Posted on 05/30/2004 8:54:37 PM PDT by Badray
Party over Principle?
That is the $64,000.00 question.
This past Friday morning, Arlen Specter was at a town hall meeting in Ross Township (suburb north of Pittsburgh PA). According to Specter staffer Justin Lokay, this was at the suggestion of Lou Nudi, the Ross Committee Chairman.
There were about 35 people in attendance including the Senator and 5 or 6 staffers and interns. Also there was Congresswoman Melissa Hart, State Senator John Pippy, former Hart staffer and 16th state house district candidate Pat Geho, former row office candidate Becky Toomey (oh, the irony, but she is still the prettiest, and my favorite Specter supporter), Lou Nudi, as well as some various other local committee people. Arriving late as usual was State Representative Jeff Habay. More on him later.
I arrived shortly before the meeting started and checked to see if I was on the PNG (persona non grata) list, but was welcomed in, much to my surprise because I have been barred from previous events. I sat and listened to how conservative values were important to Arlen, how much he enjoys being around G.W.Bush, and how we must defeat the Democrats.
This is a pretty stock speech when he tries to court Republicans. Sadly too many pubbies have short memories and actually believe Arlen when he speaks. He invoked the name of his recent challenger, Pat Toomey and says that he enjoys his support because the Dem candidate is so bad. Yada, yada, yada . . .
He then tried to ingratiate himself by mentioning the names of several people in the crowd. There names were conveniently written on the cue card in his hand. The whole thing was a sad charade, but that didn't stop many from sucking it up. I don't know if they were all die hard supporters or simply supporting the "R" against the horrible "D" that looms ahead if we don't support Arlen.
He then 'yielded' to Melissa Hart. She yucked it up with him for a moment (Think Sonny and Cher, except that Sonny was the conservative, not Cher.) before he stepped aside. About now, there should have been a commercial break, but they continued anyway. Melissa then spoke in glowing terms of Arlen and how important it was to put Arlen into office so that he could chair the Judiciary Committee and help get Bush's judicial nominees approved. She cited the brave defense of former PA Attorney General Mike Fisher when some Democrats posed some minor opposition to Mike's approval. Thank God, Arlen was there to save the day and he convinced the Dems not to block him. BTW, Fisher was supported in his quest for the bench by his recent opponent for the Governor's office - Democrat Governor Ed Rendell. Gee, that must have been a tough fight, Arlen.
What no Borking of Fisher? Don't worry, if Mike starts to make some sound judgements, you can bet that Arlen will apologize like he did after fighting for Clarence Thomas.
Melissa was about 3 minutes into her praise when I just couldn't take it any longer. There she was defending the man that has been pissing on us for years and she was calling it rain. I walked out. On the way out, I said to her brother that I just couldn't stand the BS.
I stayed outside for the remainder of the meeting. I missed the Q and A session, but was told that there was only one tough question asked and that Arlen spent about ten minutes addressing it. The question may have hit a nerve, but I doubt that he will do anything more than pay lip service to it.
Some good news. There was some who expressed continued opposition to him despite coming to be convinced that they should now be supporting him.
I did tell Melissa's aide that I was not alone in my displeasure with her support of Arlen. She may or may not care, but I am sure that I am quite right in my assessment. She is putting the party before any principle she ever espoused and this will cost her later.
Another person that I engaged was Rep. Habay. He arrived only after I had left the meeting and was outside for about 15 minutes. He approached me as he entered the building and I greeted him with a snide remark that he resembled a man that I used to know and told him that I was disappointed in his support for Arlen. He told me that Arlen helped him early in his 'career' (God, I hate that word when applied to politicians.) and that he was repaying the favor. (Doesn't the mob do favors now for favors in the future too?) I told him that that is what happens when you get into bed with the wrong people. He started getting testy at that point (I have to keep the BAD in badray, ya know) and retorted that he wasn't in bed with anyone, but that he would be glad to sit down and discuss the issue with me. I said OK, but he needed to dig himself out of a big hole. Walking away, he said that he was very comfortable in his position. I thanked him for telling me what I needed to know as he turned the corner (more than metaphorically?).
Just before Arlen came out, I spoke to County GOP Chairman Rich Stampahar and he tried to convince me that Specter was the man to support. His pleas fell on deaf ears, but they were overheard by an intern of Specter's who wimpily came over to tell me that this was a private event and asked me not to create a disturbance. I replied only that I was talking to people that knew me and approached me and wasn't talking to any one else. Can you imagine anyone thinking that I would cause a disturbance? LOL Not me, I'm too shy.
On the way out, Arlen either didn't recognize me or thought that I went over to the dark side and was now a supporter. He approached me to shake my hand, but I politely declined. I reserve my handshake for those that I respect.
Maybe I'm just not a 'good republican'. Maybe I'm an 'unappeasable'. Maybe I am a purist. I've been called all of these things and more. And worse.
What I do know is that I cannot support this man. Not for party loyalty, not even for the Senate majority (we do not effectively have it now because of people like Specter). I also know that it is not out of bitterness or hatred. It's just principle. He doesn't believe the things that I believe. He doesn't value the things that I value. His vision of America is not my vision.
This November, a vote for Democrat Joe Hoeffel is a vote to put a true conservative, a true Republican in charge of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm voting for Joe.
Ray Horvath
That's the bottom line. They are not reliable. I don't know how many times that some people have to be taught that lesson. It's too late in the game to be timid about who RINOs really are.
The Republican Party may come to rue it's "Big Tent" in which everyone is welcome but conservatives.
So true but I guarantee you that there will never be a true conservative congress as long as we all are alive. All of these cats in congress are puppets to the elites who have no desire to see conservativism prevail. For me, I could never put a vote in for AS.
I personally wouldn't vote for a Democrat, but I certainly can't fault you in this case.
Even if we lose control of the Senate it won't be a total disaster. In fact, it would make Republican Senators more dependent upon Bush than they are when they are the majority party and can afford to thumb their noses at him.
Toomey gave his endorsement immediately after the primary. You don't have to vote for him, but he he is better than Hoefell and if I had to vote in PA I would make a less than enthusiatic vote for Specter and trust Santorum's and Bush's judgement.
Sorry but I couldn't resist the one liner in my reply #39. You set up the punch line on that one.
Allow me to extend a belated welcome to FR and thank you for replying.
Specter is reprehensible. Hoeffel is worse. We all know that. My focus is strictly limited to one committee. The judiciary with Kyl in charge will help us for the next generation or more by getting good judges approved (assuming Bush nominates them). Hoeffel's bad votes in the senate will not count for as much in the general scheme of things.
Santorum's ad for Specter said that he is there for us for the votes that counts. That was pure bunkum. Don't lower taxes count? Don't gun rights count? Don't school vouchers count? The list goes on.
Specter is more likely to be with us when we don't need him than when we do. He's an accomplished vote counter and knows which way to throw his vote and when so that it benefits Arlen Specter. He is a career politician who needs to retire. Since he won't quit, I want him fired.
I think that we are close to agreeing. This is a unique situation with important ramifications. The key is Kyl. If he wasn't next in line, I'd vote 3rd party as a protest. But protest votes still leave him in office. I've looked at this closely and everything about "R"len tells me that he has to go.
He has no respect for Republican values, let alone conservative ones. His votes 'with' us are most likely to fall into place during the final year of his term. If Clarence Thomas had been nominated a year AFTER the election, we'd all be saying Clarence WHO? Specter knew that he was under the microscope and needed conservative votes to win. He's spent a lot of time apologizing for it since.
WARNING! Drinking THAT much koolaid is definitely hazardous to your health.
ROFLMAO
Maybe I'm just not a 'good republican'. Maybe I'm an 'unappeasable'. Maybe I am a purist. I've been called all of these things and more. And worse.
What I do know is that I cannot support this man. Not for party loyalty, not even for the Senate majority (we do not effectively have it now because of people like Specter). I also know that it is not out of bitterness or hatred. It's just principle. He doesn't believe the things that I believe. He doesn't value the things that I value. His vision of America is not my vision.
Thanks for your support. But be careful. The language police are after anyone using 'barnyard language' these days. ;-)
"Melissa then spoke in glowing terms of Arlen and how important it was to put Arlen into office so that he could chair the Judiciary Committee"
A prospect real conservatives should dread.
Just ask your 'loyal' Republican friends why Arlen is planning to oppose Bush's nomination for federal bench, a guy by the name of Holmes.
Funny that you don't blame the 100% of the democrats in the Senate who blocked impeachment, or haven't you read the the Constitution where it states that the Senate needs a 2/3rds vote to convict.
I know that a lot people cannot bring themselves to vote for Hoeffel and I don't fault them one iota. It is a nasty thing to even contemplate.
The last time I voted for a Democrat was for the county coroner because he is one of the foremost coroners in the country. But when he ran for a higher political office, I voted against him. Coroner is one thing. County executive is quite another.
But only if there is a combination of write-ins, 3rd party votes, abstentions, AND enough votes for the opposition can we remove Specter.
Thanks for your understanding and support. It was getting lonely out here. ;-)
It won't necessarily require two election to get a filibuster proof Senate; but we're not going to get one any sooner if one doesn't realize that rinos will vote in a fashion maintaining party unity. Do you think the conservative or moderate dems (few though they might be) favor fillibustering Bush's judicials nominees. I don't think so. Will they support a fillibuster? Yes! and that's because they know politics ain't bean-bag.
Sage advice from the state that has elected many noted conservatives. NOT!
What coalition did Ed Rendell create? What campaign did his opponent mount? Fisher was pathetic. He stood for nothing and couldn't generate any excitement. In the first week, he alienated the pro life people by picking a pro choice running mate. Both of the last two lt. governors ended up serving as governor so that was an important issue.
He never came out strongly for the gun rights base either. He was wishy washy at best.
Now here is an interested tidbit. Fisher's dem opponent supported him for a seat on the federal bench. I have to wonder if there was some sort of deal made early on to not put up a fight for governor. Fisher had long been discussed for a judgeship so it's a possibility.
Please name for me one instance, just one, where a RINO came to our aid on an important vote and saved the day. Just one. An important, crucial vote, not some run of the mill vote like National Happy Cat Owners Week.
There may be one, but I surely can't think of any. I think that this is what we tell ourselves so that we feel better about voting for them.
Badray wrote: "I want him (Spectre) fired."
Thanks for the welcome. I wanted Spectre fired, too, but the opportunity has passed. A Republican majority isn't a done deal, so you might end up with a Democrat chairing the judiciary committee. That would be very bad, albeit not necessarily much worse than one chaired by Spectre!
Spectre's nomination is indeed a sad predicament, but we (conservatives) must get much better at winning primaries. BTW, if a Democrat DOES win the election, it will be much harder to beat him in the future. Incumbents have a rather large advantage, so your plan might end up losing the seat to conservatives for decades!
The sabateur wearing your uniform inside your camp is more dangerous than the enemy in his uniform outside the gate.
The mistake that people make is thinking that liberal republicans (for those politically correct people who don't like the term RINO) are our friends. They are not our friends even if they vote with us on some issues.
As a result of this recent campaign, politics in PA will be different from now on. Rendell will not be returned to the governor's office in 2006.
Are you still here?
Why?
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