Just a few days after a squeaker of an primary election where Pennsylvania's incumbent and senior senator, Arlen Specter, beat conservative Republican Pat Toomey, Arlen is already showinng his liberal bent.
Almost all political pundits have cited President Bush's strong endorsement of Arlen Specter as one the deciding factors in a Specter victory. President Bush came to the Keystone State several times to heartitly endorse Specter, often towing junior senator Rick Santorum along.
But less than three days after the election where he wrapped himself in the warm coat-tails of Presidnet Bush, Specter is already distancing himself from Bush.
From the Patriot News.
Specter put the primary behind him and looked forward to the fall election. In his post-victory news conference, the four-term senator talked about abortion, stem-cell research, a greater international role for the United Nations in Iraq --issues that separate him and Bush.
He also proposed reducing a Bush tax cut by $250 million to pay for education. He proposed further, unspecified reforms in Bush's proposal to overhaul, and in some cases reduce, overtime pay.
You may call this being independent, but in these circumstances I call it typcial Arlen Specter back-stabbing. When it helps him, he touts ties to President Bush. In one of his campaign ads he even said that a vote for Pat Toomey is a vote against George Bush.
Arlen Specter is quick to twist arms for people to do favors for him, but when it somes for people to ask for a little respect back, and possibly a little help when they need it, I guess Arlen Specter feels that is below him.
From National Review:
'I'll go straight to the point," said Arlen Specter, shortly after sitting down to dinner with Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation in March. "I've got a primary and I'm being hit from the right. I want your support."
The Republican senator from Pennsylvania wasn't going to get it merely by breaking bread. Says Weyrich: "I told him I was disgusted with how he comes around just before his elections and asks for conservative endorsements, when we all know he won't give us the time of day later on." In years past, Weyrich has traveled to Specter's home turf and urged conservatives to stick with one of the GOP's most liberal members. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do this time."
Posted by psugrad98 at April 30, 2004 09:29 AM
