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."
