Arlen didn't count on this

[SteelCityDem]

I'm feeling a little bad today for Arlen Specter. Is that wrong?

The guy did what he had to do to save his political skin, crossing the aisle in exchange for what he thought would be a clear path to re-election. And what does he get for it? Grief, that's what. And nasty commercials from upstart primary challenger Joe Sestak, painting him as a phony and an opportunist. And the possibility that voters will dump him on Tuesday.

That's gotta hurt.

So much for my advice.

Last February in this space, I urged Mr. Specter to jump ship from the Republican Party, which had listed so far to the right he was having trouble hanging on. Why, I asked, would he want to?

Clearly, the GOP's angry core didn't like him any more. Many already saw him as a turncoat for crossing party lines in previous high-profile votes and considered his vote in favor of the Obama stimulus package to be the last straw. So why not leap before he was pushed? Become an Independent like Joe Lieberman did, or even return to the Democratic roots of his early political career?

Two months later Mr. Specter did exactly that. After 42 years as a Republican and 29 as a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, Mr. Specter switched parties ... not because of any columnists, I'm sure, but because a wiley pol with his survival instincts simply couldn't ignore the numbers any longer.

A Rasmussen poll at the time showed him trailing uber-conservative Pat Toomey, the leading contender in the upcoming Republican primary, by 51 percent to 30 percent. Mr. Toomey had nearly beat him in the 2004 primary, and that was with George W. Bush in the White House fully supporting Mr. Specter. Now Barack Obama was president and more than 200,000 of the state's Republicans had changed their registration to Democrat. Presumably, these were the party moderates who made up Mr. Specter's base. Winning renomination under those circumstances was just too risky.

Announcing his decision, Mr. Specter said, in essence, that he wasn't leaving the GOP as much as the party had left him. It had shrunk its tent so dramatically, he said, there was no room left for him.

Mr. Specter's defection briefly gave Democrats the 60-vote Senate majority they sought. That goal turned out to be illusory, but in those first heady days, the Democratic leadership couldn't praise him -- and themselves -- enough. Mr. Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and others lined up to welcome him, and Mr. Specter reveled in the spotlight, as he is wont to do.

Meanwhile, his ex-compatriots sneered that the switch only proved their point, that he was not a real Republican.

Now the argument is over as to whether he's a real Democrat. Far from skating to the nomination on the strength of the party leadership's gratitude, Mr. Specter is facing a surge from two-term U.S. Rep. Sestak, the retired three-star admiral from suburban Philadelphia who is staking a claim as the only true Democrat in the race.

Mr. Sestak is an unapologetic liberal with a voting record to prove it. As former commander of an aircraft battle group, he has tough-guy credentials that few politicians on either side of the aisle can match. And like any good military strategist, he saw an opening and moved to exploit it.

Grass-roots Democrats did not like having Mr. Specter shoved down their throats. So, in a skillful and well-financed end run around the Democratic establishment, Mr. Sestak has been taking his case directly to the voters.

He's been making appearances all over the state and flooding the airwaves with ads that contrast their voting records, showing his own as far more in line with Democratic principles.

He's airing footage of Mr. Specter saying that the party switch "will allow me to be re-elected," followed by the damning voice-over, "Arlen Specter is running to save one job. His. Not yours."

And he's using pictures of his 80-year-old opponent looking weak and bald from chemotherapy during his second bout with cancer -- a brazen tactic that former Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht called "truly reprehensible."

Dr. Wecht has a point, but the overall strategy has been working. Three polls last week showed Mr. Sestak in a statistical dead heat, and one showed him as just as likely as Mr. Specter to beat Mr. Toomey in the general election.

Mr. Specter also could be swamped by a wave of anti-incumbency that has sidelined several long-term elected officials, including 14-term West Virginia Rep. Alan Mollohan.

At least one of Mr. Specter's stalwarts has deserted him this time around, as well. NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Mr. Sestak, whose votes are more in line with its agenda.

This was a marked change from the 1992 general election, when many women were furious with Mr. Specter's treatment of Anita Hill during the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Democrat Lynn Yeakel looked like a good alternative, but NARAL counted Mr. Specter as an ally and stayed out of the race. Now the group says the senator's "mixed record" of the past 15 years isn't good enough.

The end result will depend on turnout. As Post-Gazette political editor Jim O'Toole reported Friday, Mr. Specter is an old hand at getting out the vote, and the Democratic machine and the state's labor unions are throwing all their resources behind him. If Mr. Sestak is going to oust the five-term senator, he will have to match or exceed those efforts.

This is the kind of bruising primary Mr. Specter thought he'd avoid by switching parties. Now it turns out that the Democrats may not want him any more than the Republicans did. Ouch.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10136/1058226-149.stm#ixzz0oJX9VnVf

[old mark]

1. Specter was GUARANTEED support in today's election by the

Obama administration and the Rendell administration in PA, as well as the national Democratic Party and the PA party. He was also GUARANTEED by Harry Reid that he would keep his committee chairmanships and all his seniority perks - Specter himself stated this on Hardball last week. I am hearing a lot of people who voted against Specter more than in enthusiasm for Sestak, and I expect some early numbers will be coming in a few hours from now.

I think Arlen may be shocked.

mark

[SteelCityDem]

3. I actually appreciated his conversion,

He's been a good union guy over the years. But, I voted for Sestak for a variety of reasons, mostly that I think it's time to get some new blood in there.

[JVS]

6. You do realize that he killed EFCA, right?

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. He had 0 chance winning as a GOPer, so he went with the choice where he had a greater than 0 chance

[wisteria]

4. This marks a very sad day for PA just so that Progressives could prove a point.

PA will miss Specter and I will never forgive Sestak for the campaign he ran and the money he took from Republicans like Scaife to win. He may have won the battle, but I do not personally think he will win the war. Sestak and his progressive followers have weakened the PA Democrat party to make a meanspirited point. And, tomorrow, Republicans will be out in force attacking Sestak. Now maybe we will find out about the guy.

[MH1]

5. "a meanspirited point" - is that really what you think?

do you have any idea how hard people worked for Sestak?

How in the world did he possibly beat the ENTIRE party including the vaunted Rendell/Brady turnout machine, Big Labor, the LIES of the PA Dem Party on the eve of the election .... unless there were a whole hell of a lot of people doing a whole hell of a lot of work for him??

Why would so many people work so hard for so long, "just to make a meanspirited point"?

[disillusioned73]

8. Don't bother - sour grapes

and he/she is right - we did make a point.... go left or go home!!

[Born Free]

11. and he/she is right - we did make a point.... go left or go home!!

I think it also sent a message that progressives are not going to accept any more "sweetheart deals" like they did with Joe Lieberman, the progressives voted for Joe and then found out Joe Lieberman was not the man they thought he was. I voted for Obama and supported him but my patience is not endless, if he doesn't stand up for the things he promised during the election he will not get my vote next time. I understand he can't do it all, but I expect him, as well as all the elected democrats to at least make an effort, and not waste valuable time trying to appease the right wingers.

joe

[wisteria]

14. You prove my point. Grow up and realize you are not right about everything

and nothing gets done without compromise. Are you going to attack the next Republican that wants to join with the Democrats because he once voted with Republicans? There already appear to be a purity test.

[Born Free]

18. not a purity test...

We chose the democrat that we believe best represents our values, that is what elections are all about - individuals choosing the candidate they believe will do the best job. It's not just voting a certain way because the establishment said it was the way to vote. The democratic leadership was wrong about the people of Pennsylvania, the democratic leadership supported a candidate the majority of voting democrats of Pennsylvania did not want. Unfortunately some of those same individuals and their followers will continue to be wrong and will now suggest it was all a mistake because the majority of voting democrats of Pennsylvania believe Joe Sestak is the best person to represent Pennsylvania. It's not a rebellion, it's nothing like the infamous "Tea" party and it's not purging, it's individuals taking their time to look at the candidates and deciding which candidate they believe is best, not just blindly following the established leadership. The people hire the politicians, and they can fire them if they don't do a good job,. All elected individuals need to be held accountable for their actions, if they lie to the people to get the job, the people have a responsibility to replace them, and those individuals that try to suggest it is wrong for individuals deciding to chose a better person for the job are the ones that need to step back and reevaluate the situation.

[PADEMJES12]

19. to answer your question....

ill help joe as much as he had reached out to help other dem
candidates. Thats fair enough for everyone.

Im a moderate and it appears all my people in the middle are disappearing.

I dont want any of these folks to complain about less money
for Pennsylvania during appropriations.

[wisteria]

13. Yes, that is what I truly believe. This was to get back at Obama and

Specter for not listening to progressives and seeking middle ground. For Sestak, it was about revenge for being asked to run and then being asked not to.
No sour grapes, -sadness for a good man, whom I have known a long time, who was maligned and lied about and told his 30 years of service to PA meant nothing. And, lets not forget how he was portrayed as old and unimportant any longer. And finally, disappointment and fear for PA. I always was straight with you about my feelings for Sestak. That hasn't changed. I couldn't continue to be a Democrat and pretend to like and support him.

[MH1]

23. Specter maligned and misrepresented 30 years of naval service by Sestak

He pissed off a whole lot of veterans when he did that.

Had he not run that ad the election would have been a lot closer, and Specter may have even won.

Specter also told a lot of other lies about Joe Sestak. Many, many people who know Joe worked their asses off for him. If Sestak was the caricature that Specter made him out to be, he wouldn't have such strong support in his own district, where people know him.

So if you have a problem with people maligning someone else's honorable service, you shouldn't like Specter any more than you like Sestak.

There are no saints in politics. I vote for the guy who is going to do the best job for me and the next generation.

[Bunny]

7. Wow. Talk about your sore losers!

What on earth is wrong or "meanspirited" with Progressives wanting to elect someone who more closely represents their views? Did you think Specter should have run unopposed or something?
As for your so-called weakening of the PA Democrat (sic) party, I think we just got a whole lot stronger. I'm especially encouraged by Critz's win over Burns in the 12th, which has always been a Democratic district but is a notoriously conservative one, too.

Two more things: first, it's Democratic party, not Democrat party. Please don't use right wing terminology to refer to our own party. Well, my party, anyway. And second, I'm pretty sure Sestak isn't going to come crawling for your forgiveness, either. But if it makes you feel better to issue such dramatic statements, feel free. Let me know if you need a tissue or something.

[Richardo]

9. .

:applause:

[wisteria]

12. Sweetie, I don't need a tissue and it is no longer my party.

I resigned when I realized that progressives are after the same kind of purity as the Tea Party. Progressives don't want to bring this country together, they want to have our politicians take sides. Your ideas and those of the Tea Party are ruining this country. I use to think I was a progressive to, but I discovered that it gets nothing accomplished to just take sides and dig your heels in the dirt. Progressives had an agenda bigger than PA and they screwed with PA to make a point. Is Senator Casey next because he is not a progessive Dem? We get no where in this country if we do not find common ground and try to compromise.

[MrMickeysMom]

21. .... "Sweetie?"

Here's part one of today's lesson, wisteria... now, say it with me:

"Democratic Party" (repeat until it rolls off your pseudo progressive tongue)

Here's part two of today's lesson, wisteria.... an affirmation

I reveal myself by what I write (just think about this one)...

MMM

[wisteria]

16. Specter was our nominee. Sesak ran because he didn't like being told to sit this one out.

Specter was proving himself to be a good Democrat. One that could be counted on.
Are you know going to have a purity test on every candidate. Are you going to allow Republicans who want to come over to the Democrat side? Or are you going to attack them also for past votes. Progressives are ruining the party by expecting everything their way and you are going to see Democrat numbers dwindle if you all continue on the path of trying to vote out those who don't always agree with you. You complain about the Tea Party, but you are no better than they are. No, sore loser here, just disgust with where I am seeing this party go. So much so, that I have gotten out. I just wanted to set the record straight before I left-I will be voting for the better person from now on-not the party.

[disillusioned73]

20. Your right about one thing..

the polarization in our current political enviroment has made it a choice of one side or the other. I hope you are right and we can purge all the "bluedogs" out of the party... Blanche Lincoln is next - personally, all corporatist are fair game to take down. If you want to compare the TP with the progs/libs that is your perogative, but the reality of the situation is quite different.

You can vote for Toomey if it makes you feel better. I just hope that the so called "moderates" in this state realize who will represent the people vs. the corporations...

[Divernan]

10. Scaife gave a donation to Sestak purely to insult Specter.

If you go to the Newsmeat.com website and look at Scaife's contributions going back to 1979, he's repeatedly given to Santorum, and most of the other high level Republicans in the Senate, but never ONE RED CENT to Specter. Dickie Scaife has always been a vindictive man (read the accounts of his latest divorce) and he's getting more extreme with age.

Those of us with the political savy greater than that of a pet rock know that Scaife is no progressive. In fact, he gave an equal amount to Toomey in this race. He just wanted to PO Arlen - which is the same reason Scaife has his newspaper endorse Sestak over Specter. Note that Scaife's donation to Sestak was made back in June of 2009, when Sestak appeared to have minimal chance to win, and was under pressure from high level dems to drop out of the race. Scaife's donation was just to make trouble.

It's fine with me that Sestak accepted the donation - otherwise Scaife would have given it to some GOP candidate.

[wisteria]

15. Sestak took more than just a little Repub money to win.

But, that is now water under the damn. He has to start all over raising money and Toomey is already sitting on a huge pile. I will be curious to see, while sitting this one out, how much Sestak raises now.

[PADEMJES12]

17. me 2...

he couldnt raise any for the senate. ill help joe as much as he helps the others on the down ticket.
i wouldnt touch a progressive in my county w a ten foot poll. turkey shoot in the fall after those
NRA commercials.

[MrMickeysMom]

22. "I will be curious to see, while sitting this one out, how much Sestak raises now"

Why not get it over with and just campaign for Toomey?

[Captain Hilts]

24. I'm still livid about the Thomas hearings - all these years later. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

26. I'll checkmate you with one better...

Specters political career got it's jump-start with the biggest lie ever perpetrated - Lee Harvey Oswald's "single bullet". The House Select Committee on Political Assassinations diverged less than a decade later, concluding the President Kennedy's assassination was a probable conspiracy. Yet Specter's manner of how he questioned witnesses during the Warren Commission, omissions and his stead-fast belief of this single bullet theory was never challenged.

How can it be any worse than to perpetuate a lie and cover-up over JFK's assassination?

Damn him forever.

[Lugnut]

27. I couldn't vote for Arlen.

The JFK assassination cover-up was a major factor. The Thomas hearings were the final straw. He earned his defeat.

[Cosmocat]

25. As to the OP, it was a good day for Pa ...

Specter had fallen to second ahead of McCain as the most desperate, do and say what you can to get reelected pol this cycle ... I like Sestak based on merit, the kind of dem we need at the highest levels, but it was good to see a completely sold out pol go down ...

I like Oranato, and Conklin has the Lt Gov nod - a recount pending or not ...

Time to roll up the sleeves and go to work for the general - strongest slate of Ds broke the primary ...