Wow:
The Allentown Morning Call reported Thursday that two friends of Toomey’s have said the Club for Growth chief has decided to enter the race. […]
The paper quotes Richard Thulin, leader of the Lehigh Valley Republican Network, saying in an e-mail to supporters that “Pat’s formal announcement will be forthcoming.
“Interesting news,” he wrote. “Pat Toomey asked me to let you know that he has decided to challenge Arlen Specter.”
Reached late Thursday, Thulin confirmed the details of the e-mail, as first reported by the Morning Call.
A Pennsylvania GOP source confirmed that he has talked to Toomey in recent days, and Toomey said he would run.
Like a lot of other people, I had assumed that Toomey’s recent sabre rattling was not really indicative of a desire to run, but rather a desire to ramp up the pressure on Specter to toe the wingnut line. But with Toomey now throwing down, this could be one hell of a race — especially if you believe the latest polling.
This is going to be a fun election cycle!
in the Senate Race Ratings.
Prediction: a bunch of Democrats and Indies register Republican to attempt to save Specter’s tuckus. We’ll see whether they can overwhelm the wingnuts in the GOP primary next May.
Needed after our best candidates in AZ and KS had to go run major governmental departments.
Time to jump in. We all know Toomey is going to win the primary.
He’d jump switch, switch parties and move well left in his voting. It’s by far his best chance at re-election with Toomey running.
Toomey not running got us the last vote we needed to pass the stimulus.
Does he move to the right for the primary?
What will happen to him in the general if he does move right?
Likely pickups: NH, MO, OH, KY, NC, and now PA.
And it’s only March 2009. We have a real good shot at a veto-proof majority, not that we’re gonna need it.
I really don’t. Arlen just barely beat Toomey in 2004. And the GOP moderates have flocked from the party, switching to independent or Democrat since 2004. I really don’t see how it’s even possible for him to beat Toomey in 2010.
— would Specter consider running as an Independent, a la Joe the Lieberman? I’m not knowledgeable about Pennsylvania politics, but I know the guy’s got quite a war chest.
What if he just says, fuck you I’m too old for this shit and just retires? I would hope he would use a tone much like the one I used and give the GOP a big FU!
There is no way he wins a primary, no way Toomey beats a Democrat.
I think the only real way this gets complicated and could screw us over in the end is if he were to run as an Independent. Please dont, Im sure it would only help but you never know.
Seriously, what the hell is the Republican Party thinking? Please, continue to make your party smaller. I dont mind gobbling up all your seats, even if they will have shitty Dems in them. (Not that PA will).
Make it another huge run at senate seats again! WOOT!
I just don’t understand why Specter would stay as a Republican. Steele is saying he might withhold funds, polling shows Democrats like him more than Republicans, Toomney is running and hes supported a bunch of Obama’s legislation. What in the world would keep him as a Republican if he wants another term?
Specter is a top-notch fund raiser. Last I heard he already had about 4 million in his campaign fund.
He has an ego as big as all outdoors, so he would never admit he could lose and he will not quit.
But if labor turns on him, he’s toast.
if Specter loses the primary could he run in the general as a independent ala Lieberman.
In the presidential primary for 2008, I know the rule in Pennsylvania was, you could vote in the Republican primary if you are a registered Republican, Democratic party if you’re a registered Democrat. Now, was that rule new or was that the same rule in 2004 when Toomey challenged Specter?
Specter v. Toomey in 2004 by municipality. Green for Toomey, Red for Specter.
March 10th. Share it with Chuck Norris and like, 4 or 5 people I know.
This time around, Toomey will win. Specter doesn’t have Bush to pull his chestnuts out of the fire. This is a state that elected Santorum. So why couldn’t they elected another nutjob like Toomey from the opposite side of the state? I like Allyson Schwartz, but I’m not so sure she’d beat Toomey. I think Patrick Murphy would. Not sure about the other possibilities.