I hope this threat will do some good to stop GOP members from voting for anything in this "stimulas" bill. Almost all of it SMELLS of socialism to me.
Republican PAC targets bill supporters
S.A. Miller (Contact)
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/10/conservatives-ready-to-challenge-stimulus-supporte/A conservative political action committee Tuesday vowed to pour money into primary challenges against any Republican who votes for President Obama's economic rescue package.
"Republican Senators are on notice," said Scott Wheeler, executive director of the National Republican Trust PAC (NRT). "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."
He said the American people "don't want this trillion dollar political payoff that will just line the pockets of non-governmental organizations who supported Obama in the election."
The Senate's $838 billion stimulus bill is headed for passage Tuesday thanks to the support of three Republicans: Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Susan M. Collins and Olympia J. Snowe, both of Maine.
Their support after the bill was trimmed by about $100 billion enabled Democrats to defeat Republicans' efforts Monday to block the massive package, delivering a critical victory for Mr. Obama.
Mr. Specter is the only one of the three who is up for re-election in 2010.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), talks to reporters after the cloture vote for the stimulus package on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on February 9, 2009. (Katie Falkenberg / The Washington Times)
But his support for the bill was credited, in part, to the need to fortifying his standing with increasingly liberal Pennsylvania voters in anticipation of a tough primary and general election race.
"Personally, I would prefer not to be on the edge of the pin, as so frequently is the case in this body," Mr. Specter said in debate before Monday's crucial vote. "But I do believe we have to act, and under the circumstances, this is the best we can do."
Mrs. Snowe, who is not up for re-election until 2012, is confident that Maine voters know she is representing their interests, said Snowe spokesman John Gentzel.
"She won 75 percent of the vote last time," he said. "She represents the people of Maine and they seem to like her up there."
He said Mrs. Snowe's vote for the compromise bill does not ensure her support of the final legislation, which must reconcile the Senate bill and the House-passed $819 billion version.
The conference to hammer out differences between the two bills, most notably education spending that was cut from the Senate version, will begin as early as Tuesday.
Democratic leaders have set a Friday deadline to pass the final bill and deliver it to Mr. Obama's desk.
"If this conference report comes back and does not focuses on job creation and helping the displaced, she will not support it," Mr. Gentzel said.
The NRT, which raises money for political campaigns independently of the Republican Party, promotes candidates who support conservative values including limited government, lower taxes, strong national defense and free market economics.
Miss Collins was just reelected and doesn't face a challenge for six years.
