A bummer, but not a surprise:
Former Lehigh Valley Congressman Pat Toomey has decided against a repeat run for Senate in 2010, turning instead toward a possible bid for governor as he reaches out to Republicans statewide to assess his potential candidacy next year.
Toomey, president of the anti-tax group The Club for Growth, is scheduled to sit down with several influential and deep-pocketed Lehigh Valley Republicans in early February to “discuss his thinking of a possible gubernatorial run,” according to an e-mail invitation sent out Friday on behalf of Arcadia Properties founder Richard Thulin.
Without Toomey taking another crack at the race, it’s hard to see if any other Republicans of note will gear up to give Specter a serious challenge. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up squaring off with a D-grade bozo or two, but perhaps Toomey has a wealthy friend on speed dial that he could persuade.
(Hat-tip: The Taegan Goddard Experience)
Corbett, the governor-in-waiting, er, I’m sorry, I mean current likely Republican candidate may even have a primary challenge too?
Specter seemed unlikely to stand up to the rigors of a tough primary and a tough general election. If a consaervative won or if he was worn down and pushed rightward for two years the Senate seat would have been easy pickings. Too bad.
One huge plus mark for Arlen is that he is one of five Re[ublicans who did not vote for the conviction of Bill Clinton (obstruction of justice charge). Jeffords switched parties to Independent (caucus with Dems) and Chaffee lost. That leaves Specter and the Maine ladies. Period.
Bte -Gorton, Shelby, Stevens, Warner and Fred Thompson also voted no on perjury. Only Shelby remains from that group.
As well as a western PA radio host whose name I’m forgetting.
If Specter doesn’t have to worry about a primary challenge from Toomey, does that mean he can afford to agree a little more with Barack Obama, to position himself toward the center for the general election? I hope so.
I was concerned that, as helpful as it might have been as far as unseating Specter to have a big Club for Growth primary fight, as far as Specter’s votes over the next two years, it might be better if his main worry was the general election, not the primary.
Maybe the Club for Growth can talk him into challenging Specter and screwing over another halfway sane republican.
Toomey’s purist agenda at the Club for Growth has been great for us. Hopefully, his successor will be an equally self-destructive Republican.
I don’t see Toomey going anywhere politically. His stint as a congressman is as far as he’ll ever get.
I think we need to have a little attitude adjustment around here. We’re not in the minority any more. This is it guys: these next two years, this is our big opportunity. We’re going to need as many votes as possible to make those two years count, and hopefully buy us at least 2-6 more. That’s quite frankly way more important than the midterm elections right now, and Toomey passing up a primary challenge makes Specter’s cloture vote that much easier to grab.