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Pat Toomey Ready To Challenge Specter Again

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Mar 24, 2009 6:25 pm US/Eastern

Pat Toomey Ready To Challenge Specter Again

WEB EXTRA: Uncut Interview With Pat Toomey

Reporting
Jon Delano
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Arlen Specter is Pennsylvania's longest-serving senator, first elected in 1980.

But five years ago, former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey of Lehigh County came within 17,000 votes -- out of 1 million cast -- of knocking off Specter in the 2004 Republican primary.

Toomey, an economic and social conservative, accuses Specter of being anything but a conservative.

When Specter broke Republican ranks to support President Obama's economic recovery plan, he took a political risk.

"There's no doubt that it's politically perilous," Specter said last month. "My last primary was a one percent primary."

In fact, it was one of the nastiest in Republican primary history, with Specter and Toomey dueling in their attacks.

Now it looks like Toomey will take on Specter again.

"It's very likely that I will decide to enter into that race," Toomey told KDKA political editor Jon Delano.

Toomey accuses Specter of selling out to what he calls a liberal Democratic administration in Washington.

"Senator Specter is personally and individually responsible for enabling them to advance an agenda that is just far to the left of what the American people want, and it's not good for Pennsylvania," Toomey said.

And the conservative Toomey questions whether Specter is really a Republican.

"Philosophically and ideologically, he thinks and certainly votes like a big government liberal Democrat."

Delano: "So he really ought to switch parties in your view?"

Toomey: "Well, he's got to decide which party he really wants to affiliate himself with. We know which party he votes with -- he votes with the Democrats," responded Toomey.

Last time, two Republicans helped Specter win re-nomination -- George W. Bush and Rick Santorum, where in one ad Santorum declared, "I'm proud to endorse Arlen Specter."

"His support for Senator Specter certainly had its toll as well, but you know that was a long time ago now," Toomey now notes.

And Toomey says it'll be different in next year's Republican primary.

"I would be very confident that I would win."

It could happen. Conservatives are fired up against Specter for a variety of votes they view as too liberal.

But Specter is a fighter -- and will not give up his Senate seat without a battle.

This will be one of the nation's most watched races in the spring of 2010.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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