Former Pennsylvania Congressman Pat Toomey blasted Republican
Senator Arlen Specter at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference
over the weekend.
Toomey, a Republican who lost a close primary to Specter in 2004
by 17,000 votes, said: “I think it’s time for a change, and that
is why it is very, very likely that very soon, I will be a
candidate for the United States Senate.” Toomey received a
standing ovation from the group, the Pennsylvania version of the
national Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC),
according to a reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
He spoke on Saturday.
Said Toomey: “When Republicans were in the majority, I believe
that Arlen Specter helped to squander…the obligation of
Republicans to common-sense conservatives. Now, he is actively
helping the most liberal elected government in American history
to advance an extremely liberal agenda.”
Specter was not invited to the conference, but responded earlier
in the week to the increasing threat from Toomey while on a stop
in Harrisburg. The Senator charged that Toomey’s votes while a
member of the U.S. House representing Allentown helped create the
current economic situation, specifically citing votes for
deregulation of the financial services industry. Said Specter of
Toomey: “He’s like the AIG employees. He creates the problem; now
he wants the bonus. He wants to be promoted to the Senate. He’s
going to have more votes to explain than I do. Stay tuned.”
Ryan Rupe| 3.30.09 @ 10:50AM
One of the biggest reasons Specter beat Toomey in 2004 was the full support of former Senator Rick Santorum who worked hard to get Pennsylvania conservatives to back the incumbent. With Santorum gone and conservatives in a fighting mood I would certainly think that Pat Toomey has an excellent chance of unseating Specter.
Ryan Rupe
Milwaukee, WI
Jeffrey Lord| 3.30.09 @ 10:54AM
Ryan...
As a Pennsylvanian I can say you are definitely right.
Pingback| 3.30.09 @ 11:00AM
Toomey Hits Specter, Will Announce ‘Very Soon’ — But As For Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Big Jim| 3.30.09 @ 1:52PM
It was a foolish mistake for Rick Santorum to support Specter last time. I hope this time he gives maximum support to Mr. Toomey. Please help Rick, Specter has got to go.
Deborah | 3.30.09 @ 2:06PM
Yes, Pennsylvania, do the whole country a favor and dump this RINO. We could use a real conservative in the Senate to combat all the wishy-washy lefty ones like those women from Maine (forget their names, Collins and, and, ...Snowe, that's right!!)
Bob| 3.30.09 @ 2:25PM
This will be a good test of the theory that what the public wants is a right wing conservative rather than a logical, bright, and pragmatic moderate. I hope Toomey beats Spector in the primary so we can settle this issue once and for all when a Democrat senator is named. But then again, most of you will use the excuse that he ran a lousy campaign.
Dan | 3.30.09 @ 2:40PM
Based on the recent elections, the Pa. voters appear to enjoy being abused. They continue to vote in their liberal or so called moderate politicians. I'm not sure they know what they're doing to themselves.
Tom| 3.31.09 @ 12:45AM
Yes, specter/collins and snowe need to go.
The GOP needs ot cleanse itself from these rinos and go back to their conservative roots which will spring them back into victory and the majority.
Bob| 3.31.09 @ 1:10PM
Without RINO's like me, we lose. Social conservatives only represent 18% or so of the voting population. On the other hand, RINO's have a far better chance at picking up moderates and independents as they tend to be younger with more minorities and more socially liberal. Remember, with today's population distribution, Reagan would have lost the 1980 election.