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Arlen Specter's Revenge Finally, a Republican civil war!
Wall Street Journal ^ | 9/15/10 | JAMES TARANTO

Posted on 09/15/2010 2:31:44 AM PDT by woofie

When Sen. Arlen Specter (R2D2, Pa.) became a Democrat in April 2009, we argued that "the GOP would have been far better off had it persuaded him to remain in the fold." We faulted conservative stalwart Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina for saying, in effect: Good riddance. We saw Specter's switch in isolation and did not imagine it was the start of a trend. We were wrong.

Specter, who leans left but is steadfast in defense of whatever he finds expedient for as long as he finds it expedient, faced a challenge that at the time was unique to him. In 2004, he had nearly been defeated in the Republican primary by conservative ex-Rep. Pat Toomey. Toomey promised a 2010 rematch, and Specter, having voted for President Obama's $787 squillion so-called stimulus bill, faced near-certain defeat.

Instead, he opted for uncertain defeat, to which he went down in the Democratic primary. In this age of partisan polarization, Republicans and Democrats found something on which they could agree: Arlen Specter does not belong in the Senate.

Toomey, who ran unopposed in the primary, is now heavily favored to win the seat in November. Meanwhile, similar scenarios emerged in six other Senate races, as establishment favorites lost the GOP nomination to more conservative challengers:

In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist followed Specter's lead and left his party when it became clear he would lose the Senate primary to Marco Rubio, a former speaker of the state House. In Alaska and Utah, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Bob Bennett fell to Tea Party candidates. In Colorado and Nevada, conservative candidates won primaries to take on incumbent Democratic senators. (snip)

A liberal media narrative developed: Republicans were hopelessly divided, riven by a "civil war." ..........

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Delaware
KEYWORDS: deleware; republican
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1 posted on 09/15/2010 2:31:49 AM PDT by woofie
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To: woofie
A liberal media narrative developed: Republicans were hopelessly divided, riven by a "civil war."

Screw that.
We're at war with Liberals. All Liberals.

We're just not sure who's all on our side, yet.

2 posted on 09/15/2010 2:35:22 AM PDT by grobdriver (Proud Member, Party Of No! No Socialism - No Fascism - Nobama - No Way!)
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To: grobdriver
"A liberal media narrative developed: Republicans were hopelessly divided, riven by a "civil war."

Which the conservatives are winning!

3 posted on 09/15/2010 2:42:20 AM PDT by Dem Guard (Obama's 57 States = The Organization of The Islamic Conference (OIC).)
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To: woofie

Good God, not THIS crap?

Actual primary battles, with people voting and INVIGORATING the stale old party, bringing in new blood, new ideas, making this the party where interesting things are happening.

Meanwhile, the Dems are fat and sitting around with the same old crowd.

I guess having primaries is a sign of “civil war” now?

I’m sorry, what a stupid, lazy “meme” that’s floating around the press.


4 posted on 09/15/2010 2:43:43 AM PDT by Darkwolf377 (Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown. -- written by Robert Towne)
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To: woofie
When Sen. Arlen Specter (R2D2, Pa.) became a Democrat in April 2009

He was a democRAT long before then. He just put a "D" next to his name in 2009.

5 posted on 09/15/2010 2:48:04 AM PDT by South40 ("Islam has a long tradition of tolerance." ~Hussein Obama, June 4, 2009, Cairo, Egypt)
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To: woofie

BTW it’s the lib media idea I’m blasting here. Taranto is also attacking it in this article. While he’s not exactly a hardcore right-winger, his “Best of the Web” daily emailing is good stuff, and he’s on the right side of things most of the time.


6 posted on 09/15/2010 2:54:05 AM PDT by Darkwolf377 (Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown. -- written by Robert Towne)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: woofie

Arlen Specter should be a case study for all the FReepers pushing the narrative that Mike Castle should have won, thereby securing a Republican senate majority.


8 posted on 09/15/2010 2:59:31 AM PDT by CitizenUSA
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To: woofie
Here is the most hilarious line in the article:

"Republicans and Democrats found something on which they could agree: Arlen Specter does not belong in the Senate."

LOL, the jokes just write themselves!
9 posted on 09/15/2010 3:00:17 AM PDT by mkjessup (0bama is a traitor. And he squats to pee too.)
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To: CitizenUSA

*** BUMP *** !!!

Nail. Hammer. Slammed.


10 posted on 09/15/2010 3:01:35 AM PDT by mkjessup (0bama is a traitor. And he squats to pee too.)
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To: woofie

Yeah I read it yesterday on Best of the Web. I was reacting to his last line in the excerpt when he was writing about liberals.


11 posted on 09/15/2010 3:03:22 AM PDT by Darkwolf377 (Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown. -- written by Robert Towne)
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To: woofie
the last place one wants to be is between a formerly allied group engaged in a deadly internal conflict.

you can get killed incidentally, without consideration or condolance.

the things in the middle of the road get squished.

12 posted on 09/15/2010 3:07:20 AM PDT by mmercier (and the survivors... they are hard...)
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To: grobdriver

“Progressives.”


13 posted on 09/15/2010 3:10:12 AM PDT by counterpunch (Life in Prison: The RINO compromise to "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death")
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To: woofie
another RINO bites the dust:

Specter

Crist

Bennett

Murkowski

Castle

I understand O'Donnell got 45% last time against Vice-moron Biden....maybe she can pull this off, maybe not. Without her winning, an R Senate may not happen, but it was always a very long shot anyway. CT and WV are tightening so who knows. If the pubbies end up with 48 or 49 seats, they can pick up another handful in '12.

14 posted on 09/15/2010 3:10:19 AM PDT by wny
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To: CitizenUSA

The funny thing is that if Castle had won, his supporters would be trashing O’Donnell supporters if they don’t get behind Castle anyway. Yet when O’Donnell wins, the Castle supporters are acting like there’s no point in voting.

This is the thing to understand about RINOs. They’re bottom feeding leeches who would happily hand a race to the democrats simply to have the opportunity to say “I told you so”.


15 posted on 09/15/2010 3:16:26 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: grobdriver

Definately not sure about you or anyone else, but I am at war with liberals and Progressive RINOs.....apparently, many in the Tea Party are as well.


16 posted on 09/15/2010 3:17:16 AM PDT by cranked
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To: woofie
From the following segment on the same WSJ page:
It seems to us, though, that the snobbish attitude displayed by Packer and Sullivan is a particular conceit of the left, and a big reason why the public has soured so quickly on Democratic rule. Obama comes across as "the voice of reason incarnate" only to an obnoxious know-it-all like Packer. To a normal person, he comes across as another obnoxious know-it-all.
LOL!
 
17 posted on 09/15/2010 3:21:04 AM PDT by counterpunch (Life in Prison: The RINO compromise to "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death")
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To: cripplecreek
It's not the foundation you've built your positions on, its do the things I think make me the most friends today. Shifting sands. Watch out because Lugar of Indiana after stating he wasn't running again is making statements indicating he's not finished yet. I think he qualifies for a RINO award. He's had democrat lobbyist throwing parties and raising money for him in Washington. But I'm not sure there is anyone in this state that would run against him.
18 posted on 09/15/2010 3:29:21 AM PDT by grame (May you know more of the love of God Almighty this day!)
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To: wny

She got 35% not 45%. Biden beat her worse than Obama beat McCain in DE.


19 posted on 09/15/2010 3:30:01 AM PDT by wideawake
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To: Darkwolf377

What distresses me is that THIS CRAP is coming from the Wall Street Journal! IMHO, if their POLITICAL writings are not dependable or pro-American, then SCREW their financial writings, too! Let WSJ die like the REST of the turncoat rags in the dinosaur media!


20 posted on 09/15/2010 3:30:50 AM PDT by Tucker39
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