Not that I want Pat Toomey either. Let's make that really clear.
I like Senator Leahy and I think he'll continue to make a good chairman. But I think Arlen Specter has done a lot of damage in confirming Clarence Thomas, who voted with the other RATSKies (Roberts, Alito, Thomas Scalia and Kennedy (Justice Anthony, not the good brothers))
to give corporations the same free speech rights as living, breathing people [whose arses can be put in jail for crimes and who can be drafted]. Clarence Thomas, who rewarded the First George Bush by making Junior president; Junior, the all around disaster. (The one that Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose nicknamed "Shrub.") Arlen also voted to confirm Roberts and Alito, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Justices Roberts and Alito sided with Justice Thomas on Citizens United. The problem is, there simply isn't enough outrage to impeach any of the Supreme Court Justices and they're appointed for life. We can, however, vote against members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who voted to confirm these idiots.
While, plenty of Republicans on Judiciary voted to confirm Roberts and Alito, only Hatch, Specter, Grassley, Kohl and Shelby were in the Senate during the Thomas/Hill hearing and subsequent confirmation. I don't know if there is a viable primary or general election opponent for the other ones, but Specter has a viable primary challenger; Joe Sestak.
Joe is also polling decently against Toomey and could poll even better as his name recognition improves. Toomey ran for statewide office before and therefore has some name recognition already, but this is Joe's first time running Statewide. Replacing Arlen Specter with Joe Sestak A) is doable and B) will allow a better Democrat to sit on Judiciary. Patrick Leahy may be around for a while, but if this takes 10 years, I'd prefer Russ Feingold or Di Feinstein or Al Franken as the chairman after Leahy to Arlen Specter (if Arlen were to try to be Strom Thurmond).
The good news is Joe's opening a campaign office in Pittsburgh. The catch is it'll need volunteers. If people in Western PA get to know Joe Sestak he'll do well.
The Pittsburgh campaign office opens Tuesday the 9th with the opening scheduled for 10 AM. The address is 4326 Butler Street, Pittsburgh. (In the Lawrenceville section of the city.)