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Santorum camp said to be having conference call concerning possible Toomey Specter primary…
Who will Rick Santorum back this time? GrassrootsPA has learned that key Santorum allies are said to be having a conference call this afternoon regarding a possible Toomey Specter primary. The topic at hand is said to be what position, if any, the former US Senator should take.
In 2004, Santorum joined President Bush in stumping for Specter…
UPDATE: ZITO: ‘no comment’ means a good news day for Toomey…
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63 Comments
Let's see if Rick can redeem itself.
Is this a joke? Is there a John Street call later this afternoon to decide between Schwartz and Murphy?
Faux conservative. Who cares who he will back? Besides, doesn't he live in Virginia now?
This decision is moot…Arlen will be a Democrat by next year.
Why does Santorum have a camp?
Santorum suffers from "Delusions of Relevance." He seems to have forgotten that we summarily dismissed him. But, it appears Santorum fancies himself as the savior here……..At this point, I think he can only hurt Pat, not help him.
Pat, you need to be very careful……very careful. Santorum is NOT a limited-government conservative. Just a week or so ago he proclaimed that he was proud of his earmarks. Pat, you really don't need this clown, this caricature of a conservative, in your orbit. Really, you don't. Please be careful.
This is just a play for street cred for the networks. Nobody here who is Conservative gives is darn what Santorum thinks. and Gil is right, who even believes Rick has a camp. He has his pension, house near DC and paychecks coming in from the networks. Just another talking head playing power trip games.
I agree with Dolly in that Pat stepped on some of the purist toes by backing him and they will bristle if the two appear too cozy. Tread carefully Pat.
Santorum lost the respect of many when he endorsed Specter. The stimulus would not have been passed with Toomey in the Senate. Thank Santorum for Specter's vote.
For someone who supposedly no one cares about anymore, Santorum sure does garner a lot of comment on here. You'd think that if he wasn't relevant anymore, you wouldn't have anything to say…
I agree 100%. He might not be in office but he still has supporters in PA.
People need to be more respectful. Attacking Santorum is not going to help Pat Toomey defeat Specter (D-Philadelphia).
Reaching out to Santorum and Santorum friends would be much more beneficial.
Wouldn't the people here who dislike Santorum on this site prefer to see Toomey gain Santorum's support against Specter this time around? We can all agree on that one.
Of course Santorum will endorse Toomey. Toomey endorsed Santorum in 06. What? You mean to say there is no honor among thieves? But the noble Toomey has told you that Santorum is an honorable man. So are they all, all honorable men.
Testing…
[youtube z0eJJIsilh4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0eJJIsilh4 youtube]
What is WITH the deranged anti-Santorm haters? If you people support Toomey, I have to wonder what sort of man Toomey is.
Santorum was far and way the most fiscally conservative GOP Senator in the north-east. If you want to dump all GOP politicans who've ever used earmarks, the entire party will be able to meet in the back of a taxi-cab.
Hmmmmm. Spoken like a true liberal in the use of name calling and the technique of conquer and divide.
By involving himself in at least 4 Republican primaries by endorsing pro-abortion candidates over the pro-life candidates, Santorum has stung many on the pro-life side. So yes, you will see some well deserved, lingering animosity.
When it comes to Santorum, the people here are never happy.
Even when they say the GOP lost its way, they don't like him.
Would you people prefer Santorum back Toomey, or would you rather see him campaign for Specter?
I suspect, sadly, the people on this site won't be happy even if he supports Toomey.
About a third of Pennsylvania Republicans voted for Casev over the arrogance of Santorum. Go away Rick you were fired!!!
Did you get his press releases by fax or email?
You'd better check his record. Even if he qualified as the 'most fiscally conservative', that doesn't make him a fiscal conservative. He is a big government advocate and that disqualifies him as a conservative.
Let me think about that. Uh, NO!
Santorum is tainted, not by the left but by his own indefensible actions. He claims to be every kind of conservative there is but then he modifies it by adding 'big government' in front of it.
He put his advancement and party loyalty over the principles that he claimed were important to him. How can you trust him? Why give him the spotlight or even a hint of relevance?
We post our displeasure and now we're deranged haters?
Santorum lied to us, betrayed us, and dismissed us. We have plenty of reason not to trust him or want his taint to carry over to Toomey.
If Ricky had supported Toomey in 2004, he would have been consistent with his stated beliefs. Instead, he backed his polar opposite. The left never liked him and now, neither does the right. How will his endorsement help Toomey now?
Bologna. Santorum advocated sending BILLIONS in aid to Africa and even spending a larger percentage of our GDP on foreign aid. He was also quite fond of using the Internal Revenue Code as a means by which to carrot and stick the citizens. The Rickster was NOT a fiscal conservative. He landed a lot of money for plush polar bear digs at the Pittsburgh zoo. He is a caricature, nothing more.
The time for him to support Toomey was in 2004. If he dares to support Toomey now I suspect he will do more damage to Pat than good. Rick will only do that which benefits Rick. He could care less about whether Pat Toomey is elected. That's reality.
Santorum suffers from delusions of relevance and he should stay out of this race.
No. I think Santorum will harm Toomey more than he will help him. NO ONE LIKES RICK SANTORUM—not the left, not the right. Why would you want or court his endorsement? What could he POSSIBLY bring to the table at this point? He's a has-been.
Very well put. He carries a taint that cannot be washed away until he does a full mea culpa.
If Santorum thought he would have the support he would RUN AGAINST TOOMEY!
Precisely. Santorum is a poseur. He was hoping no one would notice. o.0
Well said.
You guys are crazier than usual…
Toomey would do a backflip to get Santorum's support. Rick has a network, Toomey has you guys. You guys just complain on here, he needs workers. He needs Rick's support.
Santorum has beans. He's a has been. Pat does NOT need Santorum's endorsement.
Troublemarker, you are 100% correct. I am a huge Toomey backer, and, sadly, the people who are most vocal against Santorum on this site ARE NOT EVEN REGISTERED REPUBLICANS!
I will get negative marks, but, again, just tell us if you are a registered Republican or not. If not, please stay out of the conversation since you don't vote in our primary.
Dolly, are you a registered Republican?
If you are not a registered Republican, please let those of us who are Republicans take out Specter by working with those who supported Santorum in the past.
I'm not a registered Republican. I am registered with the Constitution Party…….and you can thank Rick Santorum and the rest of the Republican reprobates for that. If Pat runs, I will in all probability re-register as a Republican so I can vote in the Primary. It depends on what the Republican party does in response to Pat's candidacy. I have little doubt the stupid party will make the wrong decision, again, still.
I am not a registered reprobate. If you think that Santorum will help Toomey, by all means, encourage him to buddy up to St. Rick. I'm telling you Santorum is DAMAGED GOODS and he can only hurt Pat Toomey, not help him.
Wake up and smell the Yaucono.
I busted my butt for Toomey, only to have Ricky bust Toomey's election! You are right that he needs workers but not a backstabber like Rick!
And yes, I am a registered Republican, but on the edge! People like Santorum are chasing me away.
Many of us WERE the Toomey workers last time and he almost won except for you know who butting in. Were it not for Rick and Bush we wouldn't have Specter now. How many times must it be said????????
I was a republican for a loooooooong time and am now an independent because I refuse to loan my name to ANY party. Many on this site were republicans also and Rick's actions were the last straw. When the primary comes around I will be a republican for a day just to vote. How dare you say I should relinguish my first amendment right because you don't like what I and others say. Maybe if the republican party acted like republicans should there wouldn't be so many of us defecting to independent status. Be careful how you treat us because you won't win without us. We may no longer live under the party label but our hearts and votes are with those, usually republicans, that are of a conservative bent.
Dolly, to me it really doesn't matter what the republican party does in response to Pat's candidacy. We can drag them along kicking and screaming, if necessary, if they smell a victory. We can help Pat win with them or in spite of them for that is how we will take back the legislatures, state and federal, and this country. I will fight for the guy/gal I want and party be damned. (Excuse me)
Rick Santorum was a political insider who took a pro-life position to win votes.
He was in with the insiders of the party from Specter to the Pro-Life Federation etc.
He repeatedly endorsed Arlen Specter, even for President in 1996.
Santorum even went all the way to Alaska in 2004 to strongarm the state's pro-life group to support a pro-abortion candidate in a US Senate Primary.
I used to think that RINOs were the problem with the GOP. I've come to realize that it is the 'real' republicans who are. They support the Party over principle.
It is now apparent that conservative are the real RINOs since we don't swallow the Party line. Dolley (and I) are speaking as conservatives who want the GOP to be a true alternative to the liberalism of the democrats and not a paler version of it.
Santorum is a large part of the reason that many of us left the GOP. He would tell us what we wanted to hear and then vote against us in order to advance himself and be loyal to the Party. My question is loyal to what? The GOP tries to be all things to all people, taking both sides of most issues. For those of us with solid principles, to support the party meant voting against our values. NO THANKS!
If you want to stop 'outsiders' from voting in the GOP primary, I'd suggest that you start that effort by stopping democrats from voting in them — as GOP Senator Specter constantly asks his dem supporters to do.
It would would be more accurate to say that we don't care FOR him anymore, but he keeps trying to inject himself into the process after he was dismissed and even though he is not a resident of PA. When he tries to assert himself, we will have something to say about it and about him.
Amen! Hmmmm….What was it that Reagan said when he switched parties?
AMB, Never underestimate the party's ability to sabotage Toomey's candidacy……subtly or otherwise. I'm not sure it makes sense to get involved in his bid to unseat Arlen if the party demonstrates a propensity to undermine Toomey. I wish Pat was independent of the party. The party is worse than worthless.
Believe me I do not underestimate the party. So many of the so called leaders make me sick to my stomach since they are so spineless and more liberal than conservative but I will NOT be detered by "the party". If we aren't willing to fight for the guys that represent us just because "the party" might undermine then when do we do more than just talk. Talk is cheap. If I am going to complain about the state of affairs then I better be willing to do what I can beside complain about it. As I said before the party be damned. If this country is "…of the people, by the people and for the people…" then the people better be willing to work for it by donating time, money or preferably both.
Santorum is viewed so negatively by most voters in this state his endorsement is a negative.
I have never met someone that a good chunk of conservatives, liberals, and moderates hate.
Well Rick shows why the social conservative movement is a wreck. Instead of being for limited government to get the liberal agenda out of their homes, they have now turned to using government to further their agenda. This is why a person like me finds him so disdainful. I am fine with limited government social conservatism, but big government social conservatism is no different than big government social liberalism.
Nobody likes Santorum. The hatred of him is bipartisan.
It does not matter, Santorum was seen as a pro-life nutcase by 95% of the electorate. Only 5% of us realized how he played the game.
Given the mood of the country, given the propensities and proclivities of the party, I question if it wouldn't be better for Pat to run as an independent. I don't know if the "R" will buy him anything. Perhaps I am mis-judging the mood of the country and Commonwealth, but I think Joe and Jane Sixpack have had it with the two party system. I also question if I am projecting my thoughts onto the electorate as a whole, but Joe and Jane Sixpack definitely have bailout fatigue. That said, Democrats from the South East will have a reflexive reaction to Toomey running as a Republican. They may or may not hate the bailouts, but they hate Repulicans more. Southeast liberals will never vote for him if he has an "R" after his name. I question if the "Independent" label would open more hearts and minds to his message. We'll vote for him regardless, but the left will not. If we have to fight the party as well as the Democrats, is there any real value in running as a Republican?
If Santorum has a network, it shows how deranged the social conservative movement in America has become.
Whoa, he endorsed Specter for President in 1996? Was not aware of this!
MUST READ for all who are interested in whether Santorum will hurt or help Toomey, From National Review Online:
http://www.nationalreview.com/carney/carney200411...
Another must read, from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04354/429123-85.st...
According to this site, he did:
http://www.prolifepac.org/html/pa_interesting.htm...
"…While Santorum wears the mantle of Pro-Life, his oft-stated public position is that he requires exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. This is not pro-life; it is pro-abortion with exceptions.
Also, it should be recalled that he, along with President Bush, made dozens of visits here a short time ago to ensure that abortion-loving Arlen Specter was re-elected, narrowly defeating Pat Toomey, who was perceived to be pro-life. But that is not the only time Santorum worked for a pro-abort. He also backed Specter for President in 1996 (remember Specter's "Tolerance Plank" that would replace the Pro-Life Plank in the Republican Platform?), Tom Ridge, Christine Todd Whitman, Jim Greenwood and Doug Forrester. The record shows that he routinely supports pro-aborts, even over pro-lifers…."
In this questionaire, http://www.prolifepac.org/html/pa_santorum.html , he also plainly stated his support for exceptions to protecting the life of the unborn for life of the mother, rape and incest.
correct. A Santorum endorsement of Toomey would not be good for Pat Toomey. In fact, it would probably lead some to question Pat Toomey's independence from leadership. What would be good is if Rick Santorum supported Sen. Specter, you know, like he did in 2004.
Republican Earmarkers are a drag on the party and a drag on good legislation. Earmarks are the gateway drug.
Brilliant attack on Republican earmark hypocrisy by Missouri Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill has declined all earmarks and she did not, in usual politicians, fashion promote her righteousness. The ‘across the kitchen table’ what would you tell your kids style was very, very effective. She makes her point in a way that everyone can understand and everyone agrees with “honest is the best policy” is a family value and very parent tells his and her kids this. and then we lie and we wonder why they are the way they are. A parent’s example counts. Good to have a mom, who is also a US Senator, remind us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQEAydTlVXE&fe...
“Any parent knows one basic rule. The example you set is way more important than anything you say.”
See Club for Growth http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2009/03/a_coburn_dem... “A Coburn Democrat”. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri).
Believe it or not, Arlen actually ran for President in 1996. Arlen set the stage by organizing in Iowa. Specter grew up in Kansas and went to the same school as Bob Dole. I guess he thought he had a midwestern appeal. Arlen supported the attempt by Congressman Fred Grandy, a “moderate”, to win the GOP nomination for governor in Iowa in 1994. Grandy, now a radio host in Washington and former “Love Boat” actor in the 1970's, failed.
Hey Chris!
In 1996, weren't you in the 4th grade? Or am I so old that you just seem that young. LOL
Given that Santorum is the reason why we have had to contend with Specter for the the past five years, it seems to me he should just shut up and go away. On any other issue I would be willing to consider his opinion, but not on this one. He helped create the monster; now he wants to destroy it?
Advice to Toomey: ignore Santorum!