5/7: The Ridge Flirtation

Bloggers on the left and right are discussing the possibility that ex-Gov. Tom Ridge (R) will challenge ex-Rep. Pat Toomey (R) in the PA GOP Senate primary -- especially now that polls show Ridge performing strongly against both Toomey and the likely Dem nominee, Sen. Arlen Specter (D). Liberal blogger Todd Beeton sees Ridge's strong performance against Specter as evidence that Dems should nominate Rep. Joe Sestak (D-07) instead:

"When deciding between two moderates, all things presumably being equal, Pennsylvania voters choose the guy who hasn't just sold out for political expediency. If Ridge does run, there needs to be a battle of ideas in this Senate race, Ridge needs to be able to be saddled with the failures of the Republican Party; how can Arlen Specter make that case when he's been right there, enabling that failure?"

Not surprisingly, most conservative bloggers prefer Toomey as their nominee, as they have significant concerns about Ridge's voting record in Congress.

UPDATE, 12:35 PM: Ridge has announced that he will not run for Senate, thereby making this entire conversation moot.

What else is happening in the blogosphere?

• Liberal bloggers (Yglesias, publius) continue to discuss allegations that Sen. Jeff Sessons (R-AL), the new ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, has a history of making racially insensitive remarks. Conservative bloggers are accusing liberal bloggers and the Politico of "smearing" Sessions.
• Liberal bloggers (Yglesias, Dayen, Benen, O'Connor, Smith) are accusing Sen. John Thune (R-SD) of bigotry after he warned that "it would be a bridge too far" for Pres. Obama to select a gay SCOTUS nominee. In other SCOTUS news, liberal bloggers (DougJ, Drum, Beutler) continue to hit back against critics of Second Circuit judge Sonia Sotomayor.
• Conservative bloggers (Lane, Klein, Lips, Ham) are buzzing about yesterday's rally in support of DC's school voucher program, which will lose its funding next year if Congress doesn't reauthorize it. Righty bloggers (Petrilli, Allahpundit) weren't satisfied by Obama's proposed compromise, which would provide grants for students already enrolled in the program but would not allow new students to join.
• Liberal bloggers (Moulitsas, Black, Yglesias, Drum) are praising ME Gov. John Baldacci (D) after he signed a same-sex marriage bill.
• Liberal bloggers (Cole, Steven D., Siun) are criticizing the Obama admin. after two dozen Afghan civilians were reportedly killed in U.S. airstrikes.

PA SEN: What About Ridge?

MyDD's Beeton sees Ridge's strong poll numbers as evidence that PA Dems shouldn't nominate Specter: "When deciding between two moderates, all things presumably being equal, Pennsylvania voters choose the guy who hasn't just sold out for political expediency. If Ridge does run, there needs to be a battle of ideas in this Senate race, Ridge needs to be able to be saddled with the failures of the Republican Party; how can Arlen Specter make that case when he's been right there, enabling that failure? We simply must have a real Democrat running in the general election or at worst make Arlen Specter resemble one. The way to accomplish both of these goals is to draft Joe Sestak for Senate."

Daily Kos' Jed Lewison sees potential residency problems for Ridge: "[I]f Ridge does decide to run, he's going to need to figure out in which state, because it turns out he has a claim on running in at least three of them. In a June, 2008 foreign agent registration filing, Ridge listed Maryland as his residence and said that his firm, Ridge Global LLC, was a Delaware corporation. [...] All the polls say that Ridge could mount a viable campaign in Pennsylvania. But as this document shows, if Ridge does run, his opponents will start out with serious questions to raise with him."

Conservative blogger W. James Antle, III has significant concerns about Ridge's voting record in Congress: "While in Congress, Ridge voted against the Strategic Defense Initiative, against the MX missile, against aid to the Contras, and for the nuclear freeze. Ridge coauthored with a Democrat a successful amendment to cut SDI funding from $4.9 billion to $3.1 billion. He was, in fact, a leading anti-SDI Republican. On economic issues, Ridge was once one of 19 House Republicans who voted to increase the minimum wage, was a vocal opponent of the first President [George H.W.] Bush's efforts to cut the capital gains tax, and raised the gasoline tax as governor. Between 1984 and 1988, Congressional Quarterly rated him as being more likely to oppose President [Ronald] Reagan's position on a given issue than support it. Finally, he voted to expand welfare eligiblity and in favor of the Fairness Doctrine."

Meanwhile, Right Wing News' John Hawkins makes an early endorsement: "If the Pennsylvania Republican primary comes down to Pat Toomey vs. Tom Ridge, I'm with Toomey."

PA SEN II: Smart Move, Dems

Liberal bloggers are pleased that the Senate Dem caucus voted to strip Specter of his seniority on committees, as they believe that this will give Dems valuable leverage over the wayward senator:

• TPM's Josh Marshall: "In next year's election, one of Specter's biggest sells will be the clout his senate seniority brings him. If he has no assurance he's going to have that, that will be a major liability for him. It certainly sounds to me like the Dems put him on a fairly effective form of probation."
• Daily Kos' David Waldman: "[T]his deal retains some leverage over Specter...who's been a little too frisky lately. With big votes coming up (and expected to continue coming up) for the balance of the 111th Congress, negotiations on his seniority in the 112th will no doubt hinge to some extent on how he conducts himself from here on in."
• TAPPED's Tim Fernholz: "What will Specter do about this -- whine a little, sure, but then what? It's not like he can go back to the GOP; he's made clear his top priority is re-election, and the only path to that is with Democratic support. If he's not casting the right votes on the president's agenda, Democrats can always unleash Joe Sestak, who has been making plenty of noise about going after the seat."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Not Every Moderate Is The Same

The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini draws a distinction between the GOP's moderates:

"I wasn't happy with [ME Sen. Susan] Collins and [ME Sen. Olympia] Snowe's votes on the stimulus, but it is useful to make this distinction between the Maine Senators and Specter. For them, one gets the sense that it's not about ego or entitlement. They are genuinely moderate-to-liberal Republicans (moreso Snowe) representing a deep blue state that just legalized gay marriage through the legislative process.

If it's a choice between [SC Sen.] Lindsey Graham, a headline-grabbing conservative-hating conservative, or an honest, workmanlike moderate like Collins who will not go out of their way to rip the party to pieces in the press, sign me up for the moderate. Both parties will have their moderates. And if we keep ours in line and grab some of theirs, that's the surest sign we're winning (see: card check). If we ever find ourselves in the position where moderates can't vouch for a center-right governing agenda, we are in trouble.

There is a categorical difference between egomaniacs or iconoclasts like Specter, [ex-RI Sen. Lincoln] Chafee, and frankly [CT Sen. Joe] Lieberman who fancy themselves Senators-for-life and think of themselves as entirely above party, and those who understand that parties and ideological blocs are vital to shifting the political center of gravity. Yes, they won't be with us on stuff like earmarks, and yes, we'll razz them about that. But you know what? No intellectually honest person could ever call them a Specter. We need to take back seats in places like North Dakota and Arkansas to allow the natural Republican small state majority in the Senate to reassert itself. But I wouldn't mind planting a flag in the blue states either. And that is going to take a certain type of candidate."

LEST WE FORGET: Sometimes You Need To Just Keep Walking

From Overheard in New York:

Suit to man with cat on his head: Why is there a cat on your head?
Man with cat on his head: Why isn't there a cat on your head, douchebag?