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Tuesday, May 5, 2009 3:10 PM UTC

Ridge seriously considering run against Specter

The former Pennsylvania governor, a Republican, may take on his former party colleague, but he'll have to deal with conservatives' favorite candidate first.

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Topics: Tom Ridge, 2010 Elections, War Room, Arlen Specter, D-Pa.,

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge is thinking seriously about running against Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., in 2010 and will make his decision in the next couple weeks, the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza reports.

If Ridge — who also served as director of Homeland Security in the last administration — does decide to mount a campaign, the whole dynamic of the race would be affected. He’d have to take on former Rep. Pat Toomey in a Republican primary, which could be touchy; Toomey is a favorite of conservatives in the state and nationwide, while Ridge is more of a moderate. That could lead to the same kind of pitched battle that would have gone on between Specter and Toomey if the incumbent hadn’t decided to switch parties.

Assuming he won the primary, though, Ridge would be a much more formidable opponent for Specter than Toomey. A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday showed Specter over Toomey in a landslide, while Ridge trailed the senator by just three points. (A separate survey, also released Monday, showed Toomey behind Specter by only six percentage points and Ridge actually beating the incumbent, but it was sponsored by a conservative business group and appears to dramatically oversample Republicans and undersample independents.)

Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon. More Alex Koppelman.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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