Revisiting “Benedict Arlen”
On Tuesday I posted that the, ahem, maverick Senator “Benedict” Arlen Specter planned to vote against union card check. According, to Michelle Malkin’s blog, though, there was a big “but” at the end of Specter’s decision:
2:31pm Eastern. Specter just announced his decision on Senate floor and denied that he cut some sort of deal. Says he would be willing to reconsider Card Check when economy improves and his requests to amend the National Labor Relations Act are approved.
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4:20pm Eastern. Pat Toomey picks up on the fine print…
Statement from Pat Toomey on Specter’s Conditional Reversal“When Senator Specter does a flip flop, it’s worth checking the fine print. On the senate floor today he said: “I would be willing to reconsider Employees’ Free Choice legislation when the economy returns to normalcy.” In other words, if he thinks his political fortunes have improved, he will deny workers a secret ballot after all.” – Former Congressman Pat Toomey
Memo to Senator Specter: Did you really think we wouldn’t notice this?
While the RINO Senator continues his tightrope act, he might want to look below because the netting is about to be taken away. The Senator is in big trouble in Pennsylvania, where challenger Pat Toomey is leading him by double digits according to a Quinnipiac poll.
Two separate polls released yesterday show the political hit that Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.) has taken in his party’s base for giving crucial support to the Democrat-drafted $787 billion economic stimulus.
A Quinnipiac University survey found that 53 percent of Republican respondents said that Specter did not deserve reelection. The Franklin & Marshall College Poll, meanwhile, reported that 51 percent of Republican voters think it’s time for a change.
Specter, 79, is seeking a sixth term in next year’s GOP primary, and he already faces fire from the right.
Former Rep. Pat Toomey, a conservative leader from the Lehigh Valley, leads Specter 41 percent to 27 percent, according to the Quinnipiac poll.
Though Toomey came within 17,000 votes of beating Specter in the 2004 GOP primary, the poll found that 73 percent of Republican voters did not know enough about the likely challenger to form an opinion of him.
“Pennsylvania Republicans are so unhappy with Sen. Specter’s vote for President Barack Obama’s stimulus package and so-called pork-barrel spending that they are voting for a former congressman they hardly know,” said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Suffice it to say, we will remain on top of Senator Specter’s every move as we look to oust this dead wood from our party.
If Toomey wins the primary, will he do better or worse than Santorum’s 2006 run?
March 26th, 2009 at 12:39 pmHe will do better. Rick Santorum lost his bid for re-election in an Anti-Republican election cycle.
Two years of Obama will change that(no pun intended).
March 26th, 2009 at 12:43 pmAs it stands now, any Republican gubernatorial candidate has more than a fighting chance in New Jersey this year.
Does Pat Toomey have a chance this year in Pennsylvania where conservatives have held statewide office in recent years? I say absolutely.
March 26th, 2009 at 12:47 pmLet’s not forget that Rick Santorum also hurt himself a bit in Pennsylvania. Right or wrong, the media and liberals attacked him for some of his comments/rhetoric.
March 26th, 2009 at 1:06 pmSpecter fully deserves to lose in the primary. Ultimately, that will be a good thing.
Republican fund raising will be severely curtailed if any dollars flow through the GOP fundraising arm to his campaign. He and the twin Senators from Maine sold out the conservative cause. If Steele and Company don’t put a stop to support for Specter, Snowe and Collins, party fund raising will be badly hurt.
Republicans may lose the PA seat in the general election, but it really isn’t held by a conservative anyway. Toomey seems to have a shot, so conservatives should get behind him now!
March 26th, 2009 at 1:51 pmBenedict Arlen. Really like that!
March 27th, 2009 at 9:32 amI just looked in the dictionary, and when I looked up the word RINO, it said Arlen Specter. But, I would like to point out what I think if an interesting connection. The vote being discussed here is the “The Card Check” bill. This bill does need a few RINOs to cross over and vote for. As we well know, Card Check would be an open vote, versus secret vote on union elections. Now, if Card Check = RINO, then I propose to you, that RINO = County Convention endorsments for Chris Christie. If you really think about it, is that not what the RINO leadership is running in New Jersey, a Card Check election for the republican endorsement?
March 27th, 2009 at 10:56 am