Fantastic piece about the PA Republican Senate primary race between archconservative Pat Toomey and archwaffler Arlen Specter by local freelance writer Rich Lord.
The whole thing is characteristically great, but here's my favorite part:
"This primary is a race between a mainstream Republican," says Pat Toomey, "and a very liberal Republican." To bolster his mainstream credentials, Toomey has on a winter afternoon brought with him to Pittsburgh one Robert Heron Bork.
Bork was the bearded U.S. Supreme Court nominee who the Senate sent packing in 1987. At his confirmation hearings, Specter questioned Bork on his philosophy of "original intent," under which judges should be guided by the intentions of the Constitution’s authors. That philosophy ran counter to Specter’s, which Specter described in his 2000 book Passion for Truth as holding that the Constitution is "a living, growing document, responsive to the needs of the nation." Specter voted no on Bork’s nomination, leading to a 58-42 rejection of President Ronald Reagan’s nominee, and earning him the ire of conservatives nationwide.
Bork went on to become an author and conservative icon, but this is the first time he’s actively campaigned against Specter. "If he were re-elected, Sen. Specter would be the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee," Bork says. "He has a record of supporting quite liberal judges. … He thinks the judges should be making up the Constitution, in many respects." Specter supports affirmative action, anti-hate-crimes legislation, campaign finance reform and the international criminal court, Bork continues.
Somehow, I doubt that Bork will get the revenge he seeks.
Anyway, give money to Hoeffel, the moderate Democrat in the race, if you can spare it.