Specter wins party state committee endorsement

Source: Examiner

Rep. Joe Sestak's (D-PA) primary challenge to incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter just got a lot tougher.

By a 229-72 margin, the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee voted Saturday to endorse Specter, who switched parties last April, in this year's Senate election. The margin easily surpassed the two-thirds majority required for a candidate to win the state party's official endorsement.

“I’m very proud to have been received to the party of my roots, very proud to be a Democrat, very proud to have a record of supporting the values of the Democratic Party as an independent voice in the senate for 30 years,” Specter said in his acceptance speech, according to PoliticsPA.com's Alex Roarty.

Specter, who already leads Sestak by more than 20 points in the most recent polls of the primary, spent most of his speech discussing former Republican Congressman Pat Toomey, the GOP's expected nominee, in the general election. In his last re-election bid in 2004, Specter defeated Toomey by 1.4% in the Republican primary. But in polling of this year's race, Specter trails Toomey by anywhere from 8-14 points.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-32222-Philadelphia-Elections-2010-Examiner~y2010m2d6-Specter-wins-party-state-committee-endorsement

I'm sure some of the Democrats will criticize him for supporting many Bush policies in the past which he'll have to defend or apologize for.

This half ass Democrat should get his hat handed to him. He is part of the problem in Washington. Jumping party's, and being a road block. Screw him

(my opinion), republicans don't like him, and independents are going the teabagger route.

I have to hand it to the old man. The democratic party in this state has run 4 candidates against him in the past 30 years, and he found a way to get a majority of the support of the party regulars.

I was supposed to be there yesterday, but decided to not drive in the snow. I was only going for the Governor Roast. I'm not a state committee delegate.

and you all be the fools for falling for his bullshit again.

This is not a game of replacing an R with a D while keeping the same asshole in office. Or would you be welcoming Joe Lieberman back if he pulled the same stunt as Specter.

and he has barely made a dent here in terms of campaigning. The bulk of the party and the population is here in the east of the state. Meanwhile, Specter has a home here in Philly and his wife served on City Council for 16 years. His family is an institution in this city. Specter is in office today because Philadelphia Democrats crossed over and put him in. Ask those of us who tried getting Lynn Yeakel in back in the '90s. The moderate repukes may sit it out since Toomey is looney tunes right, but the race may be close if there's little turnout statewide. I expect we'll be lucky to get 20% turnout during the general election...

the same type of voters that supported Lieberman in Connecticut.

Just because the party machinery endorses this perennial turncoat, it does not follow that the voters must do likewise.

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/248435

Specter backed by Dems
He gets endorsement for senator; Wagner falls short for governor. Sunday News

By TOM MURSE, Staff Writer
Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal/New Era

They don't call him a political survivor for nothing.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter easily won the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's endorsement here Saturday afternoon, nine months after quitting the GOP at a time when his re-election prospects appeared dim.

The 79-year-old cancer survivor, taking the stage amid cheers of "Arlen! Arlen!" at the Lancaster Host Resort & Convention Center, appeared humbled.

"I have been involved in many, many elections," he said, standing beside his wife, Joan, "but never one quite as thrilling as this one. It almost feels like a presidential nominating convention." Until the final ballots were tallied and announced, it was unclear whether Specter would be able to muster enough support to reach the two-thirds majority needed for endorsement. .....