Toomey Defeats Specter (or so say Tuesday's primary results in Pennsylvania)

American Spectator ^ | 5/19/06 | David Holman

[NormsRevenge]

"The Toomey-Specter race took place two years ago, but the votes are still coming in tonight."

That was the observation of one Pennsylvanian, an establishment Republican, as he watched the primary returns Tuesday night. Still upset by last year's pay raise, Republican primary voters sent packing two state legislative leaders, David J. "Chip" Brightbill, Senate majority leader, and Robert Jubelirer, Senate president pro tempore. Over a dozen House incumbents were also turned out of office. Speaking to TAS on the condition of anonymity, the Republican said Pat Toomey's 2004 primary challenge of Sen. Arlen Specter did not end with his defeat. Rather, it sparked a movement.

Tuesday's primary was "a chance for us conservatives to keep voting," he said.

Though Pennsylvanians did not vote for Pat Toomey himself Tuesday, they opted for his type of candidates. To highlight a few conservative challengers, John Eichelberger, a Blair County commissioner, defeated Jubelirer with 44 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Mike Folmer, a tire salesman and one-time city councilman dubbing himself "Citizen Mike," handily ousted Brightbill, 63 to 37 percent. Gary Hornberger, Schuylkill County controller, took 51 percent to 18-year incumbent Rep. Bob Allen's 49 percent.

The election also comes as a rebuke for Arlen Specter. After the Pennsylvania Club for Growth targeted Brightbill, Jubelirer, and Allen for defeat, Specter said he was helping them all. "I have given some money and more's coming," he said at a state capitol news conference, according to Capitol Wire.

[Brilliant]

The question is how will this deep-seated dissatisfaction with the RINOs translate into results come November? If the result is that Dems retake control of the Congress, then I might say that it's out of the frying pan and into the fire, but on the other hand, the frying pan ain't too much fun either.

[Sisku Hanne]

No more "free range" RINOs. We're snapping the choker chain on.

[11th_VA]

I'll take the chance of Libs retaking the house - It's been a LONG time coming for these RINOS - I still remember Olie North getting taken out by the Rinos. Payback is going to be hell ...

[Tzimisce]

Have the RINOs finally ran into their downfall?

[Bommer]

The question is how will this deep-seated dissatisfaction with the RINOs translate into results come November?

Guess it will depend on how hard Bush and Rove support them....like they did Specter against Toomey!

[CharlesWayneCT]

I believe these were all STATE races, not the federal races.

I don't think any republican house members were "primaried" seriously in Pennsylvania.

I could be wrong.

[Mogollon]

NO AMNESTY FOR RINO'S THAT VOTE FOR AMNESTY

Oppose them in every primary for the rest of their (hopefully much shorter) careers.

[Richard Kimball]

I would say this indicates a VERY mobilized conservative base. It could be interesting. A lot of what has happened is the RINOs moved from the Rats to the Republican side when Republicans started winning, but they didn't lose their Rat policies. As far as they're concerned, a Rat congress is probably good, as they vote with the Rats, anyway.

Turning them out in the primaries is the way to go. A RINO is better than a Rat, as you can sometimes pull them into the fold, but a conservative is better than a RINO, as you don't have to pull them into the fold. Vote your convictions in the primaries, and your best option in the general election.

[catholicfreeper]

I thought the issue that was big there was the fact that the State Legislators gave them a raise. I am not sure how that can be related to Spector. To be honest, Penn Conservatives and others need to quit complaning about Spector and get Santorum reelected. I am not buying he should be defeated because of support of Spector. Thats insane. I want to see if a pretty conservative Republican can be elected against a person like Casey in Penn. Time to see if these conservative ideas that so many say all Repubs should have in these states sell or not in these states and are going to lead us to victory in the future.

[Paul Ross]

NO AMNESTY FOR RINO's.

I like it!

[Tribune7]

bump for later

[SoothingDave]

I thought the issue that was big there was the fact that the State Legislators gave them a raise. I am not sure how that can be related to Spector.

It can't really. Everyone is trying to turn this into a "statement" about their pet cause or relate this to something in the Federal Congress.

This was a good-old fashioned anti-incumbent rebellion, stoked by the pay raise.

SD

[abseaman]

I think Spector should keep his money, as he may soon need it when he's voted out of office.

[new yorker 77]

FYI

[Paul Ross]

Turning them out in the primaries is the way to go. A RINO is better than a Rat, as you can sometimes pull them into the fold, but a conservative is better than a RINO, as you don't have to pull them into the fold. Vote your convictions in the primaries, and your best option in the general election.

Precisely.

[RinaseaofDs]

Its never stopped other conservatives before. Running as a conservative is a fairly decent way of getting elected. What, for the life of me, I can't understand is why these idiots decide that ruling like a liberal makes sense after winning like a conservative got them there in the first place.

This is one of Reagan's enduring lessons.

[kjo]

Politicians who run as conservatives and govern as liberals do it for one reason: MONEY.

There's a lot to be made by spreading around a lot of government MONEY.

[Frohickey]

RINO Safari!!!

[winner3000]

This is Spectre's last term by his own admission. That's why it was so important to beat him. He will never need to face the voters again. He therefore can be as liberal as he wants to get to get fawning coverage by the New York Times and the rest of the MSM regarding his "legacy ".