Posted on 11/05/2004 4:10:44 PM PST by Founding Father
Specter urges moderation to boost GOP gains at polls
Thursday, November 04, 2004
BY PETER L. DeCOURSEY AND CARRIE CALDWELL Of The Patriot-News
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., proclaimed that his re-election on Tuesday was a "victory for moderate Republicans." He said he hopes to recruit more statewide Republicans to that banner.
Specter led all statewide Republicans as he swept to his fifth Senate term, a record for Pennsylvania. He rolled up more votes than President Bush statewide and in Dauphin and Cumberland counties.
With 99 percent of the vote counted in unofficial returns, Specter garnered 2,882,829 votes or 53 percent, well ahead of U.S. Rep. Joe Hoeffel, D-Montgomery, who earned 2,283,694 votes or 42 percent.
They were followed by Constitution Party nominee James Clymer, 216,378 or 4 percent, and Libertarian Betsy Summers, 77,310 or 1 percent.
Specter hopes Bush's "compassionate conservatism" will bring more funding to education and health care and motivate Bush to dramatically expand stem-cell research.
Specter believes stem-cell research saves lives, and he used a commercial by actor Michael J. Fox in his campaign. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, said stem-cell research gives people such as him hope and that "Arlen gets it."
Specter said that commercial and other appeals to moderates allowed him to escape the voter tide that swept President Bush and two statewide GOP candidates to defeat in Pennsylvania.
Specter attributed his success to his moderate politics and wants other candidates to follow his example.
He said his example proves that moderate Republicans are most successful in general elections, and that it is time for his party to stop nominating conservative candidates who lose to Democrats perceived to be moderate.
But Leslie Gromis-Baker, Bush's Mid-Atlantic coordinator, said Specter was wrong to say that moderates were the best model for statewide GOP candidates.
Gromis-Baker, who helped Attorney General-elect Tom Corbett win narrowly Tuesday, noted that Corbett is a more traditional conservative Republican.
"Moderates do better in the southeast. Conservatives do better in the west," she said.
While Specter outpolled Bush in Dauphin, Cumberland and other central Pennsylvania counties, Gromis-Baker pointed out that Hoeffel "was an unknown congressman, underfunded, and no one west of Chester County ever heard of him."
She also scorned Specter's often- expressed claim that he and former governor Tom Ridge are moderates.
Gromis-Baker said Ridge is a conservative, "but not pro-life. ... That is very different from Sen. Specter."
Specter previewed his expected role as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which reviews and votes on federal judicial nominees.
In his tough Republican primary, Specter courted conservative voters by saying he would confirm only "strict constructionist" judges, a term used by conservatives to denote judges they favor. Then, in the fall campaign against Hoeffel, Specter said he favored "centrist judges."
Yesterday, Specter defined what he wanted in a judge and said he hoped Bush would consult him before picking nominees.
Specter said the late Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo said, "The constitution is an evolving document based upon the values of the people."
"That's the kind of strict constructionist that I'm looking for" in a judge, Specter said, pointing out that such a judge would not be labeled a moderate or conservative.
This guy is as stupid as any RAT, and hasn't the first clue; give him permanent latrine duty.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Bush Administration own Specter? After all, Specter faced a tough primary challenge from a conservative, and Specter managed to win because the Bush Administration endorsed him (keeping with their policy of endorsing all Republican incumbents). Also, during the primary campaign, Specter appealed to conservatives by saying he would support Bush's judicial appointments. Now that he is elected, he is doing a total flip-flop. What an asshole!
I hope conservatives in Pennsylvannia don't forget this six years from now!
What a traitor..He takes help from the White House and does this??
Bush should pick up the phone and ask 1 question:
DO I HAVE A PROBLEM SENATOR?
Sounds like Specter is gearing up to duke it out with McLame and Hagel for the title of MSM's Favorite Republican. Why I do not know or care.
The GOP tried to sabotage Coburn in Oklahoma too---but he won anyway and will probably be the most conservative senator we have.
Specter is as clueless as the Democrats.
It must be some of that 'public school education' at work!
PING!!!
GO TO HELLLLLLLLLL, ARLEN
We must contact the conservative media in addition to contacting the politicians. They both feed off of the other.
Keep up the pressure...we will hit critical mass if we keep pushing.
Special@foxnews.com,
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hannity@foxnews.com,
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The new GOP Senators coming in did not make it by being moderates. Coburn, DeMint, Martinez, Burr, Vitter, and Isakson will not be joining as moderates in the mold Specter envisions.
This also appears to be an insult to Santorum.
Both of your observations are ridiculous. The GOP does not campaign against its own caucus members and the NRSC spent a lot of cash to help Coburn win.
Your observations are as delusional as Specter's.
I can't believe we let the RINOs talk us into supporting this spRectum d-bag over Toomey...colossal error that must be corrected.
This the way they do it under Scottish law!
Specter is so wrong. It was precisely because of W's hard line stands, not moderation, that got us a 60 million vote win.
I just wrote on another threat that we should work around Specter. If he is going to help the left trash conservatives in general and Bush by association, he should be denied the Judiciary post at all costs, including a Jeffords-like separation from the GOP.....
Specter is so wrong. It was precisely because of W's hard line stands, not moderation, that got us a 60 million vote win.
You are so right. The moderation that he stands for is a slap to those of us who voted for Bush. He doesn't waver, and the chairman shouldn't either. Time for him to move out of the way. . .
stupid comment ping
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