Posted on 04/23/2004 10:04:50 AM PDT by Veritas_est
Pennsylvania: Fox News' Beltway Boys Predict Upset in PA Senate Race
Republican Assembly efforts noted
The popular weekly political talk show "Beltway Boys" on the Fox News Network predicted an upset win by conservative Congressman Pat Toomey against Incumbent RINO Senator Arlen Specter. To the surprise of many inside the Washington DC beltway, a solid pro-life Republican who will support President Bush in judicial nominations and in tax policy is on the verge of an upset victory over the liberal Senator who has fought the President on both crucial issues.
Despite the efforts by Specter to derail the President's nominees and his weakness on fiscal issues the President endorsed the re-election of Specter. If returned to office, Specter is poised to take the Chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. While it would seem apparent that the White House would be better served by Toomey the endorsement is seen by many as an effort to limit the antagonism of what would ordinarily be a certain re-election of an incumbent.
In the past couple of weeks the relatively unknown Toomey has soared in the polls and should be well in the lead by Election Day if the current trends continue. While Toomey has motivated supporters and turnout by conservatives should be very good, Specter has resorted to desperate tactics by encouraging liberal Democrat union members to register to vote as Republicans promising that they can immediately return to the Democrat Party.
The efforts to get unashamed liberals to vote for Specter may have actually helped Toomey in his recent upswing in polling. Capitalizing among the bulk of the GOP being conservative Toomey has identified himself with "The Republican Wing of the Republican Party" which is the copywritten moniker of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) and the Pennsylvania Republican Assembly. The Republican Assembly group in Pennsylvania endorsed Toomey earlier this year and much of its leadership have been close to the campaign.
Republican Assemblies work to keep the GOP conservative by endorsing true conservatives prior to primary elections and then putting their vast volunteer network to work for those candidates.
Use of the phrase "The Republican Wing of the Republican Party" in the campaign and on the Fox News broadcast brought a flood of interest to the NFRA. NFRA President, Richard Engle said, "We are pleased that Cong. Toomey is using the phrase because it reflects the reason we are known by it." Engle continued, "If a non-member of a Republican Assembly or a candidate not endorsed by a state chapter were to use the phrase, well, they would get a call from our attorney. In this case it is very appropriate and we are very encouraged by the recent polling in Pennsylvania. I just hope that the trend continues and that the Pennsylvanians who have seen Sen. Specter as the obstructionist liberal that he is will stay motivated and vote for Cong. Toomey for US Senate.
No that was Pat Tillman who unfortunately was reported killed in Afghanastan today.
And I don't want to hear any talk about saving the precious GOP Senate "majority", how's it's standard policy for the President to support incumbents, or how Specter is still better than a Dim. He's not - he's a rambling old bag who needs to be put out to pasture.
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