The Weekly Standard examines the unfortunate situation in Pennsylvania, where accomodationist, dimbulb Senator Arlen Specter is holding back a primary challenge with help from President Bush and the Republican establishment.
There is little doubt that if President Bush could handpick the next senator from Pennsylvania, he would choose Pat Toomey. A young, smart, and likable conservative, Toomey currently serves in the House of Representatives from Lehigh Valley. He lines up with the Bush administration on nearly all of its policies, foreign and domestic, and articulates them in a no-nonsense, common-sense manner. He would be a tremendous asset in the Senate in a second Bush term.Not only is the White House political machine not supporting Toomey, however, but Karl Rove and the entire Republican establishment are working against him. That includes Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania's other senator and a solid conservative. Toomey is challenging Senator Arlen Specter, also a Republican, whose chief (some might say only) virtue is that he is the incumbent. And in Washington, D.C., that makes all the difference.
Surely the only reason for the President to support this incumbent is that Specter's political machine might offer critical assistance to Bush in the Pennsylvania election in November.
Posted by Alan at April 19, 2004 06:56 AM