Posted on 05/30/2004 8:54:37 PM PDT by Badray
Party over Principle?
That is the $64,000.00 question.
This past Friday morning, Arlen Specter was at a town hall meeting in Ross Township (suburb north of Pittsburgh PA). According to Specter staffer Justin Lokay, this was at the suggestion of Lou Nudi, the Ross Committee Chairman.
There were about 35 people in attendance including the Senator and 5 or 6 staffers and interns. Also there was Congresswoman Melissa Hart, State Senator John Pippy, former Hart staffer and 16th state house district candidate Pat Geho, former row office candidate Becky Toomey (oh, the irony, but she is still the prettiest, and my favorite Specter supporter), Lou Nudi, as well as some various other local committee people. Arriving late as usual was State Representative Jeff Habay. More on him later.
I arrived shortly before the meeting started and checked to see if I was on the PNG (persona non grata) list, but was welcomed in, much to my surprise because I have been barred from previous events. I sat and listened to how conservative values were important to Arlen, how much he enjoys being around G.W.Bush, and how we must defeat the Democrats.
This is a pretty stock speech when he tries to court Republicans. Sadly too many pubbies have short memories and actually believe Arlen when he speaks. He invoked the name of his recent challenger, Pat Toomey and says that he enjoys his support because the Dem candidate is so bad. Yada, yada, yada . . .
He then tried to ingratiate himself by mentioning the names of several people in the crowd. There names were conveniently written on the cue card in his hand. The whole thing was a sad charade, but that didn't stop many from sucking it up. I don't know if they were all die hard supporters or simply supporting the "R" against the horrible "D" that looms ahead if we don't support Arlen.
He then 'yielded' to Melissa Hart. She yucked it up with him for a moment (Think Sonny and Cher, except that Sonny was the conservative, not Cher.) before he stepped aside. About now, there should have been a commercial break, but they continued anyway. Melissa then spoke in glowing terms of Arlen and how important it was to put Arlen into office so that he could chair the Judiciary Committee and help get Bush's judicial nominees approved. She cited the brave defense of former PA Attorney General Mike Fisher when some Democrats posed some minor opposition to Mike's approval. Thank God, Arlen was there to save the day and he convinced the Dems not to block him. BTW, Fisher was supported in his quest for the bench by his recent opponent for the Governor's office - Democrat Governor Ed Rendell. Gee, that must have been a tough fight, Arlen.
What no Borking of Fisher? Don't worry, if Mike starts to make some sound judgements, you can bet that Arlen will apologize like he did after fighting for Clarence Thomas.
Melissa was about 3 minutes into her praise when I just couldn't take it any longer. There she was defending the man that has been pissing on us for years and she was calling it rain. I walked out. On the way out, I said to her brother that I just couldn't stand the BS.
I stayed outside for the remainder of the meeting. I missed the Q and A session, but was told that there was only one tough question asked and that Arlen spent about ten minutes addressing it. The question may have hit a nerve, but I doubt that he will do anything more than pay lip service to it.
Some good news. There was some who expressed continued opposition to him despite coming to be convinced that they should now be supporting him.
I did tell Melissa's aide that I was not alone in my displeasure with her support of Arlen. She may or may not care, but I am sure that I am quite right in my assessment. She is putting the party before any principle she ever espoused and this will cost her later.
Another person that I engaged was Rep. Habay. He arrived only after I had left the meeting and was outside for about 15 minutes. He approached me as he entered the building and I greeted him with a snide remark that he resembled a man that I used to know and told him that I was disappointed in his support for Arlen. He told me that Arlen helped him early in his 'career' (God, I hate that word when applied to politicians.) and that he was repaying the favor. (Doesn't the mob do favors now for favors in the future too?) I told him that that is what happens when you get into bed with the wrong people. He started getting testy at that point (I have to keep the BAD in badray, ya know) and retorted that he wasn't in bed with anyone, but that he would be glad to sit down and discuss the issue with me. I said OK, but he needed to dig himself out of a big hole. Walking away, he said that he was very comfortable in his position. I thanked him for telling me what I needed to know as he turned the corner (more than metaphorically?).
Just before Arlen came out, I spoke to County GOP Chairman Rich Stampahar and he tried to convince me that Specter was the man to support. His pleas fell on deaf ears, but they were overheard by an intern of Specter's who wimpily came over to tell me that this was a private event and asked me not to create a disturbance. I replied only that I was talking to people that knew me and approached me and wasn't talking to any one else. Can you imagine anyone thinking that I would cause a disturbance? LOL Not me, I'm too shy.
On the way out, Arlen either didn't recognize me or thought that I went over to the dark side and was now a supporter. He approached me to shake my hand, but I politely declined. I reserve my handshake for those that I respect.
Maybe I'm just not a 'good republican'. Maybe I'm an 'unappeasable'. Maybe I am a purist. I've been called all of these things and more. And worse.
What I do know is that I cannot support this man. Not for party loyalty, not even for the Senate majority (we do not effectively have it now because of people like Specter). I also know that it is not out of bitterness or hatred. It's just principle. He doesn't believe the things that I believe. He doesn't value the things that I value. His vision of America is not my vision.
This November, a vote for Democrat Joe Hoeffel is a vote to put a true conservative, a true Republican in charge of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm voting for Joe.
Ray Horvath
Uh smokey, I ain't the one promoting Hoeffel(D, ACU lifetime rating of 08), Badray is.
joanie, now I really feel badly for not pinging you sooner and directly. Your insights, passion, and eloquence know no bounds. I am thrilled that you are on the right side of this.
Thanks.
PS
Sorry about scaring the dog. That was rude of me. ;-)
Hey Dane -- How does "ANYBODY-BUT-SPECTER"?? grab ya?
I'd rather have the no-influence grunt Hoeffel behind enemy lines, than the RINO Specter chairing the powerful senate Judiciary Committee and doing the bidding for the RATS in front of the enemy lines.
Sounds exactly like the demos, "Anybody but Bush".
F16, it seems you just got a fax from the DNC and are very eager to use the words from McCauliffe central there, IMO.
I presented my argument. I made my case. He (or she) ignored what was written by me and other posters and made an idiotic and unfounded leap into some fantasy conjecture?
Should I have lied and complimented her (or him) on his (or her) brilliance?
Sorry, I can't do that. I have answered the criticisms of most posters with the respect they deserve because they were honestly expressed concerns. This was not and got what it deserved.
In the final analysis, we're sick of Specter and his Borking ways.
Thanks. I didn't know that I was important. ;-)
F16, it seems you just got a fax from the DNC and are very eager to use the words from McCauliffe central there, IMO."
Yeah. Ironic, ain't it? ;-)
but not the Republican provincialism?
Should I have lied and complimented her (or him) on his (or her) brilliance
Nah you didn't lie. You just showed on this thread that you don't trust anybody, IMO.
I myself would trust Melissa Hart and Joe Pippy(btw, Pippy's military service was a campaign issue by his democrat opponent).
But you don't and wish to carry on your vendetta, even as the candidate you endorsed, Pat Toomey, has endorsed Specter and is President Bush's vice-chairman in PA.
I agree, Badray. You would think someone who likes to count posts could figure out the numbers.
Not ironic, IMO, but symptomatic of knee jerkers like howard dean, ted kennedy, and john kerry.
You're welcome! Don't foget to watch "Ike" at 8:00!!
No, this is a case where in PA, the conservatives... abandon, the winner of the republican primary.
Uh dane, that is called PRINCIPAL OVER PARTY !
Allow me to apologize for being so harsh. I read your comment to be just as harsh and I reacted accordingly. Now that you've explained it, I understand your concerns too.
Not every senate primary race presented this clear a choice. At least not so that it garnered any attention from the national media like this one. This race was also the one that Bush and Co. jumped onto to support the incumbent and spend time here and ran ads for. If that ocurred elsewhere, I didn't see it.
The emotions are high here in PA. This is a rare opportunity to remove a liberal incumbent. Bush screwed up the best case scenario and now we are left only with this less that ideal solution.
If we succeed here and get rid of a RINO and thus, put Kyl in as the SJC Chairman, maybe in two years another state can try it. Again, from all of the fuss that I seem to have stirred up, we are the only ones trying this.
It's a risk, but it's not the end of the world.
Maybe you can answer the question that I've posed twice now without answer.
Why is it that when we have a slim majority, we can't get our agenda passed, but if the numbers would be reversed that our republican/conservative world would crash and burn overnight?
IF, that's a huge word, IF my gamble proves wrong, isn't the House still safely Republican? Isn't Bush still able to veto bill? (Someone may have to tell him that he can.) Aren't the RINOs that everyone says we need still Republicans and will still vote with us?
If they aren't reliable, then let start with Specter and remove them.
Couldn't have put it any better F16Fighter !!! I'm guessing you know how to find the enemy in a crowd !!
By the way, I am guessing "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE" is in order.
No shit, your(smokey's) principal(correct spelling is principle, btw) is to get Hoeffel(D, ACU lifetime rating of 08) elected.
Sheesh, you are good little Rendellite poodle, aren't you.
Thanks for the ping...
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