Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), who is facing a likely primary rematch with his 2004 opponent Pat Toomey, has picked up a high-profile endorsement: Howard Stern, The Hill reports, after Specter appeared on the Stern show. Howard offered to write Specter a check, which Specter accepted, and then the two of them encouraged all the listeners to contribute, too.

This makes sense in many ways, really. Stern's own politics match up pretty well with Specter, as Stern is an economic conservative and cultural liberal (okay, make that cultural libertine). That, and Howard has a proven record of endorsing politicians who have the nerve to come on his show, and those pols have usually been northeastern Republicans like Specter, Christie Whitman and George Pataki, among others.

On the other hand, having the endorsement and financial support of the guy who held the Blind Women's Beauty Pageant and hosted the Kielbasa Queen on his show might not play too well with values-voters in central Pennsylvania. And what will the Christian right groups think of the Lesbian Dating Game?

As Phil Singer wrote: "If the Toomey operation is worth its salt, it will be out tonight with a fund-raising email about Arlen's new friend."