myerstownherald.com

Sen. Arlen Specter has received the endorsement of the Pennsylvania Democratic state committee, but he is far from assured of winning re-election this fall. In fact, he might not even have the Democratic nomination in hand, with U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak challenging him. Regardless of who the Democrats nominate, however, the only way to reverse the fiscal irresponsibility in Washington is to vote for the Republican candidate.
The endorsement that Specter received from the Democratic state committee normally is enough to put a candidate over the top for the nomination, especially in Pennsylvania, which rarely encourages contested primaries.
However, Specter long has been a Republican. Even though Specter has not been a model of fiscal discipline, many Democrats seem unconvinced that a former Republican is the best choice to lead their party.
The endorsement that Specter received from the committee can partly be attributed to the backing that he has secured from major party officials such as President Obama and Gov. Edward Rendell. Party officials are more likely to accept the dictates of these officeholders.
But the rank and file may not simply vote for Specter because the committee has recommended him. They may choose to vote for Sestak, who has run a visible campaign. Sestak remains an appealing choice for liberals and other regular Democrats.
Sestak is more liberal than Specter, however, and his presence in the race will force Specter to the left to secure the nomination. As a result, whether Specter wins the nomination or not, the Democratic nominee likely will be considerably to the left of the mood of the electorate.
The Republican Party is fortunate not to have to deal with Specter. He has been too far to the left for far too long. When he voted for President Obama’s wasteful stimulus bill, Specter went too far. He no longer had any real claim to being conservative at all.
With voters upset about the ballooning deficit, Republicans can offer a real choice for change in this election with former Rep. Pat Toomey. Toomey actually can credibly advocate lowering government spending, which is not a course of action that either Specter or Sestak could believably advocate.