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
You guys don't have what it takes to carry out your little program anyway.
But, I'll put you down as a staunch Joseph Hoeffel supporter. Good luck with that John Kerry vote in November too. Mr. Conservative.
I have zero respect for "conservatives" that are more concerned about being taken for granted by the GOP than they are in saving America. The right half of the political spectrum currently stands alone against our international enemies and HALF of our own country. It's time to choose our battles.
I am .. and Barlowmaker is correct .. Hoefell is a far left whack job
hey there! still wringing your hands I see, you and Barloadmaker make a great team!
zero respect due to zero understanding on your part.
i do not respect you either.
you are both moderates without principles or the courage to stand up for them.
unable to see behind the "R" to the liberal that Specter is.
liberalism is a cancer that is creeping into the GOP and if it(you)is not stopped, the Republican party will cease to be the conservative party.
if you consider yourself a "conservative" wake up! drop your childish attitude about Specter and see the more important goal of conservative judges!
If your principles entail voting for Socialist liberal Joe Hoeffel ... your principles suck.
By the logic you just stated, if the Red Chinese got one of their sleepers in as a Republican, we should kp him because he is a Republican.
Whne an enemy is wihin the gates, and he desses like you and has influence, he is MUCH more dangerous that an enemy outside the gates.
I know that you should give every benefit of a doubt...Specter has used up all of that and more. He must go. While I would not vote for the demo...I would also not vote for Specter (for the same reasons) and therefore cast my vote for whatever candidate reflected my values.
I've said all I can on this...we are getting into circular discussions and arguements now.
Democrats caucus with Democrats on these and other important issues.
The time for a protest vote, (primary) has passed.
Tis time to circle the wagons and re-elect Specter. The protest failed, and that is that.
as usual you totally ignore the entire purpose of this action.
i'll try to make it plain for you.
to elect conservative judges, we need conservative senators in charge, ok?
to have conservative senators in charge, we need to remove the liberal senators in their way, ok?
specter is a liberal senator in regard to the judiciary, ok?
your big tent theory is crap . those pro-choice, and log cabin republicans you speak of will be voting for Kerry not Bush and your moderate majority is in what country?
well at least you got the terrorist part right ;0)
When you can't respond to the position, you resort to ad hominem attacks, eh?
Kick a__ Badray.
Well, it's not good enough for many of us. My vote is mine to cast, for the candidate I think can do the best job in the position. If you want someone else to make your decisions for you, you need to find some way to give him or her your proxy. That way you won'e even need to show up at the polling place.
Specter, because of his voting record, is in President Bush's good graces. That is what I go on, not my own personal feelings, which may be based on incorrect, or not enough, information.
Then you need to inform yourself. Voting for anyone because someone else tells you to is an abrogation of your responsibility as a citizen.
I'm voting to help the President, not on my own personal preferences. That is what counts. Look at Specter's voting records. He will help the President get his budget passed. Please reconsider.
No, it isn't what counts. The whole point of voting is to vote on your personal preferences. Otherwise you could just have the party bosses pull the lever for you. And we have looked at Specter's voting records. That's why we'll never vote for him again. If you think Arlen will do anything that won't specifically help him personally, you haven't been watching. We have considered this long and carefully and reached our conclusions. Reconsideration isn't going to happen.
By the way, I'm with Jeff rather than Ray on this. I will never vote for Arlen Specter, but I don't think I can vote for Hoeffel either. Jim Clymer (the Constitution Party candidate) is who I'm leaning toward just now.
makes you wonder....why someone wold have a picture of Jeanine... hmmmmmmmm
again, avoiding the judicial issue.
you moderates are so squishy
you kill cancer(liberalism)with poison.
Think of voting for hoeffel as chemotherapy.
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