Will money from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee be given to Specter and not to a

[AlinPA]

Democratic challenger for the primary? Does anyone know how that works?

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Is Schumer still in charge?

If so, you can assume he will fund the least Democratic candidate available. Same if any other DLC/Wall $treet tool has taken Schumer's place.

[AlinPA]

3. Menendez of NJ is chair of the DSCC.

[dflprincess]

8. Menendez Statement On Senator Specter's Switch To Democratic Party

http://www.dscc.org/news_item?press_release_KEY=871

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released the following statement:

“We welcome Senator Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party. The more the merrier. I just spoke with the Senator on the phone, told him that I look forward to supporting him and making sure this seat stays Democratic in November of 2010.

:puke:

And check out this link:

http://www.dscc.org/races?State=pa

[Olney Blue]

2. No, but good question.

[mopinko]

4. i gotta think so.

you can't tell me arlen jumped for the hell of it. he wants to win the primary. he would have no reason to think he could win the dem primary unless somebody promised him something.

[AlinPA]

5. Too bad we can't have a survey of PA Democrats on the fairness of this.

[tritsofme]

6. Where else is he going to get money?

I don't know for certain, but I would imagine he had a large donor base of people that were interested in him only because of the (R) after his name.

Now those people need nothing with him.

I doubt the PA Democratic donor base, who have spent a lifetime voting against Arlen Specter and funding his opponents will just whip out their checkbooks on a whim.

And now if Tom Ridge throws his hat in the ring, I think Specter is just screwed, and by extension so are we.

Instead of letting Specter go down in defeat to Toomey, setting up an easy Democratic pickup in the fall, we have now set ourselves up to have another "moderate Republican" senator in PA for many years.

[AlinPA]

7. I am looking at the DSCC as a pool of money that is distributed to candidates. To my

way of thinking it should be used in the general election.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. It's not automatic

As far as I know, that money is ONLY released AFTER the primary election. One of us wonkier types should check the DNC rules to see exactly what is involved.

Specter basically still has to prove himself. After two weeks, it's far too early to tell.

He is NOT off to a good start.

I'm a Pennsylvanian. I generally like Specter, and even liked him as a Republican, though I always supported his Democratic rivals. (Of course, I strongly disagreed with him on many issues, too.) I am optimistic that he will come through. but it is not a sure thing. Just for my own part, if Specter fails to become a reliable Democrat, I won't vote for him. I don't expect him to be a 100% lockstep voter, but I DO expect him to broadly support the Democratic and Obama platform(s).

If Specter emerges as the Democratic candidate, I will work to ensure his victory. Better the worst DINO than the best RINO. But my overall concern is to push the ideological conversation in the USA to the Progressive side, with or without Democrat Arlen Specter.

--d!