Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial: Katie McGinty for the U.S. Senate
If corporations were people, Pennsylvania's Republican freshman Sen. Pat Toomey would be the right senator for them. His approach to governance is to slash regulations and taxes to help companies, which he believes would provide good paying jobs. But that hasn't worked for average people struggling with flat wages, job insecurity and wondering why so little of the good economic news isn't about them.
Toomey, 54, would eliminate Obamacare and let the marketplace decide to provide benefits like covering children up to age 26. He'd kill an agency that keeps lenders from preying on consumers and return to the days of low-regulation and low-oversight of Wall Street, which led to the financial meltdown.
He opposes forcing companies to clean up greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming, a factor in the spate of floods and wildfires ravaging the country. And, he favors Supreme Court decisions that allow unlimited corporate funds to persuade voters in elections.
A product of the radical right, Toomey voted to shut down the government over raising the debt ceiling rather than find a civil solution. But, in a stellar moment, he crossed the aisle to seek background checks for those who wish to purchase guns. He failed, but says he'd try again if re-elected. Let's hope it's with more conviction than his politically expedient equivocation over whether to support his party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump, an admitted serial molester.
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