National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn has thrown his weight behind Sen. Arlen Specter, who is likely to face a tough renomination fight against former Club for Growth President Pat Toomey:
“My job as head of the NRSC is to guide the GOP back to a majority in the Senate,” wrote Cornyn to Pennsylvania Republicans. “I can’t do that without Arlen Specter. With him as our nominee, I can target our campaign resources toward beating Democrats and growing the Senate Republican Conference.”
National Republican support — especially from President Bush and Sen. Rick Santorum — was key to Specter’s defeat of Toomey in 2004. But since then, the Republican base has gotten smaller and the remaining conservatives may have had their fill of Specter.
