Laura Vecsey's Blog
Laura Vecsey's Blog
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Ridge not looking to run for president in 2012—unless GOP comes calling
Former Gov. Tom Ridge was the king of political TV Thursday night after advance copies of his new book, The Test of Our Times, were released. Ridge asserts that during his tenure as the nation’s first head of Homeland Security, he questioned whether an attempt by White House officials to raise the terror threat was more about politics than protecting America.
Ridge resigned after the 2004 election and has since then denied politics played a role in the way the Bush administration used Homeland Security to manipulate George Bush’s poll ratings.
Now pundits on both sides are having a field day with Ridge’s book blurbs, with conservatives calling foul on Ridge as a turncoat trying to make money off his stint in the Bush administration and progressives affirming their position that many of the Bush decisions were, indeed, politically motivated.
As for Ridge, Republican strategists in Pennsylvania say Ridge is not trying to use publicity from his book to advance his political career. That is a natural question, considering that this spring, Ridge seriously considered a run for U.S. Senate after Arlen Specter announced his switch to the Democratic Party.
Ridge finally declined the invitation—and the GOP nomination would have been his, had Ridge decided to challenge former Congressman Pat Toomey, who many GOP party leaders figure is too conservative to win a general election. That position may be changing somewhat, as Specter seems vulnerable against Joe Sestak in a Democratic primary, thus throwing open the seat for a newcomer for the first time in 28 years.
Ridge, who lived through the 24/7 stress of running the Department of Homeland Security in the days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is said to be happily in private business, making money and enjoying life as a private citizen.
His unwillingness to to run for Senate was seen as another clue that Ridge may not have the political stomach to mount an intensive campaign statewide, let alone national.
However, if the GOP can’t establish a clear front-runner for the 2012 presidential election, some of Ridge’s associates said the former governor may not mind being drafted for a 2012 run—if the party wants to back him.
August 21, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Tags: Tom Ridge
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E-mail: lvecsey@pa2010.com
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Bio: Laura Vecsey is a political reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.
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Len
Aug 21st, 2009
Well, he would have my vote for President. I think we need to see a moderate in office instead of someone either very far to the left or right.
Michael
Aug 21st, 2009
“If the party wants to back him”?? There is no way the Republican Party in 2012 will back for president a RINO (Republican In Name Only) and pro-abortion Catholic who was reportedly one step away from being excommunicated.
David Diano
Aug 21st, 2009
Umm… unless Ridge is going to switch from Pro-Choice to Anti-Abortion, he can take a long nap without worrying about someone from the GOP calling and waking him up.
Abe
Aug 21st, 2009
Abe, the last several moderates screwed up the country and were summarily thrown out of office after one term. Moderates have no passion and no core belief system. They try to please all sides and please no one. They lack definitive decision-making. The conservatives are the best thing that have happened to this country: Ronald Reagan, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln. Liberals and moderates have screwed us up: Carter, Clinton, Ford, etc.
PA1
Aug 22nd, 2009
Looks like Tommy is trying to rehab his failed career. Ask him why he didn’t publicly stand up to corporal George when resigning – what an absence of character!!
Anonymous
Aug 22nd, 2009
Ridge is as stand up a guy politician as one can get in this day in age. Speaking truth to power while having power leaves you hated in some quarters, and worse yet, labelled.
RINO is such a ridiculous phrase. The man’s a Republican in a party that has moved so far to the right, it can’t tell the diffenrence between a true conservative and Birchers (The Society). The party has been hi jacked by uninformed angry, fringe people who think moderation is blashemy. Just pathetic. Bomb throwing gets you a very badly lead govt. Uninformed anger gets you bad policy, dogma renders you irrelevant to the big discussions…..Ridge, Powell, Reagan….roughly the same guy….history is missed by many, and learned by few….
flynnbw
Aug 24th, 2009
People always forget that President Reagan was all too willing to compromise with the moderate elements both in his party and the other party in order to get things done.
Ridge spent 25 years in public service (in addition to his time in the Army). Anyone who thinks he’s going to run for office is mistaken. He’s discovered that making decent money in the private sector is pretty darn good.
I think the only thing this revelation will change is the willingness of Rs to consider him as a VP candidate. GOP candidates will think twice before taking him into their confidence.