The Politics of Pandering

I got a call not long ago from a reporter from USA Today asking about Santourn and Spector. She wanted to know what listeners are saying and how the two unlikely partners are viewed by floks here in western Pennsylvaina. Spector has had a close watch on him by conservative groups after he made some remarks about blocking judical nominees. At the same time, Sen. Santourm is also on the line for his support of Spector. That could impact a Santourm re-election bid.

Yet Pennsylvania pro-family Senator Rick Santorum continues to defend his decision last year to back pro-choice and pro-homosexual GOP Senator Arlen Specter for re-election. Santorum was challenged on that choice during a recent gathering of conservatives in Washington, DC. But Santorum did not back down as he answered the challenge. "I have one response to that: fifty-five -- that's my response," he said. "We had a plan in place to get as many Republican senators elected as possible, because the more Republican senators we have, the better chance we can pass legislation." The plan, the senator continued, was a simple one: "Minimize the problems we have in 'blue states' with open seats and tough races, and maximize the opportunities we have in 'red states' in November." The explanation did not seem to satisfy many of the conservative activists who are not happy with Senator Santorum. We shall see how this one plays out.

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