Specter: Toomey can't win, is to right of Santorum

The Hill ^ | 07 Apr 2009 | Bob Cusack

[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.”

[Wissa]

bronxboy 2009..."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."

bronxboy 2008... "Try and win without the conservative vote, you won’t. I know plenty of so called moderates/GOP political hacks believe it is possible to hobble together a coalition of moderate Repubs, independents and moderate Dems, but in my opinion, it will not happen. The only real victories for Repubs were delivered by conservative voters-Reagan and Gingrich. This is the dream election for you guys-you dislike conservatives as much as McCain-an election where conservatives (dumb hicks don’t you know) do not matter. The GOP will go down in flames because of the betrayal of conservatives."

Granted, the topic was different, but I think I detect a change in your viewpoint. Why are you so sure that swing voters can't also change and decide that the liberals have to be taken back out of power before its too late?

[Sloth]

So you advocate advancing conservative principles by electing Democrats (incumbents are hard to defeat). Can you not see how absurd this position is?

No more absurd than thinking that electing Democrats who happen to have an 'R' next to their names is "advancing conservative principles." I reject the idea that we must now choose between Socialist A or Socialist B.

[haircutter]

I'm done holding my nose when I vote !!!!!!!!!

and Specter will not have this Republican Families vote here in Pennsylvania....

Tomney almost made it last time, I think he will win large this time...

[steve-b]

Yep. Republicans will hold their nose and vote for Specter to keep the seat.