Specter: Toomey is like one of those AIG employees...
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Specter: Toomey is like one of those AIG employees...
It probably qualifies as the quote of the day, and it comes to you courtesy of Republican U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter.
Specter was in Camp Hill this afternoon to speak at a summit, organized by the Central Penn Business Journal, on the federal stimulus package.
After the event, he faced the usual gaggle of reporters, and was asked how he felt about word that former conservative congressman Pat Toomey will likely challenge him in 2010 (click here to read The Inquirer's story on it this morning by Tom Fitzgerald).
Toomey began seriously considering another matchup with Specter - he unsuccessfully challenged him in the 2004 Republican primary - after Specter became one of three Republicans to vote for President Obama's stimulus package.
Asked about his thoughts on Toomey earlier today, Specter reiterated his position that Toomey "has a lot of explaining to do" when it comes to his record.
"I see the front page headline in The Philadelphia Inquirer that he's going to run against me because of my single vote on the stimulus package," said Specter. "Well, I've voted 10,000 times, I don't expect people to agree with me on every vote."
"And when it comes to votes, my 2004 opponent has a lot of explaining to do himself," he said. "He was on Wall Street with these derivates and credit swaps, and helped to create the problem. Then he went to the Congress and voted for deregulation
Then, Specter wrapped it up with this gem:
"He's like the AIG employees: he creates the problem, now he wants the bonus," he said of Toomey, president of the national limited-government activist group Club for Growth. "He wants to be promoted to the Senate. He's going to have more votes to explain than I do. Stay tuned."
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toomey is going to crush specter in a primary. bet on it. the party has moved farther right than specter is comfortable going, and naturally so. GOP party faithful will see through any of Specter's attempts to prove himself as a hard-right true-believer, mainly because he isn't. he barely won the primary last time, and then he had help from bush, santorum, and conservative dems who were scared of a toomey-santorum regime. that's not the case in 2010.— brendancalling- You have got to be kidding me. The guy who voted for the bailouts is blaming the guy who opposed the bailouts for the bailouts? Congress/Bush adopted none of the Club for Growth's goals. Is Specter saying that Toomey is to blame because they did not adopt his recommendations? Meanwhile, Arlen voted for everything they did. - Toomey opposed the bailouts that Bush and Wall Street demanded, and offered alternatives that were ignored. - Deregulation led to the crisis? Ask Specter to name a single financial deregulation. Between the Fed, the Dept. of Treasury, the IRS, the FDIC, the EPA, FDA, SEC, CFTC, NLRB, FTC, FCC, FERC, FEMA, FAA, CAA, INS, OHSA, CPSC, NHTSA, EEOC, BATF, DEA, NIH, and NASA, do you really think we have deregulation? - Government, led by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, helped cause the financial crisis. Specter might say “free markets failed”, but we have anything but a free market under Bush/Specter. Hard to say Toomey's ideas have failed, when they have not been adopted.— Gil-Galad
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- Arlen is a perfect example of why the Congress/Senate needs age and term limits.— UnionMilkmen
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- I can't wait to vote against Specter.— FJG JR
- I'll be voting for Specter, and will become a Republican for a day.
- Specter amazes me. He is talking about the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999. He voted YES as well. Here is the U.S. Senate link. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=1&vote=00354 So Specter also voted for deregulation. Not a smart political statement to make.— rxjohn
- I'd agree, the country needs fiscal conservatives. one party systems never work (philly anyone?). Specter doesn't get it, deregulation didn't cause this..it was completely irresponsible management of the money supply. that's why china is calling for an international currency because they realize that even the US can be irresponsible (or especially). Don't know much about Toomey but I'd behappy to see more fiscal consservatives as opposed to social conservatives like santorum.— dreinterests
- Memo to Republicans---Please vote for Toomey. Your pals at the DNC— Palestra Jon
- Palestra you are so right. Toomey is a great candidate but if Specter is knocked out the DCCC and Obama would put such an effort in PA to get to the 60th seat. The Republicans have to think this over very carefully.— rxjohn
