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.
Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!
