GOP's philosophical rift shown in Pennsylvania

[JoFerret]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&nc...

PHILADELPHIA — While President Bush (news - web sites)'s reelection bid has inspired impressive Republican unity around the country, a GOP family feud in a crucial state could hurt him politically and harm the party's chances of retaining its Senate majority.

The chasm between Republican moderates and conservatives that Bush has labored to bridge throughout his presidency has been exposed in Pennsylvania in a contentious GOP Senate primary....


The fight has drawn national attention — and will be spotlighted Monday when Bush campaigns for Specter in Pittsburgh — because it is seen as a test of strength between competing visions of the Republican Party.


Specter, 74, is a vanishing breed of Republican — a pragmatic, "Rockefeller Republican" who is a supporter of abortion rights, sympathetic to organized labor and an unabashed advocate of government spending to help his state and address social ills. He believes that an ideology that is too rigid narrows the reach of the GOP and polarizes the country....


Toomey, 42, is the prototype of a younger, post-Reagan generation of Republicans who are dedicated to cutting taxes, limiting government spending and ending abortion. He believes the party owes it to voters to stand for a clear, unwavering ideology.

<more>

[Dagaz]

1. Spector is to Republicans

what Zell is to Democrats.

[freetobegay]

3. I love what Spector did

During the Clinton Impeachment!

[fujiyama]

4. I'd say

he's more of what Lieberman is to Democrats.

Chafee is probably more along the lines of Zell, considering Spector has voted with the admin. on the war, and other big parts of their agenda.

[kiahzero]

5. Not even that comparison is valid

Chafee does not publically campaign for "the other side," as Miller does. I'd be willing to bet he'd be happier with Kerry in office than with Bush.

[fujiyama]

16. True. I can't imagine

what the republicans would have done if one of their senators had openly endorsed John Kerry.

[DieboldMustDie]

6. Not really...

Zell Miller has, I believe, endorsed Bush for "re"election. I don't expect Specter to endorse Kerry, and I don't think he has ever supported a Democrat for the presidency since he himself became a Republican a few decades ago.

Admittedly, he isn't nearly as big a sack of shit as our junior senator and many others on that side of the aisle.

[fearnobush]

2. Am I an Ass or does Specter sound like a Democrat?

[DieboldMustDie]

8. Specter has a lifetime ACU rating of 43...

and a 2003 ACU rating of 65, so he seems to have been moving rightward, though not to the extreme right like Bush et al. His 2002 ADA rating, the most recent I could find, was 35. Not as bad as many Republicans, but not really my idea of a Democrat.

[MikeG]

7. Write it down - Toomey is toast.

[boobooday]

9. It feels weird to root for Arlen Spector

CREEPY! Argh!

haha



http://www.wgoeshome.com

[cholla]

11. Not all Bad

It wouldn't be all bad if Toomey won the primary....perhaps he's far enough right, that the Dem challenger would win the general election.

[DrBB]

10. "impressive Republican unity"--really?

I know lots of Republicans who despise and will not vote for the Chimp. I don't know any Dems who will vote for him.

[bleedingheart]

12. Toomey is a right-wing Nazi.

He scares the living shit out of me. Everytime I see his commercials I am frightened of him. He runs very very negative commercials against Specter but says nothing about what he is going to do or how he is going to change things.

I hope Hoeffel wins in November.

[Arugula Latte]

14. I don't know who to route for

Specter is the "safe" choice, but a part of me hopes the wingnut wins so he can go down in flames come November. Hmmmm, it's a risk, though. He could win a la In-Sanitorum.

[MikeG]

13. The issue that separates Dems and Pukes is tax cuts for the rich.

Specter is for tax cuts for the rich. All other issues are there to divide the anti-tax cuts for the rich vote.

[goforit]

15. I'm sure there are more than just one state in this GOP POLARIZATION

He's a divider not a uniter!!!!