Et Tu, Arlen?

Rick Santorum discovers that conservative loyalty to "moderate" GOP senators does not cut both ways:

Jennifer Blei Stockman, national co-chair of the RMC, confirmed that while the group is targeting Santorum, its strategy looks past the March 7 filing deadline. She told TAS Thursday that her group had "exhausted" all possibilities for candidates in the past several months. While RMC hopes another candidate "surfaces," Stockman said, "The ad is meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that we cannot continue electing candidates like Rick Santorum because he's not helping the party's image."

The RMC campaign places Sen. Arlen Specter in a precarious position, as he sits on the group's advisory committee. In a move widely viewed as placing party loyalty over conservative principles, Santorum backed the pro-abortion Specter in the 2004 Senate primary against kindred conservative then-Rep. Pat Toomey. Now with Santorum on the ropes, liberal Republicans are refusing to return the favor -- and Arlen Specter's name is attached to their effort.

Joe Sterns, Pat Toomey's former press secretary, told TAS that Specter should oppose the RMC ad campaign. "It's a fair commentary on the pro-abortion rights Republicans," he said. "It betrays their hypocrisy as preachers of a big tent. I would encourage Senator Specter and others of their ilk to use their leadership to tell this group to knock it off."

When TAS contacted Specter's office about the ad Thursday, he disavowed it in a statement: "While I am on the Advisory Committee, my advice was neither solicited nor given on the ad. My preference would be to be a little more conciliatory in trying to bring together the various elements of our party. Regardless of the sentiments expressed in the ad, my number one priority for 2006 continues to be the reelection of Senator Santorum." Specter's office would not answer questions as to whether the senator plans to protest the ad to RMC's leadership or resign from the group.

No one should be surprised, after all. Stabbing a conservative challenger to a RINO in a state where the conservative may well be electable (unlike, say, The People's Republic of Rhode Island) mortgaged the future for a "safe" seat in the Senate which works against GOP interest and the conservative agenda.

There is a price for supporting Arlen Specter. Rick Santorum is finding out just how little return on the investment conservatives may expect. Don't expect Pat Toomey to offer him a crying shoulder when Santorum loses in November. I suspect John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, and Arlen Specter will prove similarly unempathetic.