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GOP group gets tough against Republicans who support stimulus
CNN) – An influential conservative political action committee is pledging to support primary challengers to any Republican senator who supports President Obama's stimulus package — the latest public show of dissatisfaction from the right over the massive measure before Congress.
"The American people don’t want this trillion dollar political payoff that will just line the pockets of non-governmental organizations who supported [President] Obama in the election,” said Scott Wheeler, the executive director of The National Republican Trust PAC, an organization that calls for less government spending and lower taxes.
Related: For House and Senate, time to settle stimulus
“Republican senators are on notice," Wheeler said. "If they support the stimulus package, we will make sure every voter in their state knows how they tried to further bankrupt voters in an already bad economy.”
In a Senate vote Tuesday, only three Republicans backed the $838 billion measure — Sens. Olympia Snow and Susan Collins of Maine, and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter.
All three senators were involved in cutting spending proposals from the plan, and have said they may not vote for the final version bill if more spending projects are added to it.
The group's pledge appears most threatening to Specter, the only GOP supporter of the bill who faces reelection in 2010. A longtime moderate, Specter has faced tough primary challengers in the past, including Club for Growth President Pat Toomey's 2004 primary challenge.
Toomey has said he is not interested in running again, and another credible challenger has yet to emerge in the race. Still, Specter’s decision to serve as one of only three GOP enablers to the stimulus bill has irked many Republicans in his home state and may have virtually guaranteed a primary fight.
CNN) – An influential conservative political action committee is pledging to support primary challengers to any Republican senator who supports President Obama's stimulus package — the latest public show of dissatisfaction from the right over the massive measure before Congress.
"The American people don’t want this trillion dollar political payoff that will just line the pockets of non-governmental organizations who supported [President] Obama in the election,” said Scott Wheeler, the executive director of The National Republican Trust PAC, an organization that calls for less government spending and lower taxes.
Related: For House and Senate, time to settle stimulus
“Republican senators are on notice," Wheeler said. "If they support the stimulus package, we will make sure every voter in their state knows how they tried to further bankrupt voters in an already bad economy.”
In a Senate vote Tuesday, only three Republicans backed the $838 billion measure — Sens. Olympia Snow and Susan Collins of Maine, and Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter.
All three senators were involved in cutting spending proposals from the plan, and have said they may not vote for the final version bill if more spending projects are added to it.
The group's pledge appears most threatening to Specter, the only GOP supporter of the bill who faces reelection in 2010. A longtime moderate, Specter has faced tough primary challengers in the past, including Club for Growth President Pat Toomey's 2004 primary challenge.
Toomey has said he is not interested in running again, and another credible challenger has yet to emerge in the race. Still, Specter’s decision to serve as one of only three GOP enablers to the stimulus bill has irked many Republicans in his home state and may have virtually guaranteed a primary fight.
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