[Born Conservative]

The election is STILL being discussed on the Pennsylvania board: http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/profiles?location=86

[Polycarp IV]

It is laughable to suggest that the combined efforts of a Republican president and a Republican senator can't influence even 2 percent of the votes in a Republican primary. Given that, it is simply a fact that Bush and Santorum cost the pro-life movement this election.

One of the things that made this particular election so crucial for the pro-life movement is that, if re-elected, Specter's seniority will give him the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Pro-lifers often say that we must support the Republicans and George Bush because of Supreme Court appointments. However, that is now a dead issue given that no pro-life nominee to the Supreme Court is going to get past Specter.

If George Bush didn't know this when he used his influence to get Specter re-elected, then he really is as stupid as the Democrats say he is.

Ping. (As usual, if you would like to be added to or removed from my "conservative Catholics" ping list, just send me a FReepmail. Please realize that some of my "ping" posts are long.)

[ServesURight]

Pat Toomey BUMP

[sauropod]

"One of the things that made this particular election so crucial for the pro-life movement is that, if re-elected, Specter's seniority will give him the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee."

What happened to Borin' Orrin? Is he retiring?

[annalex]

the only practical distinction between the Democrat and Republican parties is that one is an enemy who will stab us in the chest and the other is a friend who will stab us in the back.

Very good article, but its focus could be wider, I am sorry to say. Pick any conservative issue: fiscal responsibility, defense of Christian culture, immigration, local self-givernment, -- and the same sad conclusion holds.

Conservatism loses across the board, not in the least because the present GOP dominance allows the Left to equate the conservatives with the present-day leadership in Washington.

In this hostile environment the American Conservatives should concentrate on a single issue and make that a litmus test of their electoral support. That single issue should, no doubt, be abortion. The GOP pols should know that unless there is tangible legislative progress in the rights of the unborn, the conservatives will support third parties regardless of the consequences for the GOP.

[ought-six]

Specter will not win in November. Libs and leftists crossed over to vote for him in the primary, in order to keep Toomey from getting the nomination. Those very same libs and leftists will for for the Democrat, Hoeffel, come November. Thus, Specter's razor-thin primary vicoty, with but 51% of the vote, will spell out him losing to Hoefel by a margin of something along the order of 53% to 47%. Maybe closer, maybe not as close. But Specter will not win, no matter what the margin eventually turns out to be. And the country will be better off for his losing.

[Ramcat]

If a person had to prove a modest amount of intelligence to qualify for citizenship, sadly most posters to these "Santorum's a bad guy" threads would be denied voting rights.

[montag813]

Hard-core abortion enthusiast Republican Arlen Specter

Huh? "Enthusiast"? So he watches abortions on his plasma home theatre with a bucket of popcorn? Hyperbole getting a bit silly with regard to Specter.

[Digger]

I don't know how many times I have said that there will be NO conservative agenda ever push by this "Two-Party Cartel". Only when All true conservatives get out of this cartel & vote a 3rd party will things change. I guarantee it.

[MineralMan]

"Through their participation in The Pennsylvania Treason, the Republican Party, George Bush and Rick Santorum have lost the right to ever again ask for the support of pro-lifers. "

Treason is a strong word, and seriously misused in this article. To accuse Bush of treason for their support of a candidate, even though that candidate is pro-choice, is a serious error.

If one wants to find the meaning of treason in the United States of America, one only need look at our Constitution.

Neither Bush nor Santorum come anywhere close to treason. This article is a scurrilous attack.

[Zack Nguyen]

However, that is now a dead issue given that no pro-life nominee to the Supreme Court is going to get past Specter.

I'm not entirely sure of that. If Bush nominates a pro-life justice, Specter will be under tremendous pressure within the Republican Caucus to give him a hearing and vote for him. We'll see what happens.

[TOUGH STOUGH]

Through their participation in The Pennsylvania Treason, the Republican Party, George Bush and Rick Santorum have lost the right to ever again ask for the support of pro-lifers.

WOW! This is an incredibly powerful article. The author is correct about the above. I wonder how long it will take Bush and Santorum to realize it.

If the election were held tomorrow, I would not be voting for Santorum. It is doubtful I will be voting for him next time. It would be nice to see a more honest, less ambitious conservative run against Rick, next time, as uncertain as I may be about THAT persons chances. May be if we could find a good candidate now and begin to raise the money we'd have a shot.

I say this principally because I believe Santorum can no longer be trusted to vote in the pro-life interest. While I have never been much on message or teach-them-a-lesson politics, Santorum's betrayal and the potentiality for its repercussions are so huge, it would be nice to see Santorum lose his Senate seat due to the efforts of the pro-lifers he betrayed.

Message: We can vote you in and we can vote you out.

[Jorge]

"The Pennsylvania Treason"

Oh PLEASE. Give a break with these drama-queen articles.

[Tamzee]

The author needs one of these...

[Petronski]

Betrayal, but no, not treason.