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Arlen’s Easy Way Out

By: Fred Malek (Diary)  |  April 28th, 2009 at 06:13 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I have known and been friends with Arlen over 36 years and have always supported his important role as a moderate in our party.

He will continue to be a friend.

But leaving the party because you’re facing a tough electoral challenge doesn’t seem consistent with his record of courage and principle.

I have given to every one of Arlen’s statewide campaigns. While the passion with which I supported him may have been magnified by our friendship, the fact of my support was a consequence of our shared political values of limited government and strong national defense. In our country, parties are necessarily big, to accommodate a range of views and geographies. I have always viewed the GOP as a Big Tent Party, and appreciate the inclusion of moderates like Arlen.

However, in leaving the Republican Party, Arlen has abandoned people who have been his allies for another team. He has thrown in with people who have a fundamentally different vision for America, and one that I profoundly disagree with.

Why did he do this? It seems as if Arlen took the path of least resistance. He knew that his primary fight would be difficult. Arlen has never stepped down from a fight, but he did this time. Undoubtedly his Democratic primary campaign will be safe. Ed Rendell, Arlen’s former boss at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, will get his former Deputy Mayor out of the race now. So after a career of fighting for what he believed in, Arlen took the easy way out to keep his job.

So that’s why I will be supporting Pat Toomey for US Senate against my friend Arlen Specter. Right now, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party are taking America in the wrong direction. And we need a strong voice in the Senate fighting for our party’s perspective against them.

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COMMENTS

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  • JadedByPolitics

    you lost someone you TRUSTED that is the hardest loss of all! There are not many here who have EVER LIKED Specter but I appreciate you coming on over to give us your thoughts and really to show us what we already knew that Arlen Specter is an opprotunist! He has no PRINCIPALS!! He is a FAILURE as a human being!

    • davo119

      Trust, once violated, is something that is impossible to restore.

      • http://rageofjared.blogspot.com/ yambles

        Alren has always been about himself. Has he ever taken a stand on principle? Did he stand on principle when he voted for the porkulus bill? Did it take courage to stab Republicans in the back at every crucial turn?

        • katesmith

          Mr. Malek, you’ve been around a long time. Our country is on the verge of collapse if not already there. This situation has trashed lifelong effort and sacrifice by many Americans and could have been prevented by just a few people with influence. Like yourself. An article by Scott Rasmussen on 4/27 describes how this happened. Inside the Beltway people are the problem. Now, to change the subject. I understand you like baseball. I’m a Yankee fan and feel we need a new owner. Could you possibly persuade the Yankees to sell you the team? If not, could you please buy a stake in the YES Network which needs a complete housecleaning in my opinion? Thanks.

      • EDGIBBON
  • spainishirish

    I would call his the “coward’s way out,” rather than merely “easy,” but I don’t extend him the loyalty you do. Thanks for your contirubtion and let’s get Toomey into the Senate.

    • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

      over and over he would forsake the Conservative Base of the Republican Party that makes up the bulk of the Campaign funding and the Campaign foot-soldiers (ones that are motivated on principle) which is why he (disreSpecter) was always considered a RINO… willing to through under the bus, when the tough votes come along (like the Stimulus and the Party needed his loyalty)! That is ALL that we ever ask. Not blind obedience and absolute 100% agreement all the time…. but when the push comes to shove we expect some Party loyalty, again disagreement is fine and working to change peoples points of view to your own is a RIGHT, but not constant abandonment of the Party Platform at every drop of the Bi-Partisanship disease bug calls.

      • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

        amazing how the word can scramble between brain thought creation and fingers typing it

        • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

          again… the REAL Bi-Partisanship was AGAINST the Bill…. More Democrats voted with Republicans (on several of these different vote opportunities) than the other way around – Yet Arlen was ready to throw in with just some TOKEN changes rather than demanding some real and significant changes…. That is RINO through and through…. Holding out to significantly reduce the Spending might have us being a little more charitable to him!

          • AKSteveB

            There is/was absolutely NO Republican constituency, SoCon, FisCon, SecurityCon, exConCon, who favored it. That is where the line from moderate to “on the other side” is clear. If Specter didn’t leave he HAD to be opposed in a primary, because PA is not Deep Blue. In a perfect world the Maine Twins would be too, but there we really can’t do any better.

  • Old_Crow
  • aesthete

    Though I can’t speak as regards his personal qualities, or lack thereof, it is clear that Senator Specter doesn’t have, and has never had, a “record of courage and principle”. If there’s one issue in the Republican platform which he has voted consistently in favor of, I have yet to see it. I wish I could say that it’s your friendship with Arlen which has blinded your better judgement, but given your posting history, you’ve, quite frankly, been delusional from the start regarding virtually every issue that you post on.

    I am thankful for your support of Toomey. I just wish that it wasn’t so lukewarm, and, with all due respect, that your embarrassing defense of Specter had been better thought-out.

    • Martin Knight
      • aesthete

        Is that moderatism as a political strategy is worthless, because moderatism is always relative to the views it plays off of. Just as you can’t have a triangle without three sides, you can’t have moderatism without the other two political ideologies, and when “moderatism” wins, all that you have is a moving of the goalposts to make the “moderates” the new conservatives.

        • Martin Knight
          • Mike gamecock DeVine
          • Martin Knight
      • Josh Painter

        I normally have very little use for moderates. Fred Malek is a rare exception to my rule of “Don’t trust moderates; they will stab you in the back and walk all over your corpse.” He is, first and foremost, a party guy, and his loyalty to and passion for the GOP are without peer. I’m not a party guy (I’m for conservative principles first), but I can appreciate that. And I will always appreciate him for his kindness to Gov. Sarah Palin, his admiration of her, recognition of her political potential and support of her, always talking up the governor to the Republican Party’s other movers and shakers.

        Thank you, Mr. Malek.

        - JP

  • bcb1

    Is losing people like Specter. Not saying that’s good or bad; just a fact of life. I wouldn’t be surprised if this puts more pressure on Snowe and Collins, and not in a good way. I don’t know if they’ll go the way of Specter – I suspect they won’t – but anything can happen.

    • Martin Knight

      … that by expecting Republicans to vote like Republicans at least 50% of the time, we’re being unreasonable.

      • DerKrieger

        We can’t allow the Liberals and MSM to define “moderate” in their ongoing attempts to define Conservatives as “extremists” or “far right”. Specter is no moderate. He is an ordinary Liberal of the Democrat stripe and I bid him good riddance.

        I’m STILL waiting for a Liberal to define what it is about Conservatism that’s “extreme”. A desire to adhere to the Constitution? Opposition to BIG Government and socialism? Strong defense? What?

    • http://brockwayfamily.spaces.live.com/ Erick Brockway

      But at this point it seems he’s shown what he’s really all about. Loyalty? No. Power?
      Yes. At ALL costs.

    • AceInTX

      Specter was against us 60% of the time…purity has nothing to do with it. I’m ecstatic with Republicans who are with us 90% of the time, happy with Republicans that are with us 80% of the time. I’m not enthusiastic but OK with Republicans who are with us 70% of the time. I’ll live with Republicans who are with us 60% of the time and tolerate Republicans who agree with us 50% of the time…Specter Snow and Collins are consistently with us 40% of the time or less….so why the crocodile tears at his departure…and why care of they stay or not…I say begone and be damned for all I care…good riddanceI

      • mbecker908

        I’ve seen stuff published recently – no links, just memory – that indicate Specter votes “with the Republicans” something like 70+% of the time. And I don’t question that number (kinda like McCain’s numbers), because the FACT is that he votes “with us” on a whole truckload of utterly meaningless crap and against us when it matters. The fact is that his friends have to go back to Clarence Thomas in order say anything good about the worthless SOB. Certainly for the last fifteen years – dating at least from his invocation of Scottish law – he’s been, at best, an embarassment to the Party and an impediment to the pursuit of conservative values. I could lay out a list, but there’s a diary up with an excellent one that I don’t think I can improve.

        I really hope that Specter gets thrashed either in the Democratic primary or the general by a Republican. And, from the very bottom of my cold, hard heart I hope he dies an embittered, nasty old man as a result. He is, and has been for a long time, a man with absolutely no sense of right and wrong, no sense of loyalty and absolutely no principles. Hell is too good for him. And no one should attempt to compare the ME girls to Arlen, they are infinitely better people, better Senators and better Republicans.

        • AceInTX

          As for

          from the very bottom of my cold, hard heart I hope he dies an embittered, nasty old man as a result.

          I think I know you well enough by now to know you aren’t literal here.I despise the man and there is a part of me that thinks it would be poetic justice if he meets the end you describe..I pray for him…that the LORD will reveal himself to him and he’ll learn the fact that he’s a sinner in the hands of an angry GOD…

  • penguin2

    As an elder statesman, he should leave with dignity. I believe he has had some recent treatment for cancer and looks like he should leave the political stage. There is no honor in what he is doing and he is listening to the wrong people.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Respectfully, I suppose one could write off some of the commentary as retching from the years of sickness that has infected the GOP. Perhaps a reaction to the immoderate and unprincipled tendencies of the few who have helped destroyed our party? But alas, it appears to me the

  • mom2oneson

    I think you are a good person to be able to praise and point out to others the good qualities in your friend despite your disappointment in his recent actions. Not too many people are like that, he is lucky to have you as a friend. Maybe he will be insprired by you to do the right thing.

  • Martin Knight
  • Section9

    Arlen Specter is a friend of yours. I’m quite sure that the Democratic Leadership, in the persons of Governor Rendell and Chief of Staff Emanuel, made the Senator an offer he couldn’t refuse.

    That said, you need to help Pat Toomey run as a voice for balance and representation to keep these Democrats in check. I know the senior Senator from Pennsylvania is your friend, but there is no way he will be a voice for fiscal restraint and action on entitlement reform.

    For all his faults, as a Republican, Arlen Specter could have been that man, but he was afraid to lose a battle over principle. Now, it’s time for Pennsylvania Republicans to move on. That needs to be our theme from here on out.

  • E Pluribus Unum

    I’ll second what civil_truth says. Today is not a day in which “moderate” is a friendly term, and I think it was only on his best days that Specter even rated moderate.

    I have friends also whose political persuasions are contemptible, so I know what it takes for you to throw your support to Toomey today. But I’m glad you did.

  • Martin Knight

    If anything “moderates” (a moderate – no quotation marks – would be someone like Jim DeMint) are known for their lack of importance. Having no principles and therefore being incapable of standing up for them, “moderates” in the GOP have long had a record of failure, betrayal and cowardice. They’re inconsequential non-entities at best.

    That is Arlen Specter. And with luck, we’ve seen the last of his kind in the GOP.

  • mbecker908

    Fred, if Specter is your “friend” you need lessons in choosing friends. Specter has never been a moderate republican, he’s been a shadow democrat for years. His entire tenure as top R on the judiciary is shameful. He worked to keep Bush’s qualified nominees away from Senate floor votes.

    Arlen Specter is an unmitigated, shameful piece of human garbage. I’m glad I don’t have to see an “R” behind his name anymore. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

    And I sincerely hope Pat Toomey cleans his worthless, shameless clock.

    Oh and Fred, if you see Arlen again, tell him the Beckers in Arizona said he wouldn’t be missed and that he’ll fit right in with the criminal class like Murtha.

  • AceInTX

    the fact of my support was a consequence of our shared political values of limited government and strong national defense.

  • Kowalski

    I would call him adrift. He’s been adrift as long as I’ve been around Redstate and probably much longer than that. Nominally a Republican, making statments he wanted people to believe came from the mouth of a Republican, he’s another example of a shiftless politician who has ultimately decided to just flatly contradict himself, debase himself, and walk away from them. Let’s hope the Democrats aren’t very interested in someone who says something one week and utterly contradicts it a few weeks later, either.

    Unfortunately for us there are no such things as “inconsequential nonentity senators” leaving the R side right now. Which means it’s really time to put the spurs to the Toomey campaign.

  • AceInTX

    Somehow people who support abortion in all cases and oppose any reasonable regulation of such what so ever are consistently called moderates.

    Someone who spends like a liberal, opposes a ban on earmarks, votes for tax increases and against tax cuts etc are called moderates…

    Arlen Specter is not a moderate…I’ve heard many people who should know better refer to Specter’s “Center Right” voting record when the provable fact of a lifetime ACU rating in the forties…he’s not a center right “Moderate” and never was…he’s a liberal!

  • conservativemusician

    I take it that you wouldn’t be writing this column today had Specter not turned his back on all the Republicans in PA who donated to him and supported him over the years (in spite of the many betrayals of his party and those who elected him), so excuse me if I doubt your true intentions here. Your defense of Specter is laughable in consideration of his record…and he has no integrity or honor, by the way. He has also never been a moderate either.

    Also, I’m surprised that it took this ultimate act of cowardice from your “friend” of 36 years to bring you to the conclusion that Toomey is the better choice after all. I guess I should congratulate you on your newfound wisdom, but I sense that you’ll just be back in the liberal camp again once word gets out in the DC cocktail crowd that you posted this.

    I don’t look at this as a loss for the GOP…quite the contrary. Now we have on public display for all to see what we all knew about Specter for many years…and what you should have also known all along.

  • pilgrim

  • http://andrightlyso.com/ civil_truth

    Emotions are running high today, and amidst the anger and feeling of betrayal, it can be hard to remember (especially at a computer keyboard) that there are flesh and blood people involved. And so, on the person-to-person level, I sympathize with your disappointment and loss.

    Also, I think you’re starting to see that, when you get past the day-to-day events and look at the larger picture and the longer-term trendline, and the rhetoric, that the Obama administration – with the active aid of Congressional Democrats and the abject abdication by the press of their watchdog role – is taking our country in a very radical direction towards massive expansion of government power and involvement in our lives and economy along with a very dangerous tilt in foreign policy that in specifics and in totality is far more leftist than what Obama campaigned on.

    Now many here at RedState recognized this likelihood given Obama’s past record and personal history, and although we may have come across as alarmist or shrill, the hyperpartisan behavior and extreme policyactions and laws to date, and the choice of cabinet and other administrators that Obama is selecting are confirming our judgment.

    The current adminstration clearly seems set upon revolutionary change, viewing the Republican party as the nation’s greatest enemy and having no interest in dialog, bipartisanship (unless you define it as “my way or the highway”), or negotiation.

    In any case, I trust that many voters in this country will start having their eyes opened as to what they have brought about by their votes, though the timing of their awakening will vary (and others may never awaken). I am glad that you recognize that the Democratic leadership are “people who have a fundamentally different vision for America, and one that I profoundly disagree with”.

    I welcome your support and hope that the differences can be ironed out in time – even if the outcome is respectful disagreement – but that in the interim we can work together to reverse the grave danger that our nation faces, because unless we continue to be a free republic that recognizes who are our friends and who are our enemies in the world and maintains the strength and deterrance to keep ourselves a sovereign nation, the rest doesn’t matter.

    Let’s all try to keep perspective in the turbulent times that lie ahead.

  • scrapiron

    turned me off Spector a long time ago.

    Ivan Einhorn…….

  • paulincolo

    I am glad you are supporting Toomey, but you were blinded by your friendship.

    In no way was Specter for limited government (porkulus,etc.). Moderate is a adjective not a noun. The party is big enough for moderate republicans, but a moderate means nothing by itself. Specter was never a moderate republican, he is downright liberal and the only principle he believes in is himself.

  • Common_Cents

    hey, better late than never realizing Specter is a self interested opportunistic leach of taxpayers.

    It doesn’t feel good getting betrayed by friends. Been there, done that, got the Tshirt.

    Re: Mr Malek, who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!

  • David123

    There are two important principles at stake here.

    1. Conservative principles

    2. Basic civics and retaining checks and balances

    Hopefully Arlen Specter will continue to support checks and balances and our liberty

  • antisocial

    I will point out a few from your post

    record of courage and principle
    When have we seen him do this?

    limited government and strong national defense
    He was the “critical” vote on Massive expansion of government.

    Arlen has never stepped down from a fight, but he did this time
    In my view this was probably his last election attempt. He could have stayed in and fought for his views and philosophy. Fight and Lose is acceptable but run away from a Fight is cowardly.

    In leaving the Republican Party, Arlen has abandoned people who have been his allies for another team
    No Sir. He was explicitly insulting…. I should say abusive… “It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I”. How can you dismiss the people who have supported you for decades?

    “GOP as a Big Tent Party” has been a misused term. If I could change it I would rather say “GOP as a Principled Party”. We have people who have done nothing principled leave alone conservative…… And that’s what their record says…

    I respect your view. But I would advise you to give yourself some time to relax and think again in a few weeks.

    And yes I welcome your support for Pat Toomey.

  • Tbone

    Not a political party traitor but an American Traitor as he has formally joined those who seek to destroy this Nation. I hope he rots in Hell.

  • ocleverone

    I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.

    And why would that be Mr. Specter?

  • aesthete

    What I wanted to say, but couldn’t with the class and respect in this reply.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Respectfully, I suppose one could write off some of the commentary as retching from the years of sickness that has infected the GOP. Perhaps a reaction to the immoderate and unprincipled tendencies of the few who have helped destroyed our party? But alas, it appears to me the

  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    you see as irrational.

  • antisocial

    Sometimes personal relationships can overpower your ideology. I am glad Fred finally got it right.

  • DonBarcus

    You are correct that the scorn heaped upon Mr. Malek for counting Senator Specter as a friend is impolite and unhelpful. I do understand on a certain level, however, the lashing out by people who feel betrayed at Mr. Malek, whom they feel is basically serving as a voluntary emissary for Senator Specter. They feel Mr. Malek is here saying that Senator Specter is a good guy who simply disagrees. We have not been blinded to the truth, however, that Specter is a shameless, self-serving opportunist who does not now, nor ever did care about those core principles you mentioned as much as he cares about his own political fortunes. While I agree that a need to be a little more civil exists, trying to play nice with people like Specter is what sent the Republican party into a tailspin in the first place. A (much more polite) chiding is definitely in order for Mr. Malek. He does indeed, as one poster said, need to choose his friends more carefully.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    This cannibalism and proclivity to attack and impugn is not a substitute for articulation.

    The situation with Mr. Specter presents another opportunity to explain how we differ from such reprehensible behavior. We do not simply despise Specter for his actions or on a personal level, we largely feel his representation is disconnected with the will of our populace for many reasons still largely unspoken in this or many of the other curious tomes on RS.

    I am not a supporter of Mr. Specter in any sense of the word. He long ago abandoned principle on issues such as the President

  • Brian Hibbert

    How to NOT become the angry mob.

    Angry mobs can be useful, but they are also dangerous and destructive when they get out of control (as they usually do).

  • DonBarcus

    about Specter and I agree with you wholeheartedly that we do need to have a more civil discourse. However, you made another point in your post about our party rising to prominence by adhering to a limited but solid set of core principles and then falling because we abandoned those core principles. I hate to go all Bill Clinton on you, but that depends on what the definition of “we” is. “We” the politicians may have very well abandoned those principles, but “we” the angry mob out here have not. We have worked hard, paid our taxes, been good citizens, and voted for the most conservative candidate in every race every time. All we have gotten for this is massive federal deficits and loss of power for our party. All I was trying to say in my reply to your original post was that I understand the frustration and anger that the base of the party feels because “we” have been sold out by people like Specter. “We” have done what we KNOW is the right thing every time. People who try to suck up to folks like Specter are a large part of what caused the GOP’s demise, and forgive me if I think it is healthy in the long run to POLITELY remind them of the dangers of consorting with such donkeys in elephants’ clothing.
    Lastly, you are 100% correct that it is counter-intuitive that continuous caustic attacks will draw people into our party. However, it certainly seems to have worked for the opposition, does it not? Has George Bush not been blamed for everything from the housing crisis to jock itch? Are not charlatans like Reid, Gore, Dean, Pelosi not constantly publicly using the same tactics?
    Look, you and I are on the same team. But “we” have been playing nicey-nice all along, and look what it has wrought. I am a whole lot less optimistic than you are that doing so now will yield different results.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    The primary issue here is tactics.

    George Bush was continually demonized, in most cases fallaciously, for carrying out what he truly believed were well-grounded policies. I personally believe Mr. Bush also simultaneously lost the mantle of conservative with his base by invoking many of the same big government themes (whether as partisan “bridges, et al) as Democrats. So in sum, I would say it was our failure to respond, educate the public and act consistently with our values which foretold our failure, not the converse.

    Mr. Bush was inconsistent and often not forceful or equally didactic with his retorts to Democrats on clearly unconstitutional actions such as judges or their ridiculous and unsubstantiated claims on terrorists and Iraq. Remember, this is our party leader.

    Folks can reach their own conclusions, however to many this (assisted gratuitously to this day by weak leading actors such as Mitch McConnell, et al) provoked an exodus from the party and marginalized us with independents. John McCain, Specter, Collins and Snowe only add to this confusion and lack of identity by posing as a reasonable faction of the Republican Party when in reality their votes and positions are not often principally grounded in our values. This causes a pause and confusion with voters when they try to understand who we are. Selectively ask one of your friends not steeped in politics what our party stand for. I suspect the answer will not be anything more than a few platitudes or befuddlement.

    We can, and will agree to disagree with others in our party. That is the nature of our Republic and grounded in our history. However, we can not compromise the basic values and principles upon which we build our party platform. We need to convince others, with facts and reason, of the soundness of our vision. This must be accomplished together, not as independent factions focused on particular issues; even though we may disagree on some finite issue. This is what “big tent” was meant to represent- broad values that appeal to many, not an assemblage of demographics under the big top. Anything less will continue to be self defeating.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Identify, embrace, articulate, advocate and live the principles upon which the Republic was built.

    That’s not a diary, it is a maxim.

    - Chris AKA Marcus

  • AceInTX

    Angry mobs can be useful, but they are also dangerous and destructive when they get out of control (as they usually do).

  • DonBarcus

    is alienating fellow Republicans by being needlessly caustic to someone like Malek, who in this case seems to clearly understand the fallacy in Specter’s rationale for leaving. But, c’mon! No one who has been paying attention was the least bit surprised.
    “This is what

  • Brian Hibbert

    Yes, as always, we should live our principles.

    But I was keying on your phrase “many reasons still largely unspoken” and hoping you would speak those reasons. You are much more eloquent than I and I had hoped a good writer would expand on the idea.

  • AceInTX

  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    And I have no idea what you mean by basic civics or checks and balances. Pray tell, what does that have to do with this guy?

    As for conservative principles, he parted company with them a long time ago, assuming he ever was acquainted with them.

  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    Personally, this touches upon my oft expressed cynicism and low expectations of what I call yea/nay voters on pretty easy issues, i.e. politicians.

    But what struck me most about Fred’s painful testimony and hard personal decision to support his life long friend’s opponent coupled with Pilgrim’s reminder of Specter’s heroic work and possibly indispensable work in securing a truly great man’s position on the Supreme Court, is my revulsion of the denunciation of a whole life based on “where they end up.”

    Of course, we all end up dead, but what I refer to is to define a life by only a part of a life.

    The other humbling epiphany is my oft expressed confidence if only I were a senator, I would obviously be ideologically pure and consistent and courageous.

    Let me digress at this point to say that it is not necessary to trash the lesser, to exalt the greater. In other words, we shouldn’t people to be great, but we should exalt those that are without trashing those that are not.

    And Specter proves that even if one has not been blessed with 20/20 conservative vision, one can have great moments that should not be forgotten in his moments of weakness, as his defection to the dem party surely is.

    Mike DeVine is a rabid right wing Reaganite convert and Redstate is home to mostly like minded people that I think are right.

    Let’s be proud.

    And I am one that is in awe of many that saw the light earlier than eye and esp those that saw the light in the 30s and Buckley in the 50s.

    Many of you are so wise due to the accident of birth to such wise parents.

    Can’t we be proud and thankful of that without trashing those that are haven’t seem all the light while we rejoice in the light they have seen?

    more later

  • aesthete

    as a man with “courage and principle”, “political values of limited government and strong national defense”, and who “has never stepped down from a fight… in what he believed in.”

    We agree with his the ultimate outcomes of his deliberations, and applaud what must have an arduous decision, but must disagree with his misplaced praise of Specter, which seems to stem from his friendship with the man. :)

  • Mike gamecock DeVine

    as to courage and principle, let me expand on my latest “epiphany” ocasioned by this diary and Pilgrim’s video.

    I did learn today that he left the dem party in the late 60s or early 70s due to anti-semtism in the PA dem party, and, my epiphany today at age 46, is that one can have principles even f they don’t seem consistent and that courage must be measured by the specifc circumstances.

    Look, I loathed his treatment of Bork even as a young dem, but I think he did show great courage in his defense of Thomas.

    I suspect that his voting record over the course of his life would tip towards limited govt and strong defense, relatively speaking.

    See below a further comment on Rush’s telling restraint e Specter.

  • David123

    There are conservative principles, and Sen Specter was an unreliable supporter of those.

    There are moral principles like not throwing somebody in the garbage based on unsupported allegations – and Sen Specter upheld those well in the Thomas hearings.

  • David123

    I would hope that Senator Specter would vote against laws that would undermine democracy and checks and balances. Some examples would be:

    Federal gun registration/confiscation

    Laws forbidding preachers to speak out against homosexual behavior

    Allowing illegal aliens to vote

    Establishing election procedures that invite vote fraud

    Establishing censorship or the so-called fairness doctrine

    Laws like these would be an order of magnitude worse than a bill that simply raises spending and/or taxes.

  • Rod_Patrick
  • Mike gamecock DeVine
  • JustLeaveMeAlone

    that the more my income is reduced by taxes, the less I can afford to support conservative candidates to fight for my values. The less I can afford to purchase guns and ammunition, rendering the 2nd Amendment moot to me. The more time I need to work to keep a roof over my head, and thus the less time I have to donate to conservative and charitable causes of ~my~ choice.These are some examples.

    And the more of my money the Statists possess, the more they can ram through their agenda — give it to ACORN, fund abortions, prop up liberal rags masquerading as newspapers, etc.

    Thus, I see this kind of fiscal takeover as just a means to an end — the end being to reduce our liberty and bring us all into a centrally managed economy and society, with values handed down from Obama and his ilk.

  • antisocial

    He was the