2010 Pennsylvania Senate Race – Part 2 (Arlen Specter)

Things may not be going as well for Arlen Specter in 2010 as he had hoped after polls showed he would loose to Pat Toomey in the Republican Primary here in Pennsylvania. A while back I had reported on what a couple little birdies had told me about the promises made to Senator Specter:

Now, in the unconfirmed rumor department, I have heard from two different sources that the Democrats are being very cautious with Specter in the 2010 primary going even so far as to promise (according to one source) or imply (according to the other) that his opposition during the primaries in the Democrat primary will be either non-existent or incredibly weak. Perhaps a fear that even an average Democrat could defeat Specter?

Well, looks like we have a rogue agent withing the Democratic Party ranks in fact contemplating taking on Specter and he could give him a run for his money and even defeat him in the primaries. Which is why the Democrats are trying to talk him out of a run.

Ask U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak about the wisdom of taking on the leading names of the Democratic Party to run against Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic primary, and he’ll laugh.

“I very much have an appreciation for the Washington political establishment, but I don’t think it’s their choice,” said Sestak, a two-term congressman from Delaware County. “It is Pennsylvania’s choice.”

Sestak, 58, is a retired Navy admiral-turned-politician. He’s weighing a possible Senate run against Specter, 79, whose recent abandonment of the Republican Party drew promises of support from President Obama, Sen. Bob Casey and Gov. Ed Rendell, all popular Democrats among the state’s electorate.

Reports are that many powerful forces within the Democratic Party camp have been trying to just get in touch with Sestak to talk him out of a run but Sestak has been avoiding them. Just how liberal is Sestak? Well all you really need to know is that he has the support of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (comprised of former MoveOn.org staffers that didn’t think that group was liberal enough). They support higher taxes and more forced wealth redistribution (i.e. Marxism) as do all liberals.

Sestak is not a party insider so he probably doesn’t really care what the party elders think. He is however definitely a lot more liberal than Specter and can draw from the entitlement mentality of those that think taxing the rich will make their own miserable lives more palatable. You know, the Democratic Party base.

Old Arlen may be retired yet. And if you want my honest opinion on this, the Democrats, even those that promised him an easy re-election to the Senate if he joined with them, would welcome that. Specter is just another useful idiot to them and such people are expendable at the drop of a hat once they get what they want.