King RINO: Arlen Specter

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is wasting no time attacking Pat Toomey, his opponent for the GOP senatorial nomination—and Internet journalists and bloggers are all over the story. Specter is attempting to connect the conservative Toomey with the AIG bonus-takers, whom Specter helped to vilify. “When you take a look at his record, he’s been contribut[ing] to the problem,” Specter said of Toomey, a former congressman and Wall Street stock trader. “And now he wants a promotion; he wants a bonus like those AIG guys.” Conservatives know full well that if anyone is connected in with AIG, it’s not Toomey—it’s Specter. Conservative bloggers are well aware that Specter has a history of siding with the liberal-left establishment, yet during his last head-to-head battle with Toomey in 2004 he managed to garner the endorsements of supposedly conservative leaders like President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Following his re-election win, Specter’s name was touted around Washington as the leading candidate for the chairmanship of the important Senate Judiciary Committee. But conservatives—especially the bloggers—united to tell the Majority Leader Bill Frist and the president, “Don’t do it!” Conservative and libertarian bloggers were—and are—on top of Specter’s shenanigans. They know that at best he is a Northeast Republican while at worst he’s an out-and-out liberal. But in spite of all the phone calls, e-mails, snail mail and online petitions from conservatives, Sen. Specter was still appointed chairman in the Republican-led Senate. When news of the alleged covert domestic spying program sparked an outcry by both Democrats and some members of Bush’s own party, many lawmakers and rights groups questioned whether it violated the U.S. Constitution. Of course, when one looked at which Republicans joined the Democrats, it’s the RINO (Republican In Name Only) brigade members such as Specter, Hagel, Snow, and others who should have switched parties many moons ago.During the 2004 Pennsylvania primary, Specter’s Senate seat was threatened by a real conservative—Pat Toomey. But who did the Bush Administration support? A pro-abortion, anti-school choice, big spending liberal: Arlen Specter. Specter won the primary and the November 2004 election. Bush didn’t carry Pennsylvania, no thanks to Arlen Specter.Now Republican leaders have a second chance.Nathan Tabor is President & CEO of TCVmedia.com, a professional full-service Internet and branding firm that specializes in social media optimization, website design/application and consulting.