Redstate

If Kos wants to start bashing Casey, then Bring. It. On. Maybe the fear of what happened to Lieberman in the CT primary (which doesn't REALLY hurt Lieberman because the GOP candidate in CT is so weak) could pull Casey to the left, and he might abandon his "pro-life" position...allowing Santorum to pull the entire pro-life vote.

It looks like Santorum is trying to "triangulate" from the right, and squeeze Casey out of the middle...this just might work!

I received a mailing from the Santorum campaign saying that they had run ads in the Pittsburgh area and central PA, which had helped to close the gap, but not yet in Philly, where the polls didn't move much. Apparently the ads were very effective, and if Santorum can pull a good fraction of the Philly suburbs (Philly itself is hopelessly blue), he could win. Does Santorum have enough money to run ads in Philly?

Somebody down-thread mentioned that pro-life Democrats end up wishy-washy on their position, probably because the pro-abortion leadership of the Dem party relegates them to the caboose of their committees where they do the least "damage" to Planned Parenthood. Santorum might want to play up the fact that, as a third-term Senator, he would be among the Senate leaders, able to deliver for PA, whereas Casey would have little influence as a freshman Senator whose views conflict with those of most of his party.

Santorum should also ask Casey publicly during a debate to define his stand on abortion. If Casey says that he is pro-life, Santorum can let the Kos Kids rip Casey apart, and if Casey wavers on the issue, Santorum can stress that he (Santorum) is the "real" pro-life candidate.

The bad news: Conservatism is hard to sell. The good news is that it works.

And speaking of pro, junior's "pro-life" has not been underscored, ever, and is not enough for those who feel strongly about it.

Santorum's isn't either. I know many, many pro-life Catholics that have a huge problem with the fact that the Senator answers surveys on the issue stating that he would allow for exceptions in the case of rape, incest and the life of the mother. To the hardcore pro-life movement, Santorum's stance isn't exactly their cup of tea, either. His saving grace, however, is how hard he has fought on the life issue: partial birth abortion ban and opposition to embryonic stem cell research.

Rick's support among the pro-life set is solid. I know quite a few pro-life, conservative Catholics myself, and I've heard not one complaint about Santorum.

Perhaps we're talking to different people. Yes, that would seem to be the case.

The exceptions you listed are important, but they are not nearly significant enough to divide a movement the primary aim of which is to overturn Roe. We get that done, then folks can argue about what to demand of their State legislators. If we don't get Roe, none of this matters.

To reject a guy because he disagrees with you on some of the most extremely rare kinds of abortion, the small drops in the big bucket of abortion on demand, I think would be pretty irrational.

Fortunately I think such people are an equally small minority in the party.
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.

If you are seeing just black and white dots it means you are focusing on just the parts and not seeing the big picture.

most people I know who are pro life, and pretty much so, will take an "exceptions" candidate-especially if their exceptions are regarding actual life/significant health, not the wishy washy "health" concept.

I haven't heard anyone who is pro life doubt Santorum's pro life credibility.

I think a lot of hard care pro lifers have reason to doubt Casey will stick to his. I think it was Leon who did a post a while back on how it seemed that pro life democratic senators get to the senate and get real wishy washy or more party line when it comes to voting on the pro life stuff. If Casey's main claim to fame, and mane method of campaigning is "vote for me, I'm Casey Jr" I can see him getting eaten alive by the senate dems, and that pro life credibility sitting on the shelf, other than at campaign time.

On SantorumBlog we had a number of people who were questioning his pro-life position, solely based on that standard.
I wasn't sure if they were serious or trolls.

And they would always say "he's anti-abortion, not pro-life"

Odd, that.

What's with this term "hardcore pro-lifers"? Are there also "harcdcore pro-deathers"? And what are the "moderates" supposed to do, be sick all the time?

Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you're dead.

This would be a textbook mobying operation... trying to plant seeds of division in the ranks of the GOP.
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"I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more I have of it." -- Thomas Jefferson

...do exist, but not in the sense that a Moby would portray them. I'd categorize them as the in-your-face activists of the pro-life movement, who not only deny any of the exceptions (which by itself is not necessarily a sign of fringe-ness), but who make abortion their focal issue of concern. They certainly encompass such folks as those who recently set up a display at the University of Georgia which featured 3'x3' glossies of aborted fetuses for all to see. Stomach-turning stuff, and well beyond the boundaries of good taste -- and definitely what I would call "hardcore pro-life."

Bob, IMHO, the "hardcore pro-death"-ers are the NARAL, etc. in-your-face "pro-choice"-ers who make the "right" to end life the be all and end all of political discussion.

I think abortion is a privacy issue - like porn in Hotel rooms with some conservative group is trying to get rid off.

True Republicans do not meddle in other people's lives.

If a woman does not like abortions then she should not have one. If you don't like porn - then don't watch it - but don't dictate my choices for me.

... were I to go over to your private house and kill you, that would also be between two people in a private setting - just like porn in a Hotel room - right?

Certainly there's no need for anyone in government to get involved there, right?

Because it is, after all, just about privacy.

Riiiiiiiight.

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"I don't know." -- Helen Thomas, when asked by White House spokesman Scott McClellan, "Are we at war, Helen?"

Wow - Somebody killing someone in their home is comparable to whether or not an adult has the choice of watching porn in a hotel room?

No response needed - except - scary.

It's called "One of these things is not like the other." You may remember it from Sesame Street.

1) Killing a person in their home.
2) Aborting a fetus.
3) Watching porn in a hotel.

Explanation of your answer is encouraged.

What is this test for?

I'll play.

Although my guess is that you would answer # 3 - my answer is # 1.

#s 2 and 3 are legal and should be.

Somebody killing a fetus in a sterile (sometimes) clinic office is comparable to whether or not an adult has the choice of watching porn in a hotel room?

No response needed - except - scary.

Gee, this is fun!

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"I don't know." -- Helen Thomas, when asked by White House spokesman Scott McClellan, "Are we at war, Helen?"

You have a link to any of the proposed bills that would outlaw hotel porn?
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"I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more I have of it." -- Thomas Jefferson

The American Theocrats are at it again - trying to dictate to me what legal things I should or should not do.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,209834,00.html

They are hiding behind that stupid First Amendment, eh? They seem to think they can just boycott whoever they want for whatever reason they want. Don't they know freedom of speech only applies to pornography? I must've missed the part where the story said they were running the country.
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"I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more I have of it." -- Thomas Jefferson

Sorry, friend. You broke a few key rules here, one of which was "no threadjacks," and one of which was "never call Republicans 'theocrats'."

I say "sorry" merely as a courtesy, as I am anything but for kicking your behind out the door.

A bientot.

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Even those who learn from history are surrounded by those doomed to repeat it.

enough to have lost it for Junior. He lost if based on himself, and the lack of charisma at which you hint was only part of it.

is the date for MTP

I heard someone mention that Casey wanted to wait til Sept. 3rd to debate because it is Labor Day Weekend and not as many people will be watching. Is that true? I mean, does Casey know he would get his clock cleaned in a debate against Santorum and thus wanted to wait til the least amount of people would be watching or paying attention so as to minimize the damage?

There are currently four debates, two of the recently announced ones are in October.

Santorum wanted 10.