The anti-tax, pro-business cult Club for Growth declares Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-PA) support for the stimulus bill "the ultimate act of treason."
One thing worth thinking about in the Senate's compromise bill is that one Senator is really putting his neck out here: Arlen Specter, who may be leaving himself wide open to a challenge in the Republican primary.The ultimate act of treason.
Unlike his fellow pro-stimulus Republicans Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, Specter is up for re-election in 2010. And there exists an active element in the party that is always eager to push him out the door, even if it meant endangering the GOP's hold on the seat -- in fact, Specter just barely survived a conservative primary challenge 51%-49% in 2004, when the Club For Growth threw its weight behind then-Congressman Pat Toomey.
I spoke today with Nachama Soloveichik, the Club's communications director, and she confirmed that they're hearing a lot of anger over the compromise. "Grassroots Republicans are infuriated. They're fed up. They've had it," Soloveichik said, even going so far as to add that for many, "this is the ultimate act of treason."
This in reference to Specter's support for a piece of legislation that, in addition to hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending, also includes hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts. The ultimate act of treason.
Worse than offering to surrender West Point to the British.
Worse than passing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.
Worse than exposing undercover agents for money.
Worse, even, than exposing an undercover agent for petty political revenge.
Well, then! Off with his head!
Or maybe we should just react to all this hyperventillating by holding the Club for Growth in greater contempt than we already did.
Yeah, I think I'll do that.
