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Pennsylvania Congressman May Knock Out Spector
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Race
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| Contributor | Gerald Farinas |
| Last Edited | Gerald Farinas Apr 21, 2004 03:23pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | News Service - Associated Press |
| News Date | Wednesday, April 21, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Pennsylvania Congressman May Knock Out Spector
The Honolulu Advertiser
Fourteen months ago, a conservative congressman set out on a seemingly quixotic quest to retire four-term Sen. Arlen Specter. The challenger had little money, scant name recognition and no support from party leaders. Now, with less than a week to go before the state's April 27 Senate primary, Rep. Pat Toomey has come within striking distance of defeating Specter in what has become one of the nation's most closely watched GOP contests this year. "I really believe we're going to win - despite pretty tough odds and pretty tough circumstances," Toomey, 42, said Wednesday at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. From the start, Toomey has portrayed himself as an energetic, Harvard-educated former banker taking on a weathered senator; a firebrand conservative intent on retiring an old-guard moderate. After bucking party bosses who urged him to drop his bid, the three-term Toomey has had to scrape up as much support as possible from like-minded conservatives who consider Specter a "RINO" - a Republican In Name Only - whose politics have strayed too far from the party line.
Political experts say Specter is battling his own independent ideology as he seeks an unprecedented fifth term. "Nobody should be surprised, in a state as conservative as Pennsylvania, that somebody such as Arlen Specter would be in a competitive primary race," said Pittsburgh-based GOP consultant John Brabender. "Year after year, Arlen's strength is not necessarily within the Republican Party, but among independent and middle-of-the-road voters." |
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