“Freindly Fire Zone”

A bruising GOP primary battle is one step closer to reality for U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

As expected, rival Pat Toomey resigned yesterday as president of the fiscally conservative organization Club For Growth (CFG), vowing to announce his candidacy shortly.

Sensing a Toomey candidacy as imminent, the Specter campaign continued its attacks on Mr. Toomey’s Wall Street connections.  In a letter sent to the former congressman yesterday, Mr. Specter questioned why Mr. Toomey’s biography on his former organization’s Web site “has been altered to delete any reference to the many years you spent selling risky derivatives.”

Mr. Specter said the original biography listed Mr. Toomey as having “developed and managed a $21 billion derivatives trading operation for Morgan Grenfell Finance Inc. … yet your new online bio omits any mention of your work as a derivatives trader, merely noting that your ‘first career was in investment banking from 1984 through 1991.’ ”

The 30-year incumbent concluded by asking Mr. Toomey to explain the discrepancy about the “basic fact” of his professional career. He also asked why Mr. Toomey “ ‘omitted this fact’ as he readied his Senate campaign,” and asked when were the changes made.

 Mr. Specter’s questions come just weeks after his campaign launched a statewide TV advertising blitz that attempted to tie Mr. Toomey’s Wall Street links to the nation’s financial meltdown.

FactCheck.org, an independent, nonpartisan organization, published an article rebutting many of the commercial’s statements.

Peg Luksik, a conservative grassroots activist from Johnstown and an announced candidate in the race, expressed her disappointment that Mr. Toomey would change his biography.

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Toomey made that choice. It’s like giving someone a stick to hit you with.”

Ms. Luksik said that the biography change made it appear that Mr. Toomey was hiding something. “Why would you do that? I’m sure he didn’t do anything wrong. His (Wall Street) background is part of who he is.”

Likening the situation to what would happen if she removed the extensive pro-life activities from her biography, Ms. Luksik stated, “People would ask me if I was insane. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Former Indiana U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola has succeeded Mr. Toomey as Club for Growth’s president.

During his time in Congress, he was known as a staunch taxpayer advocate, fighting for limited-government and free-market principles.  He has served as a member of the group’s Leadership Council since 2007.

“I feel extremely honored to have been able to lead such a great organization,” Mr. Toomey said upon resigning. “I have known Chris for many years and I have nothing but respect and admiration for his commitment to free enterprise. ”