Smith Didn't Get Specter Treatment

Human Events ^ | May 10, 2004 | John Gizzi

[The Old Hoosier]

Smith Didn't Get Specter Treatment

by John Gizzi
Posted May 7, 2004

"The President typically campaigns for senators who support his policies," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told me two days after Sen. Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) staved off a stiff primary challenge from conservative Rep. Pat Toomey (R.-Pa.).

The President made two campaign appearances with Specter and was featured in a Specter ad. Asked if Bush had applied the same standard two years ago in supporting conservative Sen. Bob Smith (R.-N.H.) in his losing primary battle with then-Rep. John Sununu (R.-N.H.), McClellan said he would "get back" to me. The following day, McClellan assistant Trent Duffy called. "The President did support Sen. Smith in his re-election," said Duffy. "[White House Political Director Karl] Rove did an event for him, as well as we helped arrange for some tapings by [former New York Mayor Rudy] Giuliani. It wasn't until after the primary was over that he supported Congressman Sununu in his run.

"The President supports incumbent senators," Duffy concluded. "He wants to build on the Republican majority in the Senate and the first step toward doing that is to protect your incumbents."

Smith has a somewhat different recollection. In a call from Longboat Key, Fla., where he now lives, he said of Duffy's account: "You'd have to have a real good sense of humor to take that seriously. I did not get the support of President Bush in the primary, nor from the Vice President or any of the Cabinet--not in any way, shape or form."

Smith said he told Rove at a luncheon of the Senate Republican Policy Committee in 2001 "that I need the President to campaign for me." "He said 'Yes' but that the President would appear only after the filing deadline. Karl said the President did not want to appear as though he was chasing Sununu out of the primary. Well, Sununu did file and the White House never delivered on its promise of a Bush campaign appearance," Smith said, noting that Bush never signed a letter or issued a statement supporting him in the primary.

But, Smith said, "Karl did appear at a fund-raising event for me at the home of a friend. But that same day, he appeared at another function where my primary opponent was." As for Duffy's claim the White House helped secure Giuliani for a Smith television spot, Smith said, "They had nothing to do with it. We had close connections on our own with people in New York who knew Rudy."

Was the administration less than enthusiastic about Smith in 2002 because in 2000 he had briefly left the Republican Party? "There could be something to that," said Smith. "But I came back to the party and my colleagues accepted me and elected me chairman of one of 13 standing committees in the Senate [the Environment Committee]. There were no bad feelings about my returning to the party." Smith had a lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 91%; Specter's is 43%.

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Copyright © 2003 HUMAN EVENTS. All Rights Reserved.

[Doug Loss]

But it doesn't really matter. A great many Toomey supporters will refuse to vote for Snarlin' Arlen, either voting for Hoeffel, Clymer (the Constitution Party candidate), or passing on the Senatorial race. Specter will lose in November; take it to the bank.

[NEPA]

I'll probably just not vote in the Senate race. I made a promise to myself a few years ago that I would never again vote for Scottish Law. I don't think I could bring myself to vote for Hoeffel either. Maybe voting for Clymer would send a message but I doubt it.

[The Old Hoosier]

Hopefully.

[11th Earl of Mar]

There were no bad feelings about my returning to the party.

Is Smith really that delusional to believe there were no bad feelings about his returning to the GOP?

Maybe he is more flaky that we thought.

[The Old Hoosier]

True--but is he any more disloyal than Specter?

[jmaroneps37]

Why don't you guys vote for lurch as well? That will REALLY show those scummer liberals!! Yeah good idea. Then when we get a rat president and another rat senator you can proudly point to them as say "That's my boy!"

[11th Earl of Mar]

I think Smith is MORE disloyal than Specter.

If Arlen Specter left the GOP to run against George Bush, told the country that GWB was not a good choice for President but returned to the party to get a juicy chairmanship, then, Arlen Specter would be just as disloyal as Smith. But he didn't do that- Smith did.

That being said, I would have voted for Toomey over Specter in a heartbeat.

In other words, I disrespect both Specter and Smith, but Smith even more.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Sure... whatever!

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Smith is definitely more of a flake then Specter but consider this: Specter was the genius who devised the "single bullet" theory, thus giving credence to myriad nutjobs the world over who still contend that the JFK assassination was a result of the devious collaboration of the Mafia, the government of Fidel Castro and several flotillas of UFOs.
He was also the single greatest reason for the defeat of Justice Robert Bork's nomination back in '87. Add to that the fact that he nearly lost a prostate angling for Clinton crony David Satcher to be appointed Surgeon General of the United States and you've got yourself a lamentable exuse for a United States senator.
Contrast that with Bob Smith-a little flaky, I'll give you that, but a hard-nosed conservative who served his country with distinction; first in the marshes of Vietnam-cue over-used John Kerry joke here-then as an exemplary public school teacher and finally, as the best senator New Hampshire has had since Judd Gregg was elected.
Don't forget that Specter is the bete noire of talk show host Steve Malzeberg, the best damned host of a WABC chat show since the departure of James "Snerdly" Golden.
If the above does not constitute a coherent list of reasons "not" to vote for the senator from Scotland, then I don't know what to tell you.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Bork, Scottish law, abortion, etc.

Lots of reasons why I would have voted for Toomey.

[The Old Hoosier]

I don't know. The one guy spent a couple of weeks being disloyal. The other guy has made a career of disloyalty.

[BillyBoy]

Arlen Specter left the NEVER supported the GOP and only sought the label to run against George Bush conservatives, told the country that GWB any pro-life candidate running for President in 1996 was not a good choice for President but returned only joined the party to get a juicy chairmanship check to run for District Attorney of Philly, then, because Arlen Specter would be just as was MORE disloyal as than Smith. Bob Smith didn't But he didn't do denounce the party platform during his campaign for Prseident Smith -- Specter did.