PA-Sen: Toomey Will Run

[ccharles000]

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.

http://www.swingstateproject.com

[WeDidIt]

1. Specter's only hope is to jump ship

and becoming an Independent won't get him enough. He has to completely switch parties if he expects to survive.

[dflprincess]

2. I really hate it when Republicans switch over to the Democratic party

It's fine if it's because they've had an epiphany and now understand the error of their ways, but when they do it just because they think they can't even win their own party's primary I get ill. We have enough DINOs now without any more joining in.

[wisteria]

3. LOL.

Toomey's a conservatives conservative and will never get the votes of moderates. If the Republican's want to win then they better not run him. They would be better sticking with Specter who they can sell to all of PA.

[sharp_stick]

4. God I hope he does it

I'll support that megalomaniacal shit financially and with voter outreach if I have to. If Pat Toomey is the puke candidate we've just picked up another Democratic Senate seat.

[Bozita]

5. "Club for Growth" ... Grover (drown govt in a bathtub) Norquist's raison d'etre

See the GOP. Look. Look. See the water swirl. Swirl, water, swirl.

See the GOP move faster and faster in ever shrinking circles.

Faster and faster. Smaller and smaller.

Oh no!

[WeDidIt]

8. Grover Norquist's Ideas ARe Making the GOP Small Enough

to drown in a waterglass.

[WinkyDink]

6. He will lose. You heard it here first.

[saltpoint]

7. I'll defer to Keystone State DUers but my hunch is that Arlen will

bite the dust in the GOP primary.

His internal polling might even inspire him to resign rather than face the defeat.

Toomey almost beat him last primary.

[Hippo_Tron]

9. I agree, Specter was saved last time by Bush, Santorum, and the GOP machine

Bush and Santorum are no longer around and the GOP machine is in disarray. Toomey has the grassroots and they will easily defeat Specter. I would be surprised if Specter even runs again.

[Juche]

10. YES

Because of PA's closed primary the GOP there has become more wingnutty. So now Specter may become more liberal since he'll need liberal help in 2010 to win the primary. Even if he loses the primary and Toomey wins, the people in PA won't elect a wingnut in 2010.

Either way, Specter becomes easier to work with or we get a dem in 2010. hurrah.