Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA), the presumptive nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania in 2010, seems to really be going out of his way to shed his old image of being a right-wing fire-breather. In the latest example, Toomey’s campaign has released a statement praising President Obama’s back-to-school speech:
Allentown, PA – U.S. Senate candidate Pat Toomey called President Obama’s speech today to school children in Arlington, Virginia “an inspiring and moving speech for students across America.”
“Education is the cornerstone of our country’s future,” Mr. Toomey said, “and it is important that we relay that message to our young students. The President’s emphasis on responsibility and the personal stories about his own education are exactly the kind of inspiring messages our children need to hear from our country’s leaders.”
“I know that I would not have had the opportunities I have today if not for the education I received as a young student. My parents and my teachers instilled in me the importance of hard work and education, and it is a message I try to instill in my own children. It is important that we make sure all students are similarly inspired.”
A previous data point in this pattern came a month ago, when Toomey published an op-ed saying that if he were in the Senate, he would vote to confirm Sonia sotomayor to the Supreme Court, calling her qualified and mainstream, even if she was admittedly more liberal than he would prefer. This came at a time when a whole lot of other Republicans were catering to the base by opposing Sotomayor.
Toomey on the other hand, appears to have a different audience in mind: The general election voters in this perennial swing state, when he goes up against either Arlen Specter or Joe Sestak on the Democratic side.
