Pennsylvania 2010 - The Official Thread

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One thing I find odd though, Gerlach isn't much more to the right than Specter which brings me to my next question- Would you support Gerlach over Santorum/Toomey in a primary? 

Gerlach is certainly to the right of Specter and of course I'd support Santorum or Toomey (political heroes of mine) over Gerlach but I wouldn't be pissed off with who won anyway.

If Gerlach runs, PA 6 does become a toss up but I like our chances in a midterm. Plus, look at the crop of candidates the Dems are talking about - http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_88/politics/32323-1.html  That's not a strong list (with the exception of Dinniman and he'll still be hesitant to run).

Oh this would be ideal for me. I have always liked Gerlach primarilly for his ability to survive. I suggested in another site back in 2007 that Gerlach would be strong candidate for higher office preferably as Senator.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So I was at a meeting tonight with some people. One of the guys there is someone "on the inside" with the party. Here's what he told me...

Apparently, Specter and Toomey made a deal. Toomey would run for Governor with Arlen's backing to keep him out of the Senate race.

This is crazy for two reasons: 1) Toomey getting Specter's backing (even if not publicly) is an anchor. 2) This would mean Specter would be endorsing Toomey over one of his former employees, Pat Meehan.

Now here's whay it's possibly true...

As we know, Arlen is all about Arlen. It's not too crazy to think that he'd stick it to someone that used to be close to him in order to save himself. It's also possibly true because the person I heard it from heard it from someone in the story that really has no reason to lie about this. Of course, as it passed through the grapevine, the "deal" could have gotten blown out of proportion.

I just don't know that Toomey would ever want Specter's backing in a primary. If it's true, it's about as much proof as you can get that Specter is all about himself.

What I don't get is why would Toomey except such a deal? His chances in either race are the same in the general and he has a better shot in the primary of taking down Specter then he does taking on Corbett and the West as whole, while the rest of the state is split.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What I don't get is why would Toomey except such a deal? His chances in either race are the same in the general and he has a better shot in the primary of taking down Specter then he does taking on Corbett and the West as whole, while the rest of the state is split.

Like I said, there is a lot in this "deal" that doesn't make sense but don't just look at it in terms of his chances in either race (though his chances in a General for Governor are probably better than his chances in a Senate race). There have been other things that I've heard from other people (people closer to Toomey on a personal level).

Luckily, these same people are saying that we ought to bet on Pat running for the Senate now.    That's awesome for the obvious reasons but it also means that I can support the other Pat as my first choice for Governor now. 

Toomey - Meehan for Pennsylvania in 2010!

Well if Toomey runs for Senate, Meehan's path clears slightly but he still has Jim Gerlach siphoning off votes from the SE. Because of all the confusion I don;t know who to support right now. Corbett or Meehan would fine for me for Govenor and Toomey for the Senate.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Just to make it especially clear now...

This is where I'll go to basically talk to myself.    Keep an eye on this thread, though, since I'm going to be posting some inside, but not secret, information about the race.

If I had more time this week you wouldn't be talking to yourself but I have been to busy with real world matters. Pat Toomey reminds of me of an Elvis song. Every time we hear speculation he is running he distances himself from the race "he's got me going up, he's got me going down". I up this time we are up and correctly so.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/03/08/f/

Found this article on AOL's homepage. I don't place much stock in though.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I don't see what not to put stock in, it's standard speculation, eh?

You right. I hadn't read the other posts yet about how wide spread the speculation was. I had better things to attend to over the weekend then politics unfortunately and I have not been on here since Friday.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

That quote about Specter blaming the loss of the Senate on Toomey and the Club for Growth is hilarious. Does he honestly thing that Chafee would have remained a Republican at the height of the Surge. He probably would have done a Jim Jeffords. RI was one of the states most likely to switch hands along with Burns and Specter's 2004 Messiah. That was clear in early 2006. If the Senate were to be held it would have been on the backs of Allen, Talent and DeWine. So even if Laffey had not run against him, Chafee still would have lost most likely. It sounds like Specter wants to join the same club as Bunning.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Why is Specter still lying about the Rhode Island Senate race?

"Toomey represents the Club for Growth which has engaged in cannibalistic tactics. When they fought [now defeated GOP Senator Lincoln] Chafee in the Rhode Island primary, spent all his money, beat him in the general, that cost us control of the Senate. In the Senate…we would have controlled the Senate had we retained Chafee's seat in 2007 and 2008."

http://spectator.org/archives/2009/04/15/true-grit-specter-declares-war

I dare say that Specter will continue to throw this one around to our chagrin. Specter has learned nothing and forgotten everything.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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What the hell is this PS? I am deranged becaused I watched the show first hand and saw the surprised look on Bob Scheifer's face when Specter uttered those words. I am sorry that I don't get all my info from the web, that I like to see things on TV as well. You just can't get all the detail from a black and white page. You don't see there faces, there expressions, and there reactions. Since you frowned upon making assumptions about races on the previous page you obviously find it alright to make assumption about other people. That counts as being a hypocrit just like someone else we have been discussing. You complain about me not reading up on the matter but you unfortunately didn't bother to read my post in its entirety, I mentioned that it may not be what Specter meant, but  it will be the assumed meaning once it gets clipped into a Toomey ad and I have no doubt that these two will be throwing everything including the kitchen sink at each so taking each other "out of context" should be expected in this race anyway. I am not surprised by your defence of Specter, you too are a lot alike.

Quit throwing your damned personal insults at me. I used to have respect for you but unfortunately I am being to think that respect is misplaced.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I'm sure you guys have seen it...

www.SpecterForTheCure.com


And the contributions to the site...go to his campaign.

The man is scum. I really can't say anything else.

Absolutley disgusting

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

....endorsed Toomey.





I bet some of you got really excited for some reason after reading that title.    I wonder if the moderates/Dent lovers will go nuts on him for this.

Then again, I think Dent endorsed Toomey in 2004. He did it for political reasons, of course, since Toomey endorsed Dent in his three way primary. If he hadn't and if two conservatives didn't run, we wouldn't be talking about a Congressman Dent right now.

OMG!!!!! Toomey endorsed a moderate for a House seat but thats impossible this is the SOB who went around primarying moderates with Right wingers unsuitable for there district and he headed the Club for Growth who nearly primaried Lincoln Chafee and thus cost us the senate b/c Chafee would have been elected otherwise. Toomey is an extremist Nazis!!!!.


For those of you who are smart only on days that don't end in the Y this post is entirely satire and doesn't in anyway reflect the views of the poster

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Toomey raised over $1 million in about sixty days and, in what is probably bigger news, he has hired Specter's former fundraiser.

I was kind of suspecting this kind of fundraising performance from him. Considering his national connections through the C4G. Imagine the fundraising he will get when the establishment stops praying for a RINO in shining armor and starts to donate and help Toomey.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Toomey raised over $1 million in about sixty days and, in what is probably bigger news, he has hired Specter's former fundraiser.

I was kind of suspecting this kind of fundraising performance from him. Considering his national connections through the C4G. Imagine the fundraising he will get when the establishment stops praying for a RINO in shining armor and starts to donate and help Toomey.

They've stopped searching for someone and they're starting to praise Toomey.

Yes I know, but the money usually follows the praise, it usually doesn't come with with it at first. Since this represents the past 6o days it represents the period in which people were still "searching". Over the next few months I expect Toomey to either stay the same or improve in fundraising. Either way this will end up the most expensive race maybe after California Governor.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Rasmussen will be releasing General election match up polls tomorrow. 

Nope, today:

Specter (D): 50%
Toomey (R): 39%

Sestak (D): 41%
Toomey (R): 35%

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election

Good enough.

Agreed!  And Sestak still doesn't have anywhere near Specter's name rec.  Funny I think Sestak in the end would actually do better than Specter.

I agree because unlike Specter, Sestak is not considered to be an out of touch Philadelphian which is the perception of Specter among a lot of Conservative Dems out west that otherwise might stay home or vote Toomey, either way a vote less for Specter is a vote more for Toomey whether they vote for Toomey or not. Sestak can play up his military background which helped McCain a lot out there in the West. If ever you could find a Leftist that was fit for PA, Sestak fits that bill perfectly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Only 28% say Specter deserves another term - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_630958.html


Gerlach kind of takes Senate bid off the table - http://blogs.mcall.com/penn_ave/2009/06/gerlach-senate-run-off-the-table.html

Absolutely Fantastic.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Get used to it.

I can't help how I feel. There's a gaping PA-13-shaped hole in the Atlas where Phil used to be. We appreciate your efforts to take up the slack.

Yeah I've been meaning to ask about that. What gives? I thought Phil was on a brief vacation to Italy and he hasn't posted in a month and a half.

From what I have read on here, a local party guy was reading the forums and by posting Phil was putting himself and whoever he is working for at risk politically so he decided the leave.