Posted on 04/08/2009 9:12:28 AM PDT by BGHater
Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday said that former Rep. Pat Toomey is too conservative to win a general election race in Pennsylvania, claiming his likely primary opponent "is to the right of Rick Santorum."
During an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program, Specter (R-Pa.) provided a preview of his strategy against Toomey. Specter said Toomey fought for deregulation, embraced private accounts in Social Security and, if nominated, would lose the general election and allow Democrats to pass so-called card-check legislation favored by organized labor.
Specter said Toomey is "to the right" of former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), adding, "Santorum lost by 18 points [in 2006], spent $31 million and was a two-term incumbent."
The jab at Santorum comes in the wake of Santorum's silence on whether he will endorse Specter's bid for a sixth term. Santorum backed Specter in his tight 2004 primary win over Toomey. President Bush also backed Specter over Toomey.
"If Toomey is the nominee, you can be sure he'll lose," Specter said, claiming Democrats would then have the votes to pass card-check and allow the White House and congressional Democrats to steamroll their agenda through Congress.
Reacting to Specter's comments, Toomey said, "This is more grasping at straws by Arlen Specter. I have won three general elections in Pennsylvania and lost none. Specter might believe you have to be a liberal like him in order to win in Pennsylvania, but I do not share that view, nor do most Pennsylvania Republicans."
Specter last week launched ads criticizing Toomey, who has not officially declared he will run against the Pennsylvania senator.
A spokesman for Toomey last week returned fire on Specter.
“Pennsylvanians have come to expect bizarre behavior from Arlen Specter, but this takes his desperation to a new and very strange level," Toomey spokesman Mark Harris said at the time. "Specter can’t defend his own liberal record, so he’s attacking Pat Toomey, who isn’t even in the race yet, with lies about work Pat did 20 years ago. It looks like Specter wants to put Pennsylvanians through a long, dishonest campaign ... for one final time.”
I do see your point and of course one should want conservatives in all 50 states, but certain localities won’t vote for conservatives, but will vote for moderates. Thus, the GOP takes back Congress and hopefully the presidency and advances some conservative principles and at least stops the advance of the Democrats. If we were in the majority it would be different, but we are close to loosing the war...61 votes for the Democrats would be very bad.
No not that...you are talking about district elections and statewide elections...very different animals.
What Specter means when he says Toomey can’t win is that the Republican Party in Pa., especially the country club Republicans, will not throw their support to Toomey and will pretty much sit out the election. Santorum was a unique case and one can go back as far as Hugh Scott (and even before him) to see that Pa. has never elected a conservative senator. At least since the 1920s.
If you think Toomey could win a Genral in PA, you really haven’t followed PA Politics. We are already about to have that idiot Al Franken from MN. That empty suit Casey beat Santorum in PA. Then we have the loons like Boxer, Leahy, Sanders and many more on the Dem. Side. Do you want to take the chance of sending another one of those to WA?
Also, my point is that Bachman can win a district election, but I do not believe she could be elected as a senator. She would need statewide support.
Ronald Reagan "A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers."
From his "Let Them Go Their Way" speech. You might want to read it sometime.
He also said that it is better have someone who votes for you 75% of the time than 0% of the time...fielding candidates who hold moderate views in certain districts is absolutely needed...you guys can hold onto your ‘principles’ in 2010 and lose a very winnable series of election, maybe by 2012, you will listen to reason. Of course by then, the Obama plans will be in effect since they will have a veto proof majority in the Senate.
Toomey did not vote for the horrible finacial package you voted for Arlin. That puts him up by 100% in this house
Being from Minnesota myself, I can tell you a little about the Franken/Coleman race. I personally know a number of conservatives that voted third party because Coleman was moving too far toward the middle. When you lose your base, you lose elections.
I'd expect that Santorum lost some support of diehard conservatives because of his choosing Specter over principle in 2004. Enough to lose the election? I don't know. If you think Santorum and Coleman should have moved farther to the left in order to get reelected, you're trying to lead our party (and the country) in the wrong direction, IMO.
If these come to be our only choices then we are going to start losing everything as a critical mass or tipping point is reached where there is not so much difference anymore between the 2 parties.
While there are differences in degree, they are not enough to prevail in any case.
Hence, any Dem Lite is now always being trounced by a real Dem.
And here we are in the present political landscape where it could very well be over soon for Conservatives in this country.
So, I am advising my extended family in Pa. to vote Toomey.
Fortunately, they do listen to me. :)
After that we shall see, but I am through with Arlen in any matter whatsoever.
Honestly, I would seriously think about crossing over and voting for the Democrat if Spector won the Primary.
It’s a dangerous game...basically allowing veto proof Dem majorities to do what they will...I’m very squeemish about this and doubt it will end well for the conservatives.
I suspect some arm twisting went on in that election. Snarlen Arlen made some promises to GW, who I suspect made promises/hints/threats to Santorum. In the end Arlen stabbed GW in the back and helped get Santorum defeated in one fell swoop. I forget who was the first turncoat on the Stimulus.
That insane Magic Bullet, earned Arlen some real political capital.
I don't think she'd win a statewide election (most years) either. Minnesota had the distinction a few years ago of having our two senators elected two years apart representing the far ends of the political spectrum. We had Rod Grams who may not have been the MOST conservative Senator, but probably wasn't far from it, and Wellstone. Each election is different. Just because the mood of the country in 2008 was to swing toward democrats, doesn't mean its inevitably going to keep going that direction.
Believing that a short term move in one direction means it will move that direction forever is the equivalent of buying into the global warming arguments. Its no more logical than tracking the changes in temperatures and the number of hours of sunlight in October and reaching the conclusion that we're eventually going to have daytime temperatures of minus 100 degrees and 24 hours of darkness every day.
Ever hear the story of the Trojan Horse?.........never mind.
I think three of those "rather have moderates than Dems" voted to pass the stimulus. How would it have been different if those seats were held by democrats?
Come in said he spider to the fly.
They already have it with the bonus feature of having inside information on the Republican strategies.
The only reason the 3 traitors held firm on Cap & Trade? There were enough democrats who didn't support it, that it wouldn't have passed even if the revealed their true position, so they get to look good, without you catching on.
I doubt card Check will be an issue in the next election.
Than God, you let us hold on to our principles. Your principles have turned your name sake state into a cesspool, glad I don't have to live in it.
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