Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) up for reelection in 2010. If we don't put the fear into him now ...

[thunder rising]

he will be a pain in the ass for 8 years.

Arlen just might consider the we (the net roots) don't target EVERY Republican, just the ones that make a scene and/or belittle us. Arlen become a fiscal conservative and lets debate the issues of that, but you cannot take the position of defending an illegal war, unjustified and non-contestable detention, spying on citizens, threating the use of the US Military against our own citizens and call yourself an American. Those days are gone.

Come on home buddy, there's room if you don't piss in the corn flakes every morning. It's called politics and you ought to see if there's a little room to give a little seeing as how your party got axed and your next on the list. KKKarl Rove is going to jail, and you need some new friends.

[snowbear]

1. Will there be any good Dems running against him?

.
.
.

[thunder rising]

5. Maybe we gotta go find one ... where did Jon Tester come from except US.

He was one of ours. Maybe we could promote the idea of people campaigning to us (the feared blog-O-sphere) and see what happens.

[snowbear]

7. Mario Lemieux, owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins should run! ... He's a Dem, and..

.
.
.

... he definitely has name recognition there! ~~

[meow2u3]

17. Question is, is Mario Lemieux an American citizen?

Question 2: if he is a citizen, how long has he been one?

[Thrill]

2. Going to need Specter to pass the Free Choice Act

[janx]

3. Yep. n/t

[thunder rising]

4. Not true ... there are others. Thunder has risen and it is time the Republicans bent their bodies

in respect.

[Thrill]

6. Others like who? It has no Repuke support

You can't even get Collins and Snowe to come over for it.

[kentuck]

8. We had Tweety but no-one wanted to support him...

He could have beaten Specter.

[SoCalDem]

10. I don't think he would have won..

He's been on tv too long, and has said too many things.. and then there's the whole " "lean in a little..closer to the camera...hehheh..you're a knock out, Erin".. and the other sexist stuff he's had to apologize for..on the air too..

I think he would like to have run, but he's making BIG bucks where he is, and his health is not all that great either

[camera obscura]

9. Unfortunately I think he's more afraid of being primaried by the wingnuts right now.

[SoCalDem]

11. I think Little Ricky might be ready to stage a comeback

:puke:

[gauguin57]

12. One possible is PA state rep. Josh Shapiro (D) whom I recently heard speak at a rally...

... and he really sounded great! Liked him a lot! Other scuttlebutt below ...

http://www.politickerpa.com/danh/2894/matthews-out-picture-focus-returns-local-pols

With Matthews out of the picture, focus returns to local pols
By Dan Hirschhorn,
PolitickerPA.com Reporter

Now that Chris Matthews' very long flirtation with a 2010 Senate run has ended, Pennsylvania's Democratic establishment can focus all its attention on the actual politicians who have expressed an interest in the race.

Auditor General Jack Wagner, state Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-Abington) and U.S. Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-Abington) and Patrick Murphy (D-Bristol) are the leading Democrats who are said to be considering taking on U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). Wagner, Shapiro and Murphy have all publicly expressed at least some interest in the job, while Schwartz has been more hesitant to discuss the possibility.

Also in the mix could be U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Edgmont), whose large war chest and moderate credentials could prove helpful in a race against Specter. But Sestak's aides have denied he has any interest in the job.

Dan Hirschhorn is a PolitickerPA.com Reporter and can be reached via email at [e-mail].

[burning rain]

13. As you appear to suggest, Snarlin' Arlen might conceivably switch parties.

That would be based on self seeking, as are most things with him, but I suppose the narrative would be easy to write, as the GOP has left him, and Pennsylvania. Barring that, perhaps the ultraconservative Pat Toomey will challenge him in the primary again. He'd probably take Specter there and lose big in the general. Toomey, a former Allentown-area congressman, is an ultra free marketeer, and that doesn't fly in our state.

[burning rain]

14. As you appear to suggest, Snarlin' Arlen might conceivably switch parties.

That would be based on self seeking, as are most things with him, but I suppose the narrative would be easy to write, as the GOP has left him, and Pennsylvania. Barring that, perhaps the ultraconservative Pat Toomey will challenge him in the primary again. He'd probably take Specter there and lose big in the general. Toomey, a former Allentown-area congressman, is an ultra free marketeer, and that doesn't fly in our state.

[burning rain]

15. As you appear to suggest, Snarlin' Arlen might conceivably switch parties.

That would be based on self seeking, as are most things with him, but I suppose the narrative would be easy to write, as the GOP has left him, and Pennsylvania. Barring that, perhaps the ultraconservative Pat Toomey will challenge him in the primary again. He'd probably take Specter there and lose big in the general. Toomey, a former Allentown-area congressman, is an ultra free marketeer, and that doesn't fly in our state.

[snowbear]

16. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome aboard!

.
.

[LynneSin]

18. There 2 things about Arlen we should all remember

#1). The guy, who I've met several times just because I was living in the Philadelphia area and he was commonplace around the city, is not in good health and I don't think he would survive another 8 years. Personally why this man isn't retiring and enjoying the last years of his life is beyond me.

#2). I have a feeling that the democrats will win PA in 2010 and NOT because we defeated Specter but because Pat Toomey will defeat him in the primaries and then we'll trounce Toomey. Pennsylvania has it's red state mentality in the "T-zone" of the state but when combined with the rest of the state (ie Philadelphia & Pittsburgh), the democrats should easily win (just like they did against Santorum, against Lynn Swann and against McCain/Palin).

Specter is not like other republicans in Pennsylvania - he has crossover appeal to moderate democrats. He nullifies the Philadelphia factor because Philadelphians actually like Specter (Specter is a fan of all the Philly teams). But if if there was no Specter then democrats would win in a landslide. So hopefully Pat Toomey, a Santorum wannabe, can take out Specter and then we'll deal with Toomey in the fall.