Hoeffel will be progressive balance to Santorum

Don’t be fooled by his appearances. Known for being low-key and sensible in the era of angry… Don’t be fooled by his appearances. Known for being low-key and sensible in the era of angry politics, Rep. Joe Hoeffel, D-Pa., can still hold his own.

“He’s not a street fighter. But he is the type that will take you down if he has to,” St. Joseph’s University history professor Randall Miller said in an interview with the Intelligencer.

Don’t be fooled by the polls either. Polls give Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., anywhere from a 7 percent to 12 percent lead. But according to the Pennsylvania Department of State, the Democratic Party registered 108,000 more new voters than the Republican Party for this election. These new potential voters are not included in the polling and neither are young people, since the polls only survey likely voters, i.e. people who have been consistently voting. These new potential voters could be enough to swing an election.

Some people are saying that there isn’t much of a difference between Specter and Hoeffel. Some Democrats think that it would be better to have a moderate Republican with senior ranking in the Senate than to actually elect a Democrat. After all, Specter is pro-woman, and stands for the environment and public safety, right?

Wrong. Let’s go beyond all the commercials and propaganda and look at his voting records, since I’m a believer in what politicians do, not just what they say.

Specter voted for the partial-birth abortion ban, which was spearheaded by our ultraconservative Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and is seen by many as simply a political chisel for chipping away at Roe vs. Wade. Specter also has been crucial in President George W. Bush’s effort to stack courts with anti-abortion judges.

Meanwhile, NARAL Pro-choice America endorsed Hoeffel. While in Congress, Hoeffel has voted for NARAL’s preferred stance 100 percent of the time throughout his term. Specter has shown declining support for reproductive rights, only voting for NARAL’s preferred stance 20 percent of the time in 2003. His recent votes have increased his approval rating with the National Right to Life Committee and the Concerned Women for America, an anti-abortion group, which supports abstinence-only education, opposes stem-cell research and emergency contraception, and is vehemently opposed to gay marriage and nontraditional families.

On environmental issues, Specter voted in favor of drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, while Hoeffel voted against the bill. Hoeffel has earned high ratings from the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters through a strong record of voting for environmental issues.

On gun control, Specter voted against reauthorizing the Assault Weapons Ban while Hoeffel and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., have introduced the “Neighborhood Security Act” in Congress to reinstate the ban on 19 types of military-style assault weapons.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there has been a 66 percent decline nationally in the frequency of assault weapons used in crime since the ban. Just thinking about the recent terrorist attacks in Russia should be enough to convince anyone that assault weapons bans are necessary.

Both candidates voted to authorize the use of military force against Iraq, but Hoeffel now echoes Kerry’s sentiments of seeking more international support and allies in order for the United States to help Iraq be successful in rebuilding itself.

I don’t want politicians in the exam room during my gynecologist visits, neighbors blowing away squirrels in their backyard with their legally licensed Uzis or baby seals in Alaska drowning in oil. Call me a crazy liberal, but I don’t think these things are too much to ask for from my elected officials.

What I do want is a senator who would give Pennsylvania a much-needed progressive voice to balance out Santorum, who often sounds like a televangelist. Specter isn’t this voice; despite his reputation for being an independent, Specter voted with President George W. Bush 90 percent of the time. I want someone who’s going to fight for the best interests of my state and for me, not just the president’s interests.

I’m fighting for ya, Joe, because I know you’ll fight for me in the Senate.

E-mail Jen Stephan at jls259@pitt.edu.