Specter on Santorum: 'This campaign is over'
(CNN) - While Rick Santorum insists he'll pull a victory in his home state of Pennsylvania later this month, another former high-profile senator from the Keystone State said that won't happen.
"This campaign is over for Rick Santorum," Arlen Specter said Thursday of his former supporter. "There's nothing left of his candidacy."
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In an interview set to air on CNN's "John King, USA," the former senator speculated Santorum was only staying in the race to gain book deals or fuel 2016 White House aspirations.
"I'm not going to tell him what to do, but he's beating a dead horse in my opinion," Specter told CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger.
Specter's comments came just days after Santorum faced three disappointing losses to Mitt Romney in contests in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
The former senator unexpectedly became a hot topic at a CNN debate in February when Romney criticized Santorum for supporting Specter in a 2004 re-election bid. Romney argued that Specter eventually went on to become a key vote in the passage of President Barack Obama's health care reform.
Specter served most of his life as a Republican but switched parties in 2009 to run as a Democrat after polls showed he would face a tough primary battle. The longtime senator lost in his new party's primary, however, while conservative Pat Toomey ultimately won the seat in the general election.
But the former senator also showed little enthusiasm for Romney, the Republican front-runner. Asked if the candidate could win Pennsylvania in the November general election, Specter argued the former Massachusetts governor had switched his positions too many times.
"It all depends on which Mitt Romney they're going to reset his campaign," he said.
A former chairman on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Specter also weighed in on Obama's controversial remarks about the Supreme Court this week, in which he challenged the high court to uphold the health care law.
While Republicans accused the president of overreaching in his comments, Specter said Obama acted in a "calculated way" and "appropriately laid down a marker."
"If the Supreme Court is going to be political about their decision, he's going to make it a campaign issue," Specter said, though adding the president "has to be careful."
Watch the full interview at 6 p.m. ET on CNN's "John King, USA."
Also see:
Romney makes general election pitch in Pennsylvania, but can't ignore Santorum
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Specter? Obama played that old fool like a cheap violin, and then tossed him on the trash heap of history. This country is in a mess in large part because of turncoat Specter's support for Obamacare. Fade away Arlen, you sad old fool. What a horrible fate, to be haunted in your final days knowing what kind of man you really are.
Why oh why is anyone listening to someone that switches parties? Think about it. Could you ever take anyone seriously that totaly changes their core beliefs? What a joke.
Arlen Specter just needs to go away. GET LOST.
Goxh, I just saw this is a moderated discussion. Well I can't tell you what I think of Rick Santorum. Just leave it at that.
Rick do the noble thing here. It's time to get out of the way so we can get Obama out. Get over it, so we can get on w it!
At last, Specter is making intelligent sense in a civil manner. One thing I cannot understand is why the GOP is so full of hate. They need prayer.
Politicalticker... is this the best you can do considering all that's going on politically? Do you owe this self-important nobody something? Shame on you. Readers deserve better from you.
There wasn't anything in his candidacy to begin with.
They've been telling us all along the nomination is Romney's. We just haven't been listening.
Santrum! Even though mitten is a fake right winger, you're a real one, and that's scary as hell.
Unfortunately for Santorum, it's over but he is clueless.
LOL. He failed miserably in 2012 and he will fail even worse in 2016.
Spector? Why even report this drivel? Arlen Spector – not even remotely relevant.
Or as Kurt Vonnegut Jr. would say... "Go take a flying **** at a rolling donut!"
Spector..go away!!!!
Who gives a crap what that traitor thinks?
Another irrelevant RINO heard from. We've now had the trifecta of tards. Trump, Palin and Specter!
You and Romney wish it was over already Specter! Common sense never goes out of style! Paul – Santorum 2012!
Specter is correct: Rick is staying in this race to bolster RICK only. The Romney campaign will need to spend an extra $15-20 million to retire big-mouth Rick, rather than focusing those resources against Obama. Santorum is MUD to the Republican Party, and continues to lose respect. He will probably, like Specter, be forced to become a Democrat. Let's see how his position against separation of church and state plays to that crowd, ha!
It is over, but Rick doesn't know it yet.
Arlen,
please be quite and go away
Arlen Specter is over.
Who cares what Specter has to say about anything? He is an over the hill has been hack. Way past time for him to disappear and shut his pie hole.
Now he understands when it is over. We had to send him home because it was over.
Are we sure that is Arlen Specter? The headline reminds me of Harry Reid when he said "This. War. Is. Lost"
Arlen never met a spending bill or camera he didn't like. What a hack.