The most closely watched Senate primary of the cycle takes place April 27 as Republican incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter works to fend off a challenge to his right from Rep. Pat Toomey.
This has been a classic center-versus-right contest in which Toomey has devoted nearly all of his efforts to painting Specter as a liberal who is out of touch with Republicans in the state. Toomey’s television advertising, which began last fall and has been up consistently statewide for two months, is almost exclusively dedicated to attacking Specter. The spots have accused Specter of voting for tax increases, supporting pork barrel spending for projects like a study of fruit flies in France and an arts festival in Alaska, and for voting against medical malpractice reform. He has gotten a great deal of support from the Club for Growth, which has assisted in fundraising and aired spots on his behalf. One ad featured a Specter Jack-in-the-Box, and called Specter “surprisingly liberal.” In addition to the Club for Growth, Toomey’s endorsement list reads like a who’s who of the conservative right, including
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