On The Trail Of RINOs

Republican Senator Arlen Specter, who has angered conservatives by opposing big tax cuts and being pro-choice, now has the "RINO hunters" on his trail. RINO stands for "Republicans in Name Only"--meaning moderate Republicans, who are the target of a zealous but increasingly potent group of conservatives called the Club for Growth. Bankrolled mainly by business supply-siders who hate taxes and Big Government, the club gave $10 million in 2002 to back conservative G.O.P. candidates in 26 House and Senate races across the country. In 2004 the club hopes to raise $15 million for 30 conservatives, mostly in G.O.P. primaries and upset some well-connected Republican incumbents in the process.

"If we're going to be a major political force," says club president Stephen Moore, "we have to defeat one of the incumbent RINOs." And so they have trained their sights on Specter. The club has sent a $350,000 down payment on what it hopes will be $1 million to back conservative G.O.P. Congressman Pat Toomey, who is challenging the four-term Senator in Pennsylvania's Republican primary next April. Toomey, a club favorite who has called for tax cuts even larger than the ones President Bush proposed, is still a long shot. But the White House, which is backing Specter, and Senate Republicans, who hold that chamber by just two votes, are furious with the club. "It's causing so many conflicts within the party," says Sarah Chamberlain Resnik, executive director of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group of congressional moderates that plans to match the club by giving $1 million to Specter. Democrats hope the internecine G.O.P. battle will help their likely candidate, Representative Joe Hoeffel. But even if Specter wins, the RINO hunters say, they will have made their presence felt. Says Moore: "It will put all Republicans in the House and Senate on notice that we're watching their votes."