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It is finally official.

Toomey, who stepped down Monday as president of the Washington-based Club for Growth, appealed to his conservative base in a statement released just before 8 a.m., while Toomey made a series of TV appearances in the Philadelphia area.

“Pennsylvanians deserve a voice in the U.S. Senate that will honor our values and fight for limited government, individual freedom and fiscal responsibility. I will be that voice,” Toomey said.

Early polls show Toomey ahead of the 79 year old and four term United States Senator Specter.

Even with the latest polls showing Pennsylvania United States Senator Arlen Specter in deep trouble for re-nomination in 2010, the National Republican Senatorial Committee endorsed him today.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn released a letter today offering a full-throated endorsement of Sen. Arlen Specter in his coming primary against former congressman Pat Toomey, a decision driven by a concern that the challenger cannot win a general election in Pennsylvania.

“My job as head of the NRSC is to guide the GOP back to a majority in the Senate,” wrote Cornyn in a letter to Pennsylvania Republicans. “I can’t do that without Arlen Specter. With him as our nominee, I can target our campaign resources toward beating Democrats and growing the Senate Republican Conference.”

The implication of those lines is clear: if Toomey is the Republican nominee next November, “campaign resources” may not flow from Washington to Pennsylvania.

This is BULL for Specter is a non-reliable vote for the Republican Party at best. Plus, he is 79 years old.

The national GOP committees for years have done nothing but support incumbent Senators regardless of whether they vote with the party or have a chance to win a general election.

Flap recommends that folks donate to their candidate of choice in these 2010 races and stay far away from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

And, in a further disappointment, looks like RNC Chairman Michael Steele changed his mind.

The current President of the Club for Growth, Pat Toomey, has stepped down to run against U.S. Senator Arlen Specter for a Pennsylvania Senate seat.

Today, former Indiana Congressman Chris Chocola became the new president of the free-market group, the Club for Growth. The current president, Pat Toomey, stepped down today after recruiting Chocola to take his place so he could pursue other opportunities.

Chris Chocola represented Indiana’s Second Congressional District from 2003 to 2007. During his time in Congress, he was a staunch defender of the American taxpayer, fighting for the limited-government, free-market principles that are the foundation for economic growth in this country. In 2007, Chocola joined the Club for Growth’s Leadership Council.

Pat Toomey should have a good shot at unseating the incumbentSpecter. The early polls are favorable and Specter is scrambling for cover, especially after his swing vote on Obama’s economic stimuls PORKULUS bill.

The latest polling is not favorable to incumbent Pennsylvania GOP Senator Arlen Specter.

Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to come out against the Employee Free Choice Act might have come at just the right time.
 
The Pennsylvania Republican trails former Rep. Pat Toomey by double digits in the first head-to-head poll of their ensuing primary match-up.

The Quinnipiac poll, released Wednesday, shows the embattled Specter behind Toomey, 41-27, even though 73 percent of Republicans say they don’t know enough about the challenger to form an opinion.
 
The poll comes on the heels of Specter’s announcement Tuesday that he would vote against cloture on the union-organizing Employee Free Choice Act, or card-check. Specter’s decision will likely kill the bill for this Congress, as he was a pivotal vote, and should help his standing with some conservatives.
 
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted before Specter’s announcement Tuesday afternoon. It echoes a Susquehanna poll from last month that showed 66 percent of GOP voters want someone new and only 26 percent would vote to keep Specter.

Obviously, Specter is moving RIGHT to shore up GOP primary support. First, it is the Card Check announcement and today Specter will be meeting with Grover Norquist’s weekly conservative meeting. Norquist has supported Specter in the past.

But….. those photos of all of the Democrats back slapping Specter for his vote on the Obama Economic Stimulus Bill (only 1 of 3 GOP Senators to do so) will be coming back to bite Specter in the ass come primary election time.

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Senator Arlen Specter: I AM Running as a Republican on the Republican Ticket

GOP Senators Collins, Specter and Snowe: COMRADES of the Month

Pat Toomey to Challenge GOP Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania Primary Race?

Specter may run as a Republican but may NOT win the GOP primary.

The Pennsylvania senior senator is not considering running as an Independent, as had been “reported” earlier Wednesday in The Hill.

“To eliminate any doubt, I am a Republican and I am running for re-election in 2010 as a Republican on the Republican ticket,’‘ Specter said Wednesday evening.

It was a dizzying day or two for Specter, who has been wooed by Gov. Ed Rendell and Vice President Joe Biden to return to his Democrat roots and switch parties. But the 79-year-old Specter is sticking with the GOP, even though the more conservative faction of the party has vowed to defeat Specter in a GOP primary.

However, should he lose the GOP primary to Club for Growth President Pat Toomey will Specter then rule out an independent run for the Senate?

He will play those cards later – obviously.

Looks like there may be a re-match of the race from six years ago in which Toomey lost in the Republican primary election by ONLY 1.7%.

Former Congressman Pat Toomey (R, PA-15), current Club for Growth President, just announced on Bobby Gunther Walsh’s 1-On-1 Show, WAEB, 790AM, that a Primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter is “now back on the table.”

Mr. Toomey acknowledged that “Senator Specter cast the deciding vote on the very worrisome stimulus Bill, when he could have negotiated with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama for more productive tax cuts and less wasteful spending.” Pennsylvanians need to do some soul searching about who will really represent us in the Senate.

The latest poll is unfavorable for Specter winning re-election.