WTF? They promised not to run a primary against him?

[Thrill]

I bet Rendell and others in Pennsylvania aren't happy about that. What about Joe Sestak? I thought he wanted to run

[MadBadger]

1. Where are you hearing this?

[Thrill]

4. MSNBC

[flpoljunkie]

2. I expect a decision was made that Specter could really help Obama with his agenda now.

It is worth the trade off.

[karynnj]

41. How does that happen?

Unlike Jeffords, where the switched determined who controls the Senate, this is less real. Other than future votes for majority leader, where you vote your party, why would you expect Democrat Specter to vote differently than Republican Specter - given that he should vote his conscience and to represent PA. The right could not use the threat of a primary opponent, because he already has one 20 points ahead in polls.

Does anyone know if polls had been done pitting Toomey, the likely Republican, against the likely Democrats? (Per some, PA does not allow what Lieberman did - running in a party's primary than running as an independent. This makes sense only if it was questionable if we would win with a good Democrat vs Toomey and the person, in a general election, most likely to beat Toomey is Specter.

If not this is fantastic for Specter and maybe not all that good for the Democrats.

[flpoljunkie]

56. Obama will give Specter his 'full support.' Evidently he thinks Specter will help pass his agenda.

Biden has been working on Specter, as well as Ed Rendell. They evidently think he will be a 'loyal Democrat' as he told President Obama.

I am concerned that EFCA is dead, but The Nation's John Nichols thinks Specter will forge a deal on EFCA that will allow it to pass. I hope he's right.

[avaistheone1]

64. Spector help Obama? HA HA HAH!

Please Spector will have his last minute moment of "conscience" and not deliver.

Spector is an ass and an obstructionist he will never help the Democratic agenda.

[msanthrope]

3. Are you kidding? No primary is to the Dem advantage.

No infighting for the Repukes here to exploit, just Specter, touring the state with Bob Casey and Rendell.

On edit--apparently (according to local radio here,Rendell/Casey were in on all this.)

[Arkana]

22. No infighting--plus, we can help out Dodd and Lincoln.

[Teaser]

26. Dodd is so fucked...

ugh..I hope we can save his ass...

[Arkana]

32. That will make for a more difficult conundrum than we're anticipating.

We may have to pressure Dodd to retire--because I'm convinced anyone but Dodd as a Democrat could win. Blumenthal, maybe?

[Hippo_Tron]

35. Agreed, Dodd needs to step aside for the good of the party

[CTyankee]

49. I would LOVE to have Dick Blumenthal as my next Senator!

He is stupendous. He would be a powerhouse in Washington. Strong prochoicer and consumer advocate. Love him, love him, love him!

[Raineyb]

62. Whose advantage?

So we can keep another DINO in house to put the brakes on Obama's agenda? That's not to the advantage of the agenda at all.

Regards

[ErinBerin84]

5. I just heard that on MSNBC....that's kind of fucked up.

Can he actually pretend to be a Democrat for a year, in terms of his votes?

[ebbie15644]

51. Can we beat Specter

in a primary? I'm from PA and I was counting on Toomey beating him and a Dem winning. Arlen won't support Obama on many votes including EFCA

[Freddie Stubbs]

57. Not with Rendell and Obama supporting him

[jenmito]

6. This is a GOOD thing. Don't you think Specter will "owe" some votes in return for

the Obama-inspired growth of the Dem. voter base in PA that he will benefit from?

[DrToast]

8. Exactly...I'm sure they got some concessions out of him

There's no way they'd agree to stand down in 2010 without getting something first.

[jenmito]

16. Yup. It makes perfect sense.

There IS something in it for the Dems., I'm SURE of it.

[MadBadger]

12. I dont think PA Democrats should then have to "settle" for Specter.

[jenmito]

17. Maybe they don't SEE it as "settling." Maybe they know more than we do about it.

[CreekDog]

19. this is about 2009 more than 2010

there are key votes this year and Spector has cast his lot with Obama's side for 2009 in order to get through 2010.

if he were to stay as a Republican, he would need to cast his lot with the other side in 2009 to get through 2010.

[MadBadger]

20. Its good for 2009, but I dont think it is for 2010

[Hippo_Tron]

36. The first two years of a presidency are the most crucial for legislation

It's harder to get things done after 2010 because you are simultaneously trying to govern and run for re-election. And after 2012 it's also harder because you generally don't get much of a honeymoon in your second term. LBJ was kind of an exception to that rule, but he was elected for the first time in '64 rather than re-elected and Kennedy's death gave him an additional honeymoon.

Specter's present value to Obama is far greater than the future value of a more liberal Senator. Pennsylvania can get a new Senator in six years anyway as Specter is unlikely to serve more than one more term.

[onenote]

58. they "settled" for Casey

Do you think Specter, on whole, is that different from Casey?

[Cha]

33. He actually better earn his

"no primary" Keep!

[damonm]

7. So?

He doesn't vote the right direction on the big stuff, and all that changes RAPIDLY, I'd bet.

[tishaLA]

9. Rendell LOVES this

Rendell and Specter are friends--sometimes contentious friends, but friends nonetheless--from way back. I've SEEN them at High Holiday services together (at my synagogue). And Rendell will work his ass off to make sure Specter gets elected. I may not like it, but it's the way Eddie works and the way he has always worked.

[vaberella]

11. Yup. Rendell was upset if Arlen Specter left..I saw Rendell talking about him on Rachel's show. n/t

[karynnj]

42. Cool that they both attend your synagogue

I never realized Rendell was Jewish.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. I'm sure that Rendell was involved this decision

[LittleBlue]

13. Why risk it? I don't care.

He could win as an independent and then make us use large amounts of funding to win that race, or perhaps lose it.

Better to pick up a senate seat for nothing and give him little/nothing to defend it.

[grantcart]

14. As long as he keeps up his side of the bargain.

For example votes on healthcare.


Works for me.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

15. we must need his vote for something

[yardwork]

18. The Democrats save a lot of money and get another vote on key legislation.

We don't risk Specter losing to a right-wing Republican in his primary. We're unlikely to win the seat away from Specter himself. Better to accept him as a Democrat and keep him there.

When he retires it will be easier for Pennsylvania Democrats to elect another Democrat - we can hope that they'll be more progressive. Pragmatic decision.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

21. Yeah but...will he actually vote the way he's supposed to?

At very least, he better vote for cloture.

[yardwork]

46. Specter's no more conservative than a lot of Democrats.

He'll vote the way most of them do - the middle.

[MadBadger]

23. I'll believe it when I see it.

[damonm]

29. As I said upthread...

This decision can be changed FAST if Specter doesn't come thru with the right votes at the right time...

[yardwork]

47. Believe what? Nobody asked our opinion. This is what we got.

[LynneSin]

28. And that's money they'll pour into the PA Governor's race

Republicans will now have to split their money with two big ticket races whereas the democrats only need to focus on one. And as I've said many times - Specter is not in good health. If he passes away before his term is finished, we want a democrat in the statehouse else we might get stuck with Toomey afterall.

[LynneSin]

24. I see posts like this and check to see where the DU comes from

and usually it turns out somewhere not nearby or in Pennsylvania (btw I lived in PA for over 30 years).

Specter and Rendell are very close friends. All of the democrats in the Philly area (which also includes Sestak, Allyson Schwartz and Joe Hoeffel) are on friendly terms with Specter. Sure, they would have waged an active campaign against Specter the republican (especially since they all knew that Specter probably wouldn't win the primary) but none of them will risk their career to run against him as Specter-the-Democrat/Indepedant.

Philly is like that.

Rendell probably knew of the switched and for all we know probably helped Joe Biden make it happen and offered the promise of no opponent against him.

[MadBadger]

27. How are they risking their careers?

[LynneSin]

30. They're all close as can be

It's a regional thing and after the 2000 democratic primary fiasco, the Philly dems realized they need to work as a team if they want to win these statewide races. Too many philly dems ran for the 2000 senate primary (to run against Santorum) and they split the vote giving the race to a little know state senator from a small western county (wasn't even a Pittsburgh county). Santorum should have lost that race but his opponent was so weak and had so little money that Santorum was able to pull that win out. I lived in the Philly region and Santorum ran ads almost all the time but Klink decided to scrimp on money and try winning the rest of the state without Philly. Klink still won the five Philly area counties but not with enough of a margin that held off the rest of the state. Rendall and the Philly Dems have done their best to avoid that mistake again - only one Philly dem per statewide race.

[Freddie Stubbs]

48. Klink did not win the five Philly area counties

He won Philly, but Democrats don't often lose Philly.

He lost Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware Counties:

http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?FunctionID=12&ElectionID=2

[gardenista]

55. Biden earned his keep on this one, no?

I say well done, Penn Dems!

[Mass]

25. They cannot prevent people to run.

[LynneSin]

31. Anyone can run.

That doesn't mean they'll get any money from established democratic parties. And that candidate will have to find a way to get significant votes outside of Philly because Arlen's hometown is Philly - he'll win it easily this time.

[Thrill]

34. No they can't but what they can do is not help fund anyone else

Thats an issue for anyone wanting to run.

The only one who doesn't need funding is Setak who already has a boatload of campaign funds.

[Freddie Stubbs]

37. Sure, but good luck collecting 5000 signatures to get on the ballot

[Hippo_Tron]

39. You could easily get 5000 signatures, largely from Republicans

It's money that is the issue.

[Mass]

40. Yes, it is the money that is the issue. This said, find somebody with money

like Lamont in CT, and who knows what could happen. Particularly when you consider Specter's age.

[Freddie Stubbs]

43. You only get three weeks to do it and only Democrats can sign the petition

Plus Specter's lawyers will go over those petitions with a fine-toothed comb, and will challenge in court any signature that that can be thrown out.

[Hippo_Tron]

38. Any viable candidate would have to be worth millions that they can spend on their own campaign

Because nobody in the Democratic Party will help any primary challenger fundraise.

[Thrill]

44. I think Sestak had 2 million on hand after his House Campaign

and has raised another half mill this yr

[Hippo_Tron]

45. Not even close to enough for a state as expensive as Pennsylvania

He would bankrupt himself trying to run against Specter who will raise 4 or 5 times what he has and if he did win the primary, he would piss off just about everybody that he needs to raise money for the general. Meanwhile Toomey is unopposed and sitting on a serious warchest.

[quiller4]

53. That's not even chum change in PA n/t

[AtomicKitten]

50. That should have come with the promise to ACTUALLY support the Dem agenda

by supporting EFCA and Dawn Johnson.

[quiller4]

52. Rendell and Biden were the chief negotiators

Rendell and Spector have been friends for years. Rendell would never have supported Sestak.

[gardenista]

54. That is called winning politics. Great move. nt

[w4rma]

59. There will be a primary no matter what the backroom dealers want. (nt)

[Orsino]

60. Could be worth it, in the long run...

...if Specter had to promise, in return, to play ball for a whole year. Could be very good for Specter, too, if his approval goes up as a result of his supporting an agenda of change.

[Occam Bandage]

61. They promised not to fund a primary against him. That is reasonable.

[BklynChick]

they are basically gangsters.

[BklynChick]

63. they are basically gangsters.