Redstate

By Ben Domenech Posted in Special Events — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Pat Toomey - hero to conservatives and pro-lifers everywhere - sat down with the RedState crew to discuss his future and Arlen Specter's, and here's your chance to listen in. Read on.

RS: So what have you been up to during this convention?

Toomey: Well, I've been doing a lot of things, having a lot of fun. I've been
meeting with different groups. I'm spending a lot of time back in
Pennsylvania campaigning for the President. Here, of course,
everyone's on the right team, so it's a good chance to catch up with
old friends, make some new friends and make the rounds and Help make
sure we're ready to go back to Pennsylvania and carry Pennsylvania for
George Bush.

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RS: There are some on the right who still bear a varying amount of

frustration with Senator Santorum for his choices in the Senate primary. How

are your relationships with Republicans in Pennsylvania who take that view?

Toomey: Well, you know, this election we need to focus on the President. He's
on the ballot in a very tough race, a very winnable race - I think
he's going to carry Pennsylvania - but we all need to pull together. But
hey, honestly, I wish the President had been on my side in my primary, and

all my supporters do. But the fact is, we all have to pull together
regardless of what side we were on or whatever primary might of been
behind us - it's behind us. And now we're all on the same team working
for President Bush.

RS: Your race has a lot of symbolism for those on the right who wish the

result had been different. Do you feel that in the future you can return and

be a unifying candidate?

Toomey: I don't have specific plans, but I have been amazed by the outpouring

of support since the election. The actual election was virtually a tie - I

got a little over 49% of the vote, and Sen. Specter got just over 50% of the

vote. He was on the right side of the goal line, and that's the way it goes

in politics.

But I believe with all my heart, especially when you consider the resources

that were aligned against us, the nature of how difficult the challenge we

were faced with, that it is just amazing how close we got. And that tells me

that we were on the right side in terms of the ideas and the values. And

Pennsylvania Republicans want the Republican Party to be a conservative

party, and I think that is the consensus. I may very well run again in the

future, and if I do, I am very much convinced that I can unite the party.

RS: Do you feel that you lost the race, but won the argument?

Toomey: I would say that though we lost the election, our ideas won the day -

The ideas of limited government, personal freedom, free markets, traditional

values, strong defense of American sovereignty, the ideas that have

historically been at the core of the conservative movement and the Republican

Party. Those are the ideas that win the day. This is an extraordinary

opportunity for Republicans to govern America as a conservative party, and I

think that most Republicans across the country agree that we should. Our

majority is growing, I think the President is going to be reelected, and we

are going to have enormous responsibility as we go into the future.

RS: More than any other primary, your race took on a national profile. The

media put their own spin on it. But to conservatives, this was a real

rallying race. From the direct mail, to the bloggers, to the political

observers, you really became a conservative celebrity. Where do you go from

here? - we notice that you're going on the NR cruise.

Toomey: I really want to help the cause. I was at the Club for Growth today,

and I spoke there, and the fact is, I lost this battle, but I'm not out of

this war. I still believe in the same fundamental principles. I am still a

part of the conservative movement. I am still a conservative first, and I am

going to continue in this fight, and I'm very optimistic about our prospects.

And yes, you're right, I got an enormous outpouring of support from across

the country and I'm enormously grateful for that. We just need to stay

engaged, and I believe we will win.

RS: That's very noble of you - seriously. But this is likely to be Arlen

Specter's final term in office. He's poised to take over the Judiciary

Committee. At the very least, do you feel that your challenge has served to

force him towards the right?

Toomey: It's hard for me to say how Sen. Specter will react. This primary

was the closest race of his life. This is the closest he's come to losing

any election. So I don't know - but I think it's very clear that our ideas

won the day.

RS: Is your family ready for a break? Are they coming on the cruise?

Toomey: Definitely. They're definitely ready for a break. And National

Review was very kind to invite me along, wonderfully generous and I'm looking

forward to it. Anywhere in the Caribbean in November sounds good to me.