Pennsylvania's Brawl for the GOP's Soul

[CShine]

My beloved native state of Pennsylvania hasn't been much of a national leader in anything since the days of Ben Franklin -- although it's near the top of the pack in lost manufacturing jobs, population stagnation, underperforming schools, and political corruption. But for the second time in two elections, the Keystone State is playing host to a statewide primary election to determine the soul of a political party.

In 2002, probusiness "New Democrat" Ed Rendell won the Democratic nomination for governor (and ultimately the big prize) against old-style, labor-supporting, social conservative Patrick Casey. Rendell is a fiscal moderate in a state where most Democrats are old-fashioned economic liberals from "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party." He's also a social liberal in a state where many Catholic and African-American voters are far more culturally conservative. But Rendell surprise victory proved that an optimistic, charismatic New Democratic moderate has a future in the liberal-dominated Democratic Party.

PRIMARY GOAL. This year's primary will determine if there's room for a powerful moderate senator in the conservative-dominated Republican Party. Arlen Specter, a four-term incumbent who has turned back right-wing primary challenges before, faces an aggressive, charismatic challenger in the Apr. 27 primary: Allentown Congressman Pat Toomey, a down-the-line social conservative and a committed supply-sider. Toomey has an army of Christian conservatives, movement conservatives, and economic conservatives trying to oust the party's most popular statewide elected official.

Specter's defeat would be a defining moment for the modern conservative movement. Some GOP conservatives say they wouldn't even mind if Toomey lost to the Democratic challenger in the fall. To them, removing an annoying, unreliable Republican from the Congress is their paramount goal.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=66&ncid=703&e=5&u=/bw/20040426/bs_bw/nf200404263558db015

[daleo]

1. A new World Wrestling Federation event?

The GOP soul brawl.

[rfkrocks]

2. In a steel cage match! (eom)

[MarianJack]

3. Up Here in Maine...

...I would bet a dollar that Olympia Snowe will have a far right challenger in '06. I think that the rethuglicans want to get rid of anybody that they see as not conservative enough. They have the misguided idea that this country is in a right wing frenzy.

When (please GOD!) moron loses in November, I hope that they attribute his loss (his 2nd!) to moving too far to the center and Pres. Kerry will have a waltz in '08!

By the way, as a former PA resident, I wouldn't cry a single tear at the political demise of "little nixon" specter. The "little nixon" came from a great judge, Lisa Richette, who specter absolutely HATED when he was Philadelphia DA! She said it in or around 1973.

[Democat]

4. These Republicans know how to play hardball

Democrats could learn a few things from these thugs. We don't have to be as bad as them, but they fear nothing when it comes to fighting for what they believe in.

When will most of the chickens on our side learn to fight mean and hard and without fear?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. I wish we would all fight without fear. No more pandering to the...

DINO's!!!!!!!!!!!

[loudsue]

6. The repukes win because they'd cut off their noses to spite their faces

I think Dems should have registered repuke for the primaries to make mincemeat out of Toomey. We're going to have to start fighting fire with nukes if we are ever going to get rid of the extremists pushing their way into EVERY area of our government: congress, judgeships, police chiefs, school boards, commissioners, City Councils, ....everywhere.

We need to switch sides or do whatever is necessary...just like the repukes did in Georgia when they got rid of Patricia McKinney.

This is a fight for our country...nothing less. Dems in PA should be helping GOTV for Specter, and talking against Toomey. If we're going to "win" in PA, I still don't want the extremists to be encouraged by getting Toomey elected in the primary. We need to keep hitting them HARD in EVERY race they enter.

Until EVERY right wing extremist is out of office, no Dem can sleep in peace, because the extremists will try to steal it if they can't win it.

Take to the streets to keep Toomey out of the race! Remember! The more right wing extremists in congress, the less likely we'll be getting voting machine problems straightened out with a paper ballot.

It's NOT WORTH THE RISK!!

:kick::kick:

[No Mandate Here.]

7. I am eager to go to my local fire hall in the morning ...

...to see which of my neighbors is being a good rePub and standing there giving out the Specter nail files, and which of my neighbors is being a good rePub and giving out the Toomey matchbooks. It will take all my reserve not to try to provoke a discussion about which is the better rePub. I believe it might begin with something like... Holier than thou?


This is the fire hall where the four election monitors sit at a table, trying to not be tempted by the fire hall ladies' pies and soup that lurk behind the curtains.

This is the local fire hall where same election monitors announce your arrival by yelling your name and party affiliation so they can find the right page to sign you in. It is fun to be one of the minority party here in Somerset County PA.

This is the same fire hall where the election technology isn't made by DieBALD or destroyed by Harris-- the only thing that can go wrong is the lead breaks in the Dixon #2.

Kerry in a landslide- twice. Once on April 27, again on November 2!