Buried on an inside page of the Inquirer today is an interesting tidbit about Bob Casey. He, of course, will not endorse Russ Feingold’s censure resolution. But he went further and would not even criticize Bush’s domestic spying program. Asked whether it is illegal, he responded “Well, that is a judgment that lawyers are going to make,” said Casey, a lawyer. “And that is an important answer.”
Is there no end to Bob Casey’s willingness to pander to the right? At least on the abortion and gun control issues Casey is sticking with his long standing—if misguided—principles. But what accounts for his endorsement of Alito and this latest horror? Does this man really need to consult a lawyer to realize that Bush’s domestic spying violate the US Constitution?
For a while now it has seemed to me that progressives have only one plausible strategy for the US Senate race. We, first, have to work as hard as we can to support one of the two progressive candidates, Alan Sandals and Chuck Pennacchio in the primary. And then, if Casey, wins, we have to work as hard as we can to support Casey.
I am more and more sure about the first part of this strategy—for reasons I will write about soon. But the second part is getting harder and harder. I do think we have an obligation to our state, our nation, and indeed the whole world, to work as hard as we can to Santorum from office. If he wins, he has a good chance of becoming Senate majority leader and is likely to become a Republican candidate for President. Given his position in the Republican party, and his views, Rick Santorum is a truly dangerous man.
But Bob Casey’s non-campaign is becoming a bad joke.
Republicans from Reagan to G. W. Bush have shown us again and again that Americans will vote for someone they trust and believe even if they don’t necessarily agree with him on every issue. Santorum is about as outfront on his views as can be. Casey is already being charged with waffling. Maybe Casey’s views are so ill-defined that he can get away with adopting Republican views on questions of Iraq, foreign policy, civil liberties, abortion, and gun control. But, at some point, won’t the votes begin to wonder why this man wants to run as a Democrat? Won’t they begin to notice that he is running from his own party? And won’t they begin to suspect that maybe his one-way move to the right is entirely contrived? In our polarized political world, every step Casey makes to the left on economic issues will make him look like someone who doesn’t know where he stands.
Perhaps Casey intends to defend his support of an increase in the minimum wage as an example of compassionate conservatism.
Or maybe Casey’s strategy is to goad the far left into attacking so that he looks more moderate. Well here is some news for his campaign. You’ve more than accomplished your task. The far left is not going to vote for you. For weeks now more moderate liberals like myself have been talking about makng a clothespin vote in November. But it is now getting to the point where the best campaign material for us to hand out in November will be barf bags that say “Vote for Casey”