NY Times: Conservative Takes on Moderate GOP in PA

[IronLionZion]

There appears to be a lack of unity in the conservative community. The "Republican" wing is fiercely attacking the moderates. Hmm... Maybe Liberals can come out on top!

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/03/national/03SPEC.html?pagewanted=1&th

Representative Patrick J. Toomey, Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, has been ripping his opponent for being a "Ted Kennedy" liberal, too fond of taxes and spending, too close to activist judges and trial lawyers, too supportive of abortion rights and the United Nations.

Never mind that his opponent, Senator Arlen Specter, is a four-term Republican who has been endorsed by the nation's conservative-in-chief, President Bush. Party cleansing, not party unity, is Mr. Toomey's goal.

"The problem we've got is a handful of Republican senators who never really bought into the idea of the Republican Party in the first place," Mr. Toomey told a group of gray-suited businessmen in this conservative city. "I represent the Republican wing of the Republican Party."

Generously financed by an antitax group, the Club for Growth, Mr. Toomey is giving Mr. Specter his toughest primary since he won election 24 years ago. Mr. Toomey has closed to within 13 points or less, recent polls show, with less than a month left before primary day on April 27.

[Nite Owl]

1. So the lesson is that

those moderate Repukes that stuck with the party all these years are now getting the boot. Well there are some who should just cross over now like Chafee and Snow. They might feel that their states are safe but it's just a matter of time. Will they ever learn? It isn't their daddy's party anymore and they aren't going to change it.

[ithacan]

2. religious right attempt to take over Penn. GOP

my bet is that the fundamentalists are trying to take over the GOP in Pennsylvania, and this is how they're doing it.

Anyone know Toomey's links to the religious right?

[IronLionZion]

3. I know he's a radical

Republicans may be stupid enough to nominate Toomey but he can't beat Joe Hoeffel in the general election. PA is a moderate state with slightly more Democrats than Republicans.

Santorum is a fluke. He's only there because the right wing dumped truckloads of money into his campaign and the Dems didn't give Klink anything. Even then it was not by a huge margin. Philly, Reading, Johnstown, Pitt, etc. help balance out the conservatives.

[meow2u3]

4. Santorum cons the Catholics...

by pretending to be moderate, a la Bush :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:
I wonder if Santorum is one of those Opus Dei wackos?

[IronLionZion]

5. The Catholics in my hometown are extremely pro-life

and the Republicans use this to get them to vote solid Rep every time. But none of them can explain why they vote for Specter when he's pro-choice and don't vote for pro-life dems.
:crazy:
They've been brainwashed. Our priest is a right-wing lunatic and very political. He stumps for right-wingers and handed out Bush flyers after mass in 2000.

[meow2u3]

6. You can get that priest in trouble with the Pope

Our priest is a right-wing lunatic and very political. He stumps for right-wingers and handed out Bush flyers after mass in 2000.

Priests aren't supposed to take sides politically, especially since they unduly influence their parishoners in doing so. If I were you, I'd report his pulpit politicking to his bishop, and if he won't do anything about, to His Holiness himself. One Democratic congressman was a priest, and had to choose between politics and the priesthood--so why shouldn't Father Bushbot be forced to choose between religion and politics?

[fencesitter]

7. I remember when Catholics were solid Dems..

Lotsa working class folks with a picture of JFK next to a picture of the Pope.

[fencesitter]

8. This Toomey thing makes me nervous

Here in my PA county I'm seeing way too many Toomey lawn posters. If Toomey were to get the nomination, I think Hoffel would have a hard fight and not necessarily a victorious one. This state has so many party line voters who would just never vote for a Dem.