After Win, Specter Looks To Fall Election (already distancing himself from Bush)

Associated Press | April 29, 2004 | Lara Jakes Jordon

[Russ]

Apr 28, 4:50 PM EDT

After Win, Specter Looks to Fall Election

By LARA JAKES JORDAN Associated Press Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- After surviving a close scrape in the Republican primary, Sen. Arlen Specter turned his attention to the fall contest and began a campaign Wednesday that could put him at odds with the White House that helped him pull through.

The four-term moderate narrowly defeated conservative Rep. Pat Toomey, 51 percent to 49 percent, in Tuesday's primary after Toomey branded Specter as too liberal. The race was perhaps the most serious challenge yet to any Senate incumbent this season.

Specter will face Democratic Rep. Joe Hoeffel in November.

Less than a day after his primary victory, Specter touted his efforts to trim tax cuts, retain overtime pay for workers, resist school vouchers and continue embryonic stem-cell research - all in opposition to President Bush. The four-term Republican also called the situation in Iraq a "tinderbox" that could be a problem for the president in the fall elections.

"I intend to retain my independent voice, a voice I have always had," Specter said. "The 12 million people of Pennsylvania have not elected me to be a rubber stamp, and I will speak out where I think the necessity calls for it."

Despite his policy differences with the president, Specter said Bush's public support was key to his victory over Toomey. The race was so tight, he said, that the usually stoic Specter could not "stop my nervous system from gyrating a little" while watching vote tallies roll in.

Hoeffel, meanwhile, embarked on a 19-stop tour to raise his low statewide profile. The three-term suburban Philadelphia lawmaker predicted that Specter moved too far to the right in the Republican race to be successful in November.

"This primary has demonstrated that Arlen Specter is not the senator that he used to be," Hoeffel said. "He used to be a moderate maverick, but he is neither of those things. He's voting for a Republican program in Washington that's not working in Pennsylvania. He's their senator now - not ours."

The Democrats blasted Specter as a "political opportunist."

"He has taken every side of every issue for no other reason than to protect his political hide," said Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. "He owes his political survival to George Bush, and he's now stuck with him and his right-wing policies."

Registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in Pennsylvania by nearly 389,000.

Specter has long enjoyed support within liberal-leaning unions and abortion-rights groups, and predicted he would attract Democrats and independents. He said he could help Bush in the fall by pulling moderates to the GOP ticket.

"My agreements with the president are more extensive than my disagreements," Specter said.

Specter spent $10 million to win the primary. As of April 7, he had $4.5 million in his campaign bank account to Hoeffel's $800,000.

That makes Specter tough to beat in November, said Wilkes University political scientist Thomas J. Baldino.

Specter's near-loss "will give Hoeffel some hope," Baldino said. "But as bad a beating as Specter took in term of his reputation, he will continue to raise and spend enough money to demonstrate he can win."

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[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

We were already aware of these details, and it comes as no surprise that Senator Specter would attempt to back to the center to win the general election.

Back to the center??????
BACK TO THE CENTER????????

How about crawling in bed with the extreme far left, Wiz!!!!!
Back to the center!?!? That's a gross mischaracterization even for you Wiz!

I will vote for my President in November, but I WILL NOT VOTE FOR SNARLIN' ARLEN!

[PA BOOKEND]

Specter MUST be denied the chairmanship of the Judiciary. If the only way to do that is to un-elect him, that works for me.

[Coop]

He won 49% of the vote in 1994. Seriously.

He won 49% of the vote in 1994. Seriously. :-)

[The kings dead]

I supported Toomey.

The "keen FR political strategists" I referred to opposed Toomey.

[zanarchist]

Specter has no brain at all. Less than 24 hrs and he is rubbing the Toomey(sp) supporters noses in it. I think we can write off this seat. I beat half of the Toomey supporters will vote for someone else or not at all. You can't just throw away 25% or so of the voted you need and still win.

[gdc61]

a vote for Specter is a vote for liberalism and a vote for his DEM challenger is a vote for conservativism. BANK on it.

[Russ]

On election night I saw the president of the Pro-Choice Republicans bragging that she and her group reregistered over 4,000 Democrats in the Philadelphia area alone so they could vote for Specter. Well, they can have him!!

[boomop1]

Bought by the Unions, this snake slimeball RINO.

[Coop]

I'm sick of hearing ; "my good friend from across the aisle" - "my esteemed colleague" - or "the honorable gentle person from..."

I know what you mean. I'm tired of hearing how there's no difference between Republicans and Democrats.

[twigs]

Unfortunately, Hoeffel is a dyed-in-the-wool leftist. May as well invite Marx himself into the hen house. I would vote Dem too if they had a decent one running against Specter. Unfortunately, Hoeffel is one of the worst of the worst.

[The kings dead]

moving to the center

Specter has moved past it.

[stevio]

What are you talking about?

[RetroSexual]

The difference between this pro-abortion Republican and this pro-abortion Democrat is that the Republican will wield significant power in the Senate Judiciary Committee, while the Democrat will not.

Note that the Judiciary Committee is a very significant player in the abortion debate. One does not need to be a "Democrat or a liar" in order to wish to sway the debate.

Don't worry about my vote...I'm not from PA. I am considering contributing to Hoeffel though, and offensive accusations are not likely to affect my decision.

[The kings dead]

If you cannot morally vote for Specter, then you cannot morally vote for Hoeffel.

Hoeffel isn't next in line for the Judiciary chair.

[ex-snook]

Conservative friends don't let friends vote for RINOs under any circumstances. It only encourages further breeding.

[gdc61]

so am i supposed to mindlessly follow his wishes like all those that blindly voted for Specter and sold out their conservative values? thanks but no thanks

[stevio]

Here you go. Happy your boy won? This is only a day after the election. Wait until the months go by.

[Vermonter]

Who is in line behind Specter as a Republican on the Judiciary Committee to chair it?