Nation Watches Penn. Primary That Pits Moderate Specter vs. Conservative Toomey
by Jody Brown
April 26, 2004
(AgapePress) - There's a lot of attention being paid to a GOP Senate primary in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Many are anxious to see whether voters will stick with the liberal incumbent -- or go with the challenger, who represents conservative, pro-family values.According to polls a few months ago, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter enjoyed a double-digit lead over his primary opponent, Congressman Pat Toomey. That lead has all but disappeared, with polls now showing the two in a statistical dead heat. As Associated Press reports, the surge in support for Toomey underscores the challenge that Specter faces: is there room for a moderate Republican -- Specter, in this case -- under a GOP tent that has become increasingly conservative.
Recent endorsements by high-profile conservatives have attracted national interest to this Republican primary. Specter, seeking a fifth term in the Senate, has been endorsed by President George W. Bush and the other Republican Senator, Rick Santorum. But coming alongside Toomey in recent weeks is conservative Christian commentator and author Dr. James Dobson, who was in the Keystone State on Friday night on Toomey's behalf.
Dobson, making it clear to Pennsylvanians that his endorsement comes as a private citizen and not as a representative of his organization (Focus on the Family), said he felt compelled to endorse Toomey because he believes Specter is not a true conservative.
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"I'm here because of the importance of the race -- its importance to the family," Dobson stated to the crowd on Friday night in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In a letter endorsing Toomey, Dobson said Specter is "opposed to nearly everything we hold dear," noting Specter's opposition to the confirmation of conservative, pro-family judges to the federal courts.
Toomey, on the other hand, says Dobson, "would be a splendid pro-family, pro-life voice" in the U.S. Senate.
And Dobson, a supporter of both President Bush and Senator Santorum, sees no conflict with his endorsement of Toomey? He echoes the Toomey campaign, saying it is typical for incumbents to endorse their fellow incumbents in their own party.
Specter, considered by some to be a moderate Republican, has often sided with Democrats on social and economic issues. Only one Republican senator has a higher liberal rating and a lower conservative rating than Specter -- and as Associated Press says, that has prompted many conservative groups to work for Toomey's campaign.
