Republican Main Street Ad
Backs Specter, Hits Toomey

The Republican Main Street Partnership -- a group of Republican moderates -- Monday launched a radio ad sharply critical of conservative GOP Rep. Patrick Toomey, who is challenging Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in next year's primary.

The 60-second radio ad -- which will run statewide over the next couple of weeks, at a cost of about $9,000 -- opens with the sound of racing car noises, with an announcer intoning: "We're here at Nazareth Speedway, watching Pat Toomey make a mad dash to the right." It goes on to cite Toomey's votes against prohibiting the sale of explicit sexual material to children under 17 and against pay increases for the military -- while also charging Toomey has "waffled" on protecting the steel industry.

The ads represent the first time the Main Street Partnership has aired negative commercials, and is the first allotment of $1.1 million budgeted to support Specter, the Harrisburg Patriot-News reported.

"I would like to reiterate that Main Street regrets spending money in a battle with another Republican," said Sarah Chamberlain Resnick, the Main Street Partnership's executive director. "However, Sen. Specter, who is one of our 62 congressional members, was attacked, and we needed to help him."

Responded a Toomey spokesman: "It is obvious the liberal establishment is nervous about Sen. Specter's political fate, and its only hope is to level dishonest attacks against Congressman Toomey."