Not content with trying to destroy all moderate voices within the Republican party, religious right groups have now moved on to eating their own for the crime of not being fully on board with their purge for purity. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette is reporting that not only are they after Specter, they're also going after Rick Santorum, one of their staunchest political allies and the junior senator from the same state, because he's not joining in their political witch hunt.
The groups noted that they already were upset with Santorum, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, for supporting Specter earlier this year in his Republican primary contest against Rep. Patrick Toomey, a conservative and strong opponent of abortion.If Santorum hopes to avoid his own Senate primary battle in two years --and perhaps make a run for president in 2008 -- he needs to heed conservative concerns about whether Specter, a moderate, can be trusted to shepherd President Bush's judicial nominees through the Senate, the groups said.
"When I was out on the road in Pennsylvania, people were so angry with Sen. Santorum for backing Sen. Specter" in the primary, said the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, head of the Christian Defense Coalition. "Wouldn't it be fascinating if Congressman Toomey ran a primary against Santorum?"
Jan LaRue, chief counsel of the Concerned Women for America, agreed that Santorum "has got to do something here. The Senate controls its own rules; there are a number of ways they can address this. It's up to them, but get rid of him [Specter].
"Santorum would like to become the president of the United States, but he alienated a lot of pro-family, pro-life people when he came to Specter's aid over Toomey, who is a strong pro-life man...," LaRue said. "If he wants to get back that kind of support for his future political ambitions, he's got to do something" about Specter.
That's loaded with thinly veiled threats, isn't it? These people don't have time for piddly little things like political reality, there's a crusade to be won for Christ's sake - literally. I'm finding this all quite fascinating. The religious right is absolutely fanatical about purging any voices of moderation from within the party leadership. I predict they're going to lose this one, Specter is still going to be named Judiciary Committee chairman, and the wingnuts are going to be left to fume to each other about how unfair it all is. Oh, but wait....they've got a secret weapon:
Conservative groups, meanwhile, announced that they were planning a "pray-in" Tuesday in Washington as part of their battle against Specter.
Hilarious. I'd like to hear those prayers:
"God, I know you're a busy man, what with the constant communication with Osama Bin Laden to foment terrorism, not to mention your prognostications to Pat Robertson on the outcome of various elections (sorry about that last one, but I don't think Bush covered the point spread). But if you get the time, would you mind smiting Rick Santorum? I know he's on our side 99% of the time, but he's been hanging out with that Specter guy. And you know, Specter is another word for ghost, which clearly shows his beliefs in the occult. We'd rub him out ourselves, but we've tried that in the past with a few abortion doctors and those damn activist liberal judges insist on throwing us in jail for it. So could you handle this one for us? Thanks."
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Rather predictably, the right-wing nutjobs have seized upon Bush's victory, and his resulting "mandate," to make an all-out power grab. Personally, I hope their campaign gathers as much attention in the public spotlight as possible. As has been mentioned in other threads, they'll scare off millions of moderate Republicans, and a lot of them will end up landing on the Democratic side next time around. As my old Torts professor used to say: "When a pig becomes a hog, it gets slaughtered."
Just when I tought that the jack-booted, mind-controlling, red-white-and-blue-wearing fascist-wanna-bes had reached the end of their teather, stuff like this happens. Not only is Specter an "untouchable" but anyone who stands up for him is an "untouchable".
I really do love watching these guys publicly kicking each other in the junk. You can bet, though, that Karl Rove is going to set the house in order over the next few days, lest the far right begin so soon to squander its opportunity for political hegemony.
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You know, this is the kind of thing that historically happens with this group. By "this group", I mean any control motivated religiously based reactionary force that is attempting to "put things aright" in an "ever more sinful" world.
We should remember what, for example, happened during the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials occurred very late in the whole witch-hunt era, which had started in Europe with the arrest and execution of the Cathars for heresy. Salem was at the very end of that madness. However, it did stop when the "spectral evidence" that was being produced pointed to the mayor's wife.
Eventually these movements always turn on themselves. This is because, even though the proport to be based on "Christianity", they are actually fuelled by hate. Hate is, and always will be, a self destructive force.
Santorum? President Santorum? Freak me out, man.
I think it would be great if there were a Toomey-Santorum battle, though.
LaRue said. "If he wants to get back that kind of support for his future political ambitions, he's got to do something" about Specter.
Is this new or has the religious right always talked like The Sopranos?