That’s what TPM Reader GM says …
The talk of the Tom Ridge candidacy here in Pa reminds me of the Fred Thompson love affair last year in the Republican primary. Republican leadership and moderates in the suburbs will push Ridge into the race even though he will probably end up much like Thompson: uninformed and unable to raise money. The local Republican committees will never allow their State Committee people endorse Ridge over Toomey so it is a great story but highly impractical. This is a moderate Republicans Wayne’s World dream and we will ultimately wake up and realize we are still driving a Pinto and have a mullet.
There’s some chatter about a soon-to-be-released poll alleging showing Ridge up over Toomey. But even if that’s true, a lot could simply be name recognition. The other key issue is abortion. Ridge is pro-choice. And that’s a heavy burden to carry into a radicalized GOP primary electorate. Next, what about what Ridge’s been doing since he left the Bush administration. He basically set up up as a lobbyist. Might be some interesting digging to be done there.
Meanwhile Toomey’s says he’s raised $500,000 in the three weeks since he officially got in the race.
TPM Reader AK takes a contrary view …
Even if Specter has gotten off on the wrong foot with Dems, his defection in the first place shows that he’s willing to do whatever it takes for political survival. He’ll eventually do whatever is required to ingratiate himself to the party and to keep the blessings of Obama, Biden, Reid, etc.. That includes being on the right side of unions and health care. If he starts by playing ball with the coming supreme court nomination, Obama will send word from on high that Specter is not to be challenged.
This point does have a certain logical appeal. That said, if Specter actually decides to not just become a Democrat but actually be a Democrat, I suspect that for many the whole point of a primary challenge will have been adequately served. For my part, I’ve sensed a persistent too-clever-by-halfism from Specter over the last few days that I could see tripping him up.
From TPM Reader-Legislator SB …
I’m a state rep from Bangor, Maine, and I’m in the chamber of the state House of Representatives right now as we “debate” LD 1020, Maine’s marriage equality bill, which was passed by the senate last week.
I’m struck by how overwhelmingly the balance of representatives today have spoken in favor – on both sides. A Republican representative known for being a staunch conservative gave an exceptional and moving floor speech early on this morning in which he said he realized “this is not about me” and announced his support.
Yes, there’s the feeling of being a part of history, and yes, there’s the camaraderie of righteousness that comes from being on the right side of a pivotal issue – but the mood here very much feels like this movement is more inevitable than it was even a month ago.
It’s a nice feeling.
Steve Butterfield
House district 16, Bangor, ME
And the bill has now passed the state House.
Seems Tom Ridge is a resident of Maryland.
They say Pennsylvania is Philly in the East, Pittsburgh in the West and Alabama in between. Not Maryland’s part of the state though.
Specter still rooting for a Norm Coleman victory in Minnesota.
Reid spokesman on Specter continuing to support Coleman: “On that one we are just going to have to disagree.”
NRSC spokesman adds bonus snark: “We’ve never agreed so much with Arlen Specter.”
The NYT Magazine has now published the interview with Arlen Specter in which he says he wants Norm Coleman to win — but seeing the answer Specter gave in context, I want to leave open the possibility that Specter was joking. A bad joke, poorly delivered, but maybe a joke.
The interview is one of those Deborah Solomon Q&As, which are “condensed and edited”:
With your departure from the Republican Party, there are no more Jewish Republicans in the Senate. Do you care about that?
I sure do. There’s still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.
Which seems about as likely at this point as Jerry Seinfeld’s joining the Senate.
Well, it was about as likely as my becoming a Democrat.
I don’t want to let Specter off the hook, but that doesn’t seem quite as clear cut read in context as initial reports of the leaked interview suggested. In any event, Specter did support Coleman’s re-election, of course, and joined the GOP conference in demanding that Franken not be seated until the legal process was complete.
We have a request in to Specter’s office for comment.
From TPM Reader TF …
Specter is testing his limits, just like a little kid. But one of two things will happen; he will either swing more into line (with his political tone-deafness, probably inelegantly) or he will push too far, which will allow Obama to be released from any deal. (Reid, not so much–if Reid can stand up to an aggressive ant, I would be surprised.)
If Specter pushes too far, Sestak comes out fighting. (I guess that is already happening.) If we see the Sestak of 2006, Specter is in trouble. People keep forgetting that years like 2006 are made up of a bunch of individual campaigns and Sestak took on Crazy Curt Weldon in a brilliant campaign. His “Veterans” commercial was one of the best campaign commercials. Ever.
While I’m pontificating here, our Senior Senator is the one who yielded to Sessions for Judiciary. What I haven’t seen anyone point out is that the Republicans are organizing opposition to Obama’s nominee before he even picked one. I don’t recall the Democrats doing that–and it will undermine their opposition no matter who is picked.
Actually, sounds like my two and a half year old son. Maybe he’s precocious.