Hatch to Specter: I Want My Money Back
EmailABC News’ David Chalian reports: It seems pretty clear that Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) was not expecting his colleague Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) to change parties or he probably wouldn’t have authorized his political action committee’s (ORRINPAC) $10,000 donation to Sen. Specter’s 2010 reelection campaign. According to disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, ORRINPAC donated the maximum allowable amount under the law to Sen. Specter. Two $5,000 donations were made (one for the primary, one for the general election) on March 19, 2009. In an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Friday, Sen. Hatch made clear that he wants the Sen. Specter to return the contribution. "I would think he would send it back," said Hatch. "I think that he would. And I hope that he will," he added. In Sen. Specter’s party switching announcement earlier in the week, he said he would be returning some contributions. "Upon request, I will return campaign contributions contributed during this cycle," said Specter. As of March 31, Sen. Specter had $6.7 million in the bank. He has raised $8.9 million in the election cycle to-date for his 2010 reelection campaign, $1.3 million of which was collected in the first three months of this year. Despite a potentially shrinking bank account due to requests for returned contributions, Sen. Specter will likely be ok in the money department. President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the Democratic leadership in the Senate have already promised to help Sen. Specter raise the money needed for a successful campaign.
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Good bye, Senator Spectre, and take Senators McCain and Snowe with you. It’s time to weed out the malcontents and get down to leadership and vision!
Posted by: James | May 1, 2009, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
Sen. Hatch – Hey bozo. Your campaign wouldn’t refund my $2,500 in donations after you misrepresented yourself about a hot issue during a not-so distant election, so why should Senator Spector refund your contributions to his PAC? It puts new meaning to trickle down and karma now doesn’t it?
Posted by: Brian | May 1, 2009, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
If I was Spector, I would donate Hatch’s $10,000 contribution to a liberal cause in Orrin’s name rather than refund the money to him.
Posted by: Anne | May 1, 2009, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
Great comments by the prior Brian and Anne. So do I get my money back from politicians I support when they go 180-degrees from what I expected? I think Orin Hatrch should spend his time figuring out his culpability in derailing the GOP and sending this country clearly to the left. Its usually the mistakes of the party that lost, rather than anything proactive the winners did that moves an electorate. In this case the GOP did so many things wrong it would take pages to list them. But some self-reflection by their leadership is undoubetly necessary after this defection.
Posted by: Brian K | May 1, 2009, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
I BELIEVE SEN SPECTOR WILL THE GOP’S “TROJAN HORSE” TO TH3 DEMOCRATS.
Posted by: donald field | May 1, 2009, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
Typical liberal comments by Anne and Brian from the party of no class, lies and deceit. They belong with Specter.
Posted by: Former_Democrat | May 1, 2009, 4:37 pm 4:37 pm
Great comment James. I agree, Specter should take Sens. Snowe and McCain with him, and anyone else who does not meet with your approval.
Posted by: Andrew | May 1, 2009, 4:37 pm 4:37 pm
How can anyone honestly believe that Specter should not return every penny he has raised for 2010 campaign? Get serious. Of course, if he returns anything, it will only be from those who request it and they will block the returns with as much redtape as possible. As he has demonstrated over and over he is a selfish, greedy, little piggy.
Posted by: ace636 | May 1, 2009, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm
Typical GOP comment from Donald Field. When there is nothing constructive to say….just bash the other guy. And the GOP has had nothing constructive to say since being tossed in November.
Time for the GOP to be a bit contrite. They have screwed up everything they have touched for eight years and now we have a guy trying to fix their screwups…and rallying the world behind him. Must be awfully frustrating for the party of the “idiot” Bush. This GOP is definately no Party of Reagan. This is a GOP with no agenda…no ideas and they no longer have the ability to destroy Democracy. Must be frustrating eh Donald?
Posted by: Pete | May 1, 2009, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
Hey James, if there much more “weeding” done to your party, there won’t be anyone left except you, Steele and Steele’s boss, Limbaugh.
Posted by: JR | May 1, 2009, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Yeah if they keep losing members at the current rate, there might only be the Limbaughinfuhrer left.
Posted by: Bob | May 1, 2009, 5:18 pm 5:18 pm
Pete,
When have Republicans ever beeen contrite? They will continue to do what they have always done…..bash away at the opposition. Just like Democrats did for years until a leaders were established (Clinton then Obama) who could point them in the right direction. The problem with Republicans right now is there have no leaders. The ones speaking out the loudest right now are simply loud mouths not leaders….Until they find someone to articulate a direction for the country that is not mindlessly grounded in ideology they will continue to wander aimlessly….And contriteness is not something in Republican DNA….
Posted by: indy_voter | May 1, 2009, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Orrin………Honey……….can we all get our money back from lying politicians like you?
Of course, if Arlen has to return money for not being honest……….then y’all will have to do the same.
Amazing how one lying Republican is outraged by another lying Republican. Of course, lying is a Republican “family value.”
Posted by: Sammy | May 1, 2009, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
I hope everyone who contributed to this idiot’s campaign asks for their money back. All $9 million of it. Maybe next time he can actually EARN it.
Turncoat loser. He’s going to lose next year anyway…Democrat or Republican. The guy’s a waffling joke. First he’s a Dem, then Rep, and then back to Dem.
It’s no wonder senators can never get anything accomplished. They can’t make up their mind on who they are in the first place.
Posted by: BlameAmericaLast | May 1, 2009, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
Specter was elected by the republicans and perhaps some independents. He has no moral right to defect to democratic party. If he has any self respect, he should have resigned the senetor position first and then joined the democratic party. This is unethical. There should be antidefection bill to prevent such people from doing it. He is a real opportunist. The people should give him a fitting reply in the coming election.
Posted by: shivaglal | May 1, 2009, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
Republicans have as much revelance today as the dinosaurs. Soon we will only be finding fossils of once republians.
Posted by: Jessica | May 1, 2009, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm
Actually I think he’s representing the people of Pennsylvania and they will decide whether or not to reward or punish him. You repubs have nothing to offer except trying to trash people – that and fear mongering. He’s said he will return any contribution to anyone who requests it. If the repubs had more to offer than the hateful comments by M Steele & co he may not have defected to the Dems.
Posted by: MaryE | May 1, 2009, 6:34 pm 6:34 pm
If I were a Pennsylvania voter, I doubt I could trust Arlen Specter to represent me. His blatant decision to place re-election over any principles show his priorities. As to the demise of the Republican party, it was but 6 years ago that the Democrats were being written off as fading into the sunset. I expect we will see one party or the other rising and falling for the rest of our lives.
Posted by: jim 234 | May 1, 2009, 7:09 pm 7:09 pm
Hey James,
Are you talking about the same leadership as shown by your venerable leaders, Bush and Cheney. That’s leadership that drove us down the toilet. Orrin Hatch is right there with them.
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | May 1, 2009, 11:51 pm 11:51 pm
Specter has always been Specter. It is the parties that change. He is too conservative to be democrat and to liberal to be republican. When parties shift left or right, the line of demarcation shifts, and Specter finds himself on the other side.
Posted by: pixman22 | May 4, 2009, 9:51 am 9:51 am