Steele trash talks Specter: “We’re coming after you and we’re taking you out”
posted at 3:55 pm on April 28, 2009 by Allahpundit
Via Greg Hengler, the chairman puts on a brave face for CNN. Don’t get your hopes up — even Michael Barone’s bearish about Toomey’s chances, calling his candidacy “folly” — but TNR asks a good question: How exactly do the Democrats benefit from having Specter switch? With Toomey sure to beat him in a GOP primary, they could have handpicked any centrist Pennsylvania Democrat they like for the general and stood an odds-on shot of winning the seat. Instead, they let Specter switch for the most cynical, opportunistic reasons, a fact that’ll weigh on some Democrats next year. (Steele’s counting on it; see the last minute of this clip.) Combine the left’s ambivalence towards Specter, who was bashing “big Obama spending programs” as recently as two weeks ago, with the fact that (a) not having a primary opponent now leaves Toomey free to tack towards the center and (b) Pennsylvania Republicans will be rabidly energized to beat Specter in the general, which translates into big donations and turnout, and the race might be closer than we think. Or closer, at least, than it might have been had the Dems run two-star admiral turned congressman Joe Sestak instead. And what if Sestak or someone else decides to challenge Specter in the Democratic primary? The One’s already promised to campaign for Benedict Arlen, so presumably the party will clear a path for him, but it’s worth noting that the Kossacks are already demanding a challenger — raising the, er, specter of a senatorial version of Operation Chaos.
There are only two advantages I can think of to the Democrats having Specter on board now. One is if they’ve calculated that running an incumbent will produce more net votes than will be lost by running a guy whom the other party despises and is especially motivated to beat. The other is if they’re worried that they might lose Senate seats next year — which seems highly unlikely — and want to go for broke now by grabbing a filibuster-proof majority and ramming home all their big programs. Neither theory’s convincing to me.
Anyway. Note Steele’s point about how the party took a lot of heat for supporting him against Toomey five years ago. How did he repay them? By not even calling the RNC ahead of time to let them know he was abandoning ship. Stay classy, Arlen.
Blowback
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Not at all. Things would be absolutely no different if he was re-elected except the (D) after his name would more honestly reflect how he would vote on every issue.
DrAllecon on April 28, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Good one!
Rovin on April 28, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Morons…
Tim Burton on April 28, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Democrats tried to make the same meta-argument after Jim Jeffords switched in 2001, but they got their asses handed to them in the 2002 elections anyway.
Considering it was after 9/11 and how Bush was pushing for war in Iraq before the elections in 2002 (unlike his father, who waited for a vote on the Gulf War until after the 1990 election, which helped make for a more united country), I’m not sure you can make a good case for that claim.
starfleet_dude on April 28, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Too bad we don’t get a vote everytime Steele says “baby”.
RobCon on April 28, 2009 at 5:15 PM
Steele wished him Good Riddance on Hannity’s show, couldn’t agree more. He was a disgrace to the GOP.
infidel4life on April 28, 2009 at 5:17 PM
This is Michael Steele’s best day since taking over as GOP chairman
phreshone on April 28, 2009 at 5:18 PM
It seems to me that these party changes have only been going one way recently.
Its got to be the brand thing. To a lot of voters, `D’ seems to also stand for `default’.
Count to 10 on April 28, 2009 at 5:19 PM
So F*cking what? Roll over, play dead and let them take control and drive the nation into a ditch? Fight Dammit!
liquidflorian on April 28, 2009 at 5:19 PM
The elections is still a year away and Specter is 79. At his age one does not know what the future will bring. The Democrats may have their 60 but some of the blue dogs may not want to go home with votes hurting energy. I live in the South and can live without AC, and I could almost live without heat. In your Northern states, people need their heat.
jeannie on April 28, 2009 at 5:24 PM
Thanks but it really wasn’t a joke. Narcisistic liberals look out for themselves first and Obama is their poster child.
I agree that Obama is likely to support Specter only for as long as it benefits him.
There is no honor among thieves.
shick on April 28, 2009 at 5:28 PM
To me, it stands for dipshit.
UltimateBob on April 28, 2009 at 5:31 PM
Unfortunately, Specter’s move was a wise one (for Specter). If Murtha-Fu—- can get re-elected with a (D) behind his name so can Specter.
Let’s face it, Democrats are skilled liars who talk out of both sides of their mouths,
1 What other political group ever got 92 n% of the Arab vote and 80 % of the Jewish vote? An alliance that not even Moses could accomplish.
2 What other political group has the total support of both GM bosses AND their labor unions?
3 What other political group, despite it’s anti-Catholic rhetoric and anti-Catholic positions on abortion and stem cell research, got a higher percentage of the Catholic vote in the last presidential election than the national average?
4 What political group- despite a president who has already screwed more than all previous presidents combined including incurring an estimated 13 trillion debt over the next 4 years and promises of back-breaking taxes, enhancing the chances of terrorist attack, is systematically emasculating the military, turning terrorists loose on American streets, destroying our intelligence operations and has obsequiously apologized to foreign dictators- has actually seen their president’s popularity RISE since he took office.
There will be, alas, no change until America starts suffering the physical consequences of these acts.
MaiDee on April 28, 2009 at 5:34 PM
alright, well, nothing holding back the European Utopia now! What? England is going bankrupt? Every country has unemployment in the mid-teens? Really? I thought the Euro solved everything! DOOMED.
kirkill on April 28, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Specter is the perfect example of why we need a constitutional amendment for term limits. He switches parties and still keeps his seniority.
Congress is all about power for a ruling class of people. It has nothing to do with representing the voters.
petunia on April 28, 2009 at 5:37 PM
Oh yeah, I’m so devastated by his defection. How will we ever recover?
Steele been talking trash, but he’s got to back it up. He screwed up NY 20, which should have been a sure win. He isn’t going out there and explaining that the Republicans now stand for small government and the RNC is gonna make its members toe the line. He needs to be visibly recruiting new candidates to take back not only the House and Senate, but legislatures at the state level too.
States like NY, NJ, and Ca could be picked up with the right message and candidates.
Iblis on April 28, 2009 at 5:38 PM
Murtha got re-elected because he has poured so much money into his district that it’s a company town: Murtha, Inc. People are so dependent on the offices he’s had located there (not to mention the airport that hardly anyone uses, but is fully staffed). Murtha made it plain the gravy train stopped with him.
I doubt Arlen can be Pork King of PA. And Toomey will be running on a low taxes platform. Pork needs higher taxes or higher deficits. I look forward to Arlen’s arguments for these, especially in the suburbs.
Wethal on April 28, 2009 at 5:47 PM
I am continually amazed that Pennsylvania can be expected to vote for politicians who obviously despise the voters they represent. Murtha. Specter. Is this a union controlled voting system or what? It’s hard to believe they vote for a Democrat over their own best interest over and over.
petunia on April 28, 2009 at 5:47 PM
Steele threatening is almost funny. Like someone takes him serious.
rsl775 on April 28, 2009 at 6:40 PM
MaiDee on April 28, 2009 at 5:34 PM
I couldn’t agree with this post more. The time has come to just let the democrats implode. All of our screaming “Fire!” is falling on deaf ears. The American people need to get burned before they are willing to abandon their folly.
KickandSwimMom on April 28, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Sadly, I have to agree. Once they start suffering though, it will be too late. After Obama and thugs are through, Cuba may look utopian. Maybe Fidal and will gone by then, and conservatives can start over there.
SoldiersMom on April 28, 2009 at 7:24 PM
What happened to Mike Steele since he left Maryland politics?
Was a time when he acted first, talked after, if he talked about it at all.
Now, this constant talk, and trying to be liked by the usual suspects…while Rome burns?
Mike, come home. Get it right or get out of the way.
coldwarrior on April 28, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Arlen SPectre…No matter how much you polish this RINO turd its still got a big Dirty D on it.
BillaryMcBush on April 28, 2009 at 10:14 PM
I like they way Steele handled himself here. If he’ll crawl out of that RNC cocoon and get out among the true conservative Base. Get his finger on their pulse. Its obvious by this exchange that he has the capabilities now he needs to get connected w/Mom & Pop Middle America. He could be dynamite. DD
Darvin Dowdy on April 28, 2009 at 10:17 PM
I was very, very pleased with what I heard from Michael Steele today.
The man finally showed me that he has stones. We need more of this from him. Directed at Democrats.
No more “I’m very disappointed.”
No.
More of this. Please.
Hawkins1701 on April 28, 2009 at 10:57 PM
Someone needs to tell Lindsay Graham to shut the heck up.. he tells Greta he is calling Tom Ridge tomorrow to get him to run against Toomey. He is trying to claim he is a conservative and at the same time saying he needs a Republican in PA that he can work with — Tom Ridge –
Rapunzel on April 29, 2009 at 1:12 AM
Won’t you look stupid when a Democrat beats Specter by 20 points in the primary. Cleared the field, my ass. This is a Senate seat; clearing that would be like herding hungry cats.
Jaibones on April 29, 2009 at 1:12 AM
The big winner here is Steele, and he feels it. Conservatives were ready to run him out of town on a rail if he supported PorkulusArlen.
He’s all “woohooo!”
Jaibones on April 29, 2009 at 1:14 AM
Excellent response from Steele! Talk about “checks and balances” for the good of the country. This is one of the few times I have heard republicans even use the phrase “checks and balances”, something most Americans want in their government and something Pelosi ran on in 2005-2006 and won. Republicans should hammer the phrase “checks and balances” and constantly talk about the dangers of one party rule. Go Toomey! Take him out!! —> http://www.toomeyforsenate.com/
Dollayo on April 29, 2009 at 1:41 AM
S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion
Switch the last two and there’s Toomey’s campaign slogan!
MechEng5by5 on April 29, 2009 at 2:45 PM
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