over and over and over again.
No matter how much media gurus tout TV, the printed word gets around and it stays on the mind of people.
Easier to clip articles and relay them, than to make note of how many people missed a 15-second "spot."
Not to mention, that again, you have argued well for your book.
If the people of NY can elect two libs to the Senate, the wonderful people in the great State of Pennsylvania can elect two conservatives to the Senate. Based upon some of the responses to my posts, I am begining to believe that Toomey can not only beat Arlene, but also win in the general election. How popular is Sen. Santorum and is he publically supporting Toomey?
Wonderful, I believe that too. I have been following this race for a long time, so have many. As someone who has long disdained Snarlin, I was interested in ANYONE who would oppose him, when I read what Toomey has said, I was greatly impressed, backing or not, I think this guy's ideas coupled with Snarlin's heavy baggage could make a game of it. As I had hoped, that has happened a week out of the election.
How popular is Sen. Santorum and is he publically supporting Toomey?
Being an out of stater, I will not comment on that, only that I remember when Santorum made the prediction that the Texas Sodomy case sets up the slippery slope of gay marriage, beastiality, pologimy, being "Constitutional" and the Demos and press screamed for his head, having succeeded in just getting Lott's to step down, Rick was supported within his state, and the GOP Yawned in the press' general direction at the movement to get him to step down.
In conservative circles, Santorum's summary of the state has been proven to be prophetic, and I assume he stands in very high regard there.
Q: Can you beat Democratic opponent Joe Hoeffel easier than Sen. Specter?
Toomey: Absolutely. I'll tell you why. There's a very significant block of Republicans that will go into the booth on election day. If Arlen Specter is on the ballot, they will skip over his race. He relies on a big number of Democrats to cross over and vote for him.
This is sometimes a plausible stategy because he votes with the Democrats so often. The problem with that strategy though, is, if you present a credible Democrat, then that Democrat can hold his party together and leave Arlen Specter high and dry.
Joe Hoeffel will be a credible candidate. He'll be very well-funded. He's been in Congress for three terms, and he will be able to say, 'Sure, Specter will often vote the same way that I vote, but I'll vote for [Democrat] Tom Daschle to be the majority leader of Senate and he won't so you ought to stay with me. Most democrats will buy that argument so I would argue that Arlen Specter would be very vulnerable in the fall if her were to win this primary.
(the bolding's my own - I just want everyone reading to understand Toomey's chance of beating Hoeffel is better than Specter's. Count me and my wife in as two people who would NEVER vote Specter in the fall)
At a rally held tonight at the Host Exposition Center in Lancaster, PA, Dr. James Dobson, the head of the respected and world renowned Christian organization Focus on the Family, appeared with, and personally endorsed, Pat Toomey for the Republican nomination for senator from Pennsylvania. Dobson seldom makes personal appearances, and even more rarely endorses political candidates.
There were probably well over a thousand people in the hall, and the enthusiasm was palpable and contagious! We were among friends and friends who know full well what is at stake in Tuesday's primary, and who are doing what they can, on an individual basis, to see to it that the best man wins, and that the man who time and again has been a traitor to our beloved republic is returned to life as a private citizen.
Dobson was incredibly enthusiastic in his support of Toomey, despite the fact that it was obvious that he is not used to public speaking Jim Dobson is a softspoken, humble man who believes in the same family-preserving values that Pat Toomey is dedicated to defending. In endorsing Toomey, Dobson said that a Toomey win on Tuesday is imperative because Specter opposes almost everything we conservatives hold dear.
Dobson spoke for nearly an hour, emphasizing that he was not representing Focus on the Family, but merely voicing a personal endorsement (something completely out of character for him). He delivered a detailed, extremely knowledgeable description of the diametrically opposed political philosophies and personal characters of Arlen Specter and Pat Toomey, and was interrupted dozens of time by thunderous applause and cheers. He was especially eloquent in his description of the cancerous effect of modern judicial activism, and the certain toxicity that will result if Specter becomes chair of the senate Judiciary Committee.
As always, Toomey was inspiring. One needs only to listen to him speak for a short time to know that he is a man of deep courage and conviction and uncompromising honesty, and that his motives for seeking higher public office have nothing whatsoever to do with a desire for personal power. He is a man unequivocally devoted to reclaiming the freedoms that Americans have lost as a result of decades of creeping socialism. And he is firm in his resolve to stand for limited government, drastically reduced government taxation/spending, strong support of the military/defense, preservation of the family and family values, medical malpractice/tort reform, belief in the sanctity of life, school choice, abolition of all affirmative action quotas, non-interference in the sovereignty of American law and justice by international courts, and reverence for the original intent of the Constitution.
Toomey seemed extremely upbeat and confident, although certainly never arrogantly so.
I would have stayed and attempted to talk with one or both of them but for the fact that I was working with few functioning brain cells after a long day, so left right after the rally, physically tired, but mentally upbeat regarding our prospects on Tuesday.
We still have four days of work in front of us, getting the word out regarding Specter's record of a quarter of a century of un-American leadership, and informing as many prospective voters about Toomey's stellar patriot/conservative qualifications. The battle is still definitely an uphill one, but the momentum is in our favor.
America desperately needs to rid herself of the entrenched, arrogant Arlen Specters in Washington. (Make no mistake. Corzine, Lautenberg, Dodd, Schumer, Clinton, Boxer, Mikulskie, Sarbane, Leahy, and other unabashed leftists in the senate will be paying close attention to the results of this race, thinking 'there but for the grace of God go I'). Pennsylvania has it within her power to send a clear message to such leaders of ill repute that conservatives have had enough. Seniority, political extortion, and the calling in of favors, no longer ensures victory for those whose brand of leadership is corrupt, divisive, and un-American.
Good night, all (she says, with eyes half open, and maybe even a little unflatteringly bloodshot. :).
Please continue to pray that Pennsylvania does the right thing on Tuesday.
~ joanie
Please pray that they do. The implications are far-reaching. And they are not only Pennsylvanias. They are Americas.
Know our prayers are with you...and know that many, many of us all over this nation, even out here in fly-over Idaho, recognize the abject need for Specter and his ilk (and sadly IMHO this includes Orrin Hatch) to go...and to replace them with true statesmen and patriotic Americans who understand the constitution, who understand the roots and moral foundation to our liberty, and who are committed to it and understand their role in the representive process.
God bless you efforts to reap a rich reward and to be successfulk next Tuesday there in Pennsylvania...both for you there in the state, and for all of us.
Boy do we need 70-80 of this type folk in the Senate and several hundred in the House!
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