Posted on 03/04/2009 5:25:55 AM PST by kellynla
He isn’t there yet, but the conservative who came close to denying Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) renomination in 2004 appears headed toward a rematch in 2010with the 79-year-old who was one of three Republicans who enabled the Obama trillion-dollar “stimulus” to pass the Senate.
“I’m giving it very serious consideration,” former three-term Rep. Pat Toomey told me yesterday (March 3), “and I expect to make a decision soon.”
Conservative stalwart Toomey, who drew nearly 49 per cent of the vote against four-termer Specter in the ’04 GOP primary, had long signaled to reporters and backers that he would make a race for governor next year. Privately, friends of the former lawmaker (who now heads the conservative Club for Growth) told me that while Toomey felt he could unseat Specter, he was far more worried about going on to defeat the Democratic hopeful in the fall (Five years ago, after edging out Toomey in the primary, Specter went on to roll up a margin of 53% to 42% over Democratic Rep. Joseph Hoefel, whom even Keystone State Democratic candidates agree was a lackluster candidate).
But a lot has changed recently. MSNBC talkmeister Chris Matthews, after exploring a Senate bid for months, announced he wasn’t running. There is talk of Franco Harris carrying the Democratic ball, but little evidence that the onetime football great is seriously exploring the race. The name most heard in Democratic circles these days is that of two-term Rep. Pat Murphy.
Earlier this week, Toomey put out a statement saying he was now considering the Senate race instead of a gubernatorial bid (which two other Republicans have are all but announced). Two days ago, businessman and Gulf War veteran Glen Meakem, a favorite among Pennsylvania conservatives, announced that after considering the Senate race, he was not going to run.
“The breathtaking series of events in Washington recently are things I never would have imagined before,” Toomey told me yesterday, explaining why he was now considering a Senate race. “Nationalizing government institutions, programs that create enormous deficits, serial bailouts at the expense of personal freedom—all are breath-taking.”
Specter, of course, enraged conservatives most recently when he became one of three Senate Republicans to break ranks and support Barack Obama’s three-quarters-of-a-trillion dollar stimulus package. Last year, he was the only Republican in the Senate to support the notorious, union-backed “card-check” legislation that would scuttle secret ballots in union elections. (The measure failed in the Senate and Specter recently announced he was now “neutral” on card-check). Pro-life leader and past gubernatorial candidate Peg Luksik has already said he is running against Specter and businessman Frank Ryan has strongly hinted he will run. However, Keystone State conservatives are expected to try to work out a united front by the time both of them and Toomey appear at the annual Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Harrisburg March 27-28.
Toomey stopped short of saying he would run for the Senate. But when I asked him about how he felt about the primary and the general election, her replied: “I’m feeling pretty good right now.”
Toomey should get started now, but I have a feeling God will unseat Specter first.
All the more reason for Toomey to start now. Let that Governor ignore the guy who came closest and destroy the democratic process?
He wouldn’t go against the will of the people?
Start a draft Toomey movement and make it a fait accompli.
or Lynn Swann.
I certainly hope so. I voted for Toomey last time he ran and Pat had a lot of support.
Go for it Pat!!!!
Yep, but Toomey has a leg up given history. Maybe Lynn Swann for governor?
Wouldn’t it be great to get a rustbelt state moving again?
I doubt if any Republican, even Specter, could beat a Dem in the general election in PA. The state has gotten very liberal, and very Democrat. I think there are more people getting a check from the government that there are who are not getting a check from the government. The free lunch is alive and well in the keystone state.
What the eff? Are you His right hand man? Sheesh..
Besides, I would rather it be Republicans who do it; more gratifying.
The metro areas are what keeps the Dems in power, as well as the influx of illegals into "red" counties.
McCain actually polled better here in 2008 than Bush did in 2004 because he had the good sense to stay home and send Sarah Palin. We're also the biggest concentration of gun owners in the country outside the great state of Texas.
What ever they do they should make sure Santurum is kept away.
Why would I say it? Hmmmm, the last time the liberal Specter faced a conservative in the primary, Toomey, Santorum stabbed Toomey in the back leading to Specters win.
Now that there may be a rematch, I wonder why I’d want the reason Toomey lost to stay away?
Didn’t “compromise his beliefs”???? He supported Specter! That is NOT the kind of conservative I want as my leader.
As I said, hasn’t he paid for that mistake enough yet? He lost his Senate seat in part because of that. He paid a heavy price. And more importantly we lost an important conservative voice in the Senate. I hope he chooses to run for Pa governor. I think Rick would make a great governor.
What are you so excited about?
It’s 2 years out and he’s been pretty sick in the recent past.
Like most people with Hodgkin's lymphoma , he'll probably the live normal lifespan, whatever that is. The odds of him making it to 81 is more than a tad better than 50-50.
The full remission (cure) rate for stages I and II is about 90-95%, while in stages III and IV, the cure rate is about 80-90%. Thus, most patients treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma can go on to live normal, long lives.
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