Posted on 02/09/2009 8:07:38 AM PST by Born Conservative
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter is a marked moderate.
In the Senate, the Philadelphia Republican voted mostly with his party last year, but with the Democrats more than a third of the time.
Neither side thinks that’s enough and both want to beat him when he seeks an unprecedented sixth six-year term next year.
Conservative Republicans consider him a RINO — a “Republican in name only.” They would like nothing better than if one of their own knocked him off in the Republican primary and took their anti-government, lower-taxes, anti-abortion fight to the Democrats.
“I think he’s extremely vulnerable in the Republican primary,” said Chris Lilik, the president of Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania, who helped a strong conservative challenger, Pat Toomey, almost upset Specter in the 2004 GOP primary.
“I think he is more vulnerable from an attack from a conservative Republican than a moderate or liberal Democrat,” Democratic media consultant Ed Mitchell said.
Democrats, looking to expand their Senate majority to a filibuster-proof 60 votes, want a more reliable ally.
“To his credit, once in a while, he’s with us,” state Democratic Party chairman T.J. Rooney said. “Given the choice, we prefer to have a Democrat who’s with us all the time instead of just when it’s politically expedient.”
Plenty talk, little action
Rooney predicts two tough races for Specter next year.
The problem for Democrats and Republicans who would like to take him out is this: for all the talk of challengers, almost no one is overtly acting like one.
The lone exception is Democrat Joseph M. Torsella, the former president and chief executive officer of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Torsella, a Berwick native who lives in suburban Philadelphia, plans to file papers forming a campaign committee today.
The Democrats’ best-known hope, MSNBC “Hardball” anchor Chris Matthews, said last month he wouldn’t run. Their list of about seven names is relatively unknown, save for ex-football player Franco Harris, who hasn’t publicly indicated interest.
“I think it would have to be a Democratic rock star,” said Lance Stange, secretary of the Lackawanna County Republican Party. “It will be very difficult for Democrats to replicate 2008.”
The Republican field is slimmer. When Toomey announced last month he won’t run for the Senate again, conservatives lost their favorite son. Their best-known potential challenger at the moment is Margaret “Peg” Luksik, a staunch anti-abortionist who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1994. Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta acknowledged Saturday he was approached by several Republicans to run, but said he likes the senator and doesn’t want to run against him.
With Specter’s proven ability to raise money ($5.8 million banked), any challenger better get started soon.
“It’s not too late to get in right now, but I wouldn’t wait too long,” said Ted Meehan, the president and founder of the Reagan Caucus, a group of conservatives who met over the weekend during the state Republican Party meeting in Harrisburg.
Attacks on both sides
Specter, who is in the region today for a fundraiser and tour of Schott Glass Technologies plant in Duryea, just rehired Chris Nicholas, who guided his successful 2004 race.
Of his upcoming re-election campaign, Specter, frequently quoting Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel Paige, says he runs with the attitude, “Don’t look back, someone may be gaining on you.”
“Arlen has a really unique situation,” former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton, a Republican, said. “He has a pretty rock solid base in the southeast, which not many Republicans have any more, and he’s got Republicans in the rest of the state” and he’s popular with some Democrats.
Conservatives’ distaste for Specter begins with his support for abortion rights. They also question his fiscal conservatism. They were almost apoplectic over the weekend because he appears ready to be one of two or three Republicans to support the Senate version of Obama’s costly economic stimulus plan.
“If it’s a big vote, Arlen’s the first one to cave,” Meehan said. “It (the stimulus bill) gets to the Senate; the Republicans make a stand, and Arlen caves.”
They fear he’ll vote for a bill to make it easier for unions to form.
Though the last two congressional elections overwhelmingly favored Democrats, the political climate Specter will face next year is far from clear. But by then, a Democratic president will get the credit or blame rather than the Democrats’ favorite whipping boy, President George W. Bush, their target in 2006 and 2008.
Whether Specter can withstand attacks from both sides will depend greatly on that climate. A revived economy with an Arlen Specter who voted against the stimulus would give a Democratic challenger great ammunition. If slump continues, a vote for the stimulus could help a Republican challenger.
By backing the stimulus, Specter might be showing he’s unworried about a strong conservative challenge and positioning himself to take on a Democrat. Just about everyone agrees on this: He is as smart a politician as there is going.
“I wouldn’t bet against him,” Scranton said.
Arlen Spectacle is what Mark Levin calls a “Re-pube-ican.”
Ping.
Chris Lilek is quoted in this article; his website is grassrootspa.
Not one dime from the RNC better go to this guy! Frankly, I don’t care if the RNC pulls another big scare that we weill somehow lose this seat to the Democrats if we don’t vote for Specter. THAT SEAT IS ALREADY A DEM SEAT! Specter must go!
Ask Holly Maddox’s family what they think of Specter!
We warned heavily against Specter -— he had “liberal sell-out” written all over him. Yet, he ends up on committee and in the Congress.
He should be voted out in 2010 along with his other parasite Northeast liberal RINOs.
It appears that’s it’s politics as usual - - “he who has the most money wins!”
God, I hate this.
Arlan Specter is a Whore and an admitted (*)
Traitor to America under Scottish
and American Jurisprudence.
.
.* admitted on the radio this morning that he KNEW
the American public was against this.
‘“If it’s a big vote, Arlen’s the first one to cave,” ‘
Says it all.
Id he votes for this bill, I think he can be taken down in the Republican Primary in 2010. The problem after that is you probably will end up with a more liberal Dem. winning the General Election. This is the same state that sent Rick Santorum packing.
Remember Sphincter was enthusiastically backed by Geo. Bush and his cronies against Toomey! Now we get what Bush wanted!
specters dc phone has been busy all morning! wonder why?
Yes, in addition to he who has the backing of Soros et.al., the unions, ACORN, the PA Democrat party and the PA Republicrat party (there is NO Republican party in PA), etc.
“...Arlen’s the first one to cave,” may say it all but Arlen said it best...
“...You are no more a protector of the Constitution than am I”
So??? If the state is too stupid to hire a man of principle and conservative values, too bad for them. As conservatives and republicans we have too get over the LOTE factor at this time in our history!
If someone is going to promote leftist policies it should be a democrat. If you ever want people to be open to conservative principals you’ll need to sacrifice seats like PA.
One of the problems is that it’s always a Lefty v. “moderate”. The moderates tend to try to pretend that they are different but they are not
He must be making the radio rounds today. He was on the local Wilkes-Barre/Scranton talk radio station this morning (I didn’t listen, as I was at work).
I can live with that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.