Republican Pat Toomey wins Arlen Specter's U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania

[RamboLiberal]

Source: PennLive.com/AP

PHILADELPHIA — Pat Toomey, the conservative Republican whose popularity scared Arlen Specter out of the GOP, was elected to the longtime U.S. senator's seat Tuesday in one of the most hotly contested races in the nation.

Toomey, a 48-year-old former congressman, investment banker and restaurateur from the Allentown area, defeated Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak after hammering him on his liberal voting record and his ties to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Barack Obama.

•With 99% of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Toomey led 51 percent to 49 percent.



Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2010/11/republican_pat_toomey_wins_arl.html

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F*ck!

[glinda]

1. Some results are beyond difficult to understand.

[defendandprotect]

16. Don't know enough about PA to actually judge this ... but

obviously we've had Repug winners tonight who will support corporatism --

and use religion as a tool to hammer us all --

and if we don't bend, they're willing to be violent.


It's all kinda hidden in plain sight --

As far as I can see Democratic voters put up a great mid-year battle against the right wing.

I'm suspicious about the outcomes -- time will tell!!


76% and more of the public wanted single-payer government run health care --

they understand our immense need for it -- they understand the back room deals

made by Obama which denied us MEDICARE FOR ALL. Catholics wanted single-payer,

government run health care by 73% -- 83% when Latinos/Latinas are included.

And they wanted reproductive health care on a long list of items from HIV and

condoms to pre-natal care -- and simple CHOICE by majority of 51%.


So why would they elect anyone but Sestak?

Do they think that Repugs will give them MEDICARE FOR ALL?

Do they not understand that Repugs will likely destroy Social Security and Medicare?

They all have families -- they understand what is going on --

[wisteria]

25. First, the Dem's put up a damn good fight. And, second, there are many old people in PA

and they don't like change, their taxes raises or anything new. They bought into the Repubs lies about healthcare and such.

[defendandprotect]

27. Thanks, wisteria .... I know we're both sad about this ....

I'm more suspicious than you are -- :evilgrin:

Older folks tend to appreciate Social Security and Medicare --

and unfortunately, Democrats are not making the effort, IMO, to break thru

the curtain of right wing lies.


:)

Thanks for the reply!

[wisteria]

29. Oh,I agree we need a stronger message to break through their lies. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

2. An investment banker

Wonderful.

Proof that people have no idea who's fucking who out there.

[BlueStater]

3. The American people even know what the hell they want. N/T

[RamboLiberal]

4. Yeah - 4 years ago we finally kick Santorum out

And now the fools in this state elect Toomey who is just as bad if not worse and too boot Corbett who won't even tax the Marcellus Shale drillers & will let them rape our state.

FOOLS!

I'm pissed at my state voters tonight.

I hope Sestak will run again - he sure ran a helluva race and put a scare into Toomey even though the Repukes & Chamber & Toomey's Wall Street friends threw a ton of money against Joe!

[BeyondGeography]

6. A very good showing, all things considered

He'll be back.

[RamboLiberal]

7. Watching Sestak concede now - sad

How the hell could this state not put this good man in the Senate.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Good people lost all over

Tough night.

[madokie]

40. Arlen Specter

does that answer your question?
Ol one bullet held his seat for years

[No Elephants]

42. Best concession speech I ever heard--and I'm not from Pennsy.

[wisteria]

12. I think so. And, Toomey better keep in mind that many people hate what he stands for. So he better

take that into consideration.

[wisteria]

11. I agree. I am pissed at certain areas of my state because they are so uninformed and ignorant.

There is something in the drinking water in western PA.

[RamboLiberal]

14. All those chemicals from the Marcellus Shale wells

That Corbett will make sure aren't taxed. We'll be the only F'ing state to let them off tax free to rape the land and water.

[wisteria]

18. But, but.. it will create jobs and keep jobs in PA. But, lets not forget that our Senior Senator is

Bob Casey-a Democrat.

[msanthrope]

39. "Pittsburgh on one side, Philadelphia on the other--and Tennessee in between."

So said a learned member of the Clinton team.

[defendandprotect]

21. Are you sure they did elect Toomey? Democrats seem to have waged quite a

mid-year election battle against the right wing today --

If it doesn't make much sense -- maybe we should keep questioning it??

[October]

23. Oh he's worse. He thinks Santorum is mainstream. Not kidding.

/nt

[totodeinhere]

5. Shit. n/t

[DimplesinMI]

9. I hated to see this guy lose....

He fought a hard race.....

[wisteria]

10. This is because we have misinformed and ignorant people in the Western Pa area that

vote against their best interests all the time. They have their trailer park homes and their beat up cars and they think that Dems want to take it all away from them by increasing their taxes.
When people think, they vote Democrat.

[RamboLiberal]

13. You aren't kidding about Western PA

And the T as well. Appalachia! They don't seem to realize that Toomey & his buddies care squat for them. Watch more of your jobs get packed off to China.

[wisteria]

20. Toomey is the Jr Senator-Bob Casey is the Sr. Senator From PA and he is a Democrat.

Maybe he can keep Toomey in check.

[defendandprotect]

22. Casey is a pro-lifer ... what are the odds it will work the other way around ...????

[wisteria]

28. That bothers me, but it works for PA and I don't see that issue being a major

vote coming up in the Senate. We have far more important issues to tackle. And, besides the Repubs wouldn't have the issue to raise money on from the kooks if things went to far one way.

[defendandprotect]

31. No ... I don't mean that the ISSUE will take hold, but that their common

agreement on that issue could create an alliance on ALL other issues --

Trust it will be otherwise!

[wisteria]

34. Casey believes in supporting the poor and the middle class, he is no Wall Street guy.

I doubt they have much in common.

[defendandprotect]

36. Glad to hear you say that ....

his father was rather a fanatic as I recall --

:)

[Celtic Merlin]

41. So NOBODY in the Philly area voted Toomey?

When we look at the results later this week, Toomey won't have carried a single country east of Harrisburg? Toomey is all western PA's fault?

BULLSHIT.

Oh, and stick your "trailer park homes" and your "beat up cars" and your "vote against their best interests all the time" remarks back from whence they came - up your ass.

Ever So Sincerely,
Celtic Merlin
Carlinist

[Lugnut]

15. That makes me sick.

We got rid of Santorum and here we go again with someone who may be even worse.

[wisteria]

17. He is worse. n/t

[PatrynXX]

19. Sestak after hammering him....

gotta hate these stupid AP reports. Exaggerating the crap out of stuff. He didn't hammer anyone. Just shoved him. Hammer would have been a 20 % loss or a Feingold thing. which will sting my mom for awhile.

[defendandprotect]

24. How did the debates go ... if you watched them?

[Dogmudgeon]

26. A Club-For-Growth stalwart

Toomey is pretty much a heavy-duty ideologue who advocates giving away ("privatizing") the entire commonwealth. Corbett defeating Onorato was a shame, but Corbett isn't a psycho, and I'm surprised he didn't get primaried. Still, Corbett is in the pocket of fracking Big Gas.

I'm impressed that Sestak and Onorato came as close as they did; Pennsylvania has been flooded with untraceable (AmCham etc.) cash, gas entrepreneur contributions, 527s and similar orgs, and nonstop negative advertising for months.

The good news? Sestak is one tough sumbitch and will not go gentle into that good night. He'll be back, as will Kendrick Meek in Florida. And even though it will require six years to excrete the turd Toomey out of the guts of Penn's Woods, the buyers' remorse will have fully kicked in by next spring.

And as painful as some of the losses are, they are still less than what was predicted. The Golden Lining is 2012. Since all national GOP power pick-ups result in worse economic conditions, we will have that breeze at our back. Sadly, the cost will be increased hardship for millions of Americans.

--d!
PA-10

[defendandprotect]

30. Reminds me of Clinton booming economy and surplus losing to W.....

someone asked about this --

Clinton to Newt Gingrich ... how prosperity lost to GOP propaganda --

and Newt acknowledged to Clinton .... "if we told the truth, we'd lose."


I'd extend that as well to elections ... if we had fair elections, they'd also lose.

[alp227]

32. Specter at least WAS a Republican for most of his career.

I guess Pennsylvanians were just too used to the (R) after their senior senator's name. Oh, Specter's successor is from Allentown? Well, I certainly know a great song about that town!

[wisteria]

33. Yes, me too. And, Toomey will be Jr Senator-Bob Casey is Sr, Senator and he is a Democrat.

Toomey didn't win by that much, and this should send him a message that he will have to represent all of the voters interests-not just the Tea Party.

[awoke_in_2003]

35. stupidity posted...

the respondent corrected me.

[RamboLiberal]

37. Huh - Specter wasn't running since Sestak beat him in the primary

[awoke_in_2003]

38. shit, I forgot...

I jumped when I saw "Arlen" and shot my mouth off.

[No Elephants]

43. Someone in Pennsy who usually votes Dem said he wasn't voting for Sestak bc Sestak went to Harvard.

Before that, he had said that Obama was an elitist who could not relate to working people, adding "He went to Harvard."

How do you fight against people ruling you out bc you were graduated from one of the best schools in the world?

Sad thing is, Sestak is neither Senator nor a Rep now. Such an appealing candidate, too.