Rendell: Specter Will Probably Run Unopposed In 2010 Dem Primary
Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) was just interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, and he predicted that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) will easily have full Democratic support in his 2010 primary.
"Well, I think that Arlen will probably wind up running unopposed, or without a serious challenger," said Rendell. "Look, the President of the United States has already endorsed Arlen, the Vice President of the United States has. Everyone knows Arlen and I are personal friends, go back to when he hired me as an assistant district attorney without asking me what party I belonged to. I think every major Democrat is gonna be for Arlen. And I think he's got a lot of inherent support with Democrats and independents all across the state."
So despite any rumblings about Joe Sestak or some other Dem possibly running, Rendell is predicting a clear field.
Rendell also castigated the right-wing activists who forced Specter out of his old party for the high crime of acting responsibly in government.
"Arlen voted for the stimulus, which every conservative economist in the country, including Ronald Reagan's chief economic adviser, said was absolutely necessary," said Rendell. "And in return he got such hate and vituperation out on the circuit, when he went around Pennsylvania, from the far right wing in Pennsylvania. You would have thought that he had voted to turn the U.S. communist."
Memo to Rendell: In case you didn't watch the Tea Parties, it's pretty clear that the right-wing activists do think Specter voted to turn the U.S. communist.
Josh
Matt
Eric
Please don't ban me for this but...............
FUCK THAT. You don't make that damn choice Rendell WE DO. If he votes like a DAMN Republican we will primary his ass PERIOD.
April 29, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wake the fuck up, people! He's not a fucking Democrat! Or if he is, then I'm not!
April 29, 2009 5:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good ole Rendell. More ridiculous proclamations. This is the guy that claimed that Obama couldn't win PA because there were too many racists. Rendell is a bloviator of the first order. If Specter votes like a Republican he will be sure to be primaried and will lose.
April 29, 2009 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democracy = Making sure Arlen is Senator for Life
April 29, 2009 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure glad I'm not living in Pennsylvania. To be given a choice between Republican A and Republican B is no choice at all. Pennsylvania Democrats ought to be mad as hell.
April 29, 2009 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rendell and the Dem machine may think that they are forcing Specter on the PA voter, but they have another thing coming, in my estimation
April 29, 2009 5:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rendell is probably privy to the deal that Specter got. If that deal did not include that Specter has to ACT like a Democrat, then we got screwed, and we don't like being screwed, do we?
April 29, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
By and large, Spekter suits me fine. Unless there is a very strong opponent in the primaries, I'll go with Spekter.
(reading some of the earlier comments.. For each right-wing party-line ideonut, there is a left-wing party-line ideonut. I've little to do with either variety.)
April 29, 2009 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I really hope that a new face emerges for the Dems beside this old fart Specter. He has been around for a long time and I never liked him. He is an opportunist beyond belief and a coward on top of that just check out his vote during the Clinton Impeachment. He voted "Not Proven" He didn't even have the b@lls to vote not guilty. THis man is a complete coward. He doesn't even have the guts to take his message back to his constituents and let them have their say. He said he was not going to be subjected to the voters who have voted him into office for the last 29 years.
April 29, 2009 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't you just love machine politics? I mean it is such a refreshing CHANGE. I mean YOU CAN just really BELIEVE IN it.
April 29, 2009 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have an idea for the good old boys who are running the world. Why don't you buy Norm? I mean the guy was a Democrat once. He has no more principles than Specter. If you make him a deal he can't refuse he'll change sides. In fact, he'd be a much more reliable tool than Franken who might on a good day totally forget himself and vote his conscience (WARNING TO CENTRISTS AL HAS BEEN KNOWN TO SUPPORT UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE). Better act fast boys while there's still time.
April 29, 2009 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, that's democratic. "We're bffs, so I'm going to make sure he wins." This isn't high school. I can tell you that this PA Dem sure as hell won't be voting for Specter in the primary.
It's such a shame an awesome guy like Rendell is going to be term-limited.
April 29, 2009 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Topdown politics strikes again. But how well does Rendell actually know PA? Last fall, it was (in his determination) too racist to vote for Obama. It was also (according to Ed) a really really really close race, and the OBAMA CAMPAIGN WASN'T LISTENING TO HIM!!!@#$!!!
I guess we'll see in a year how accurate he is about this issue.
April 29, 2009 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you get somebody to come over to your side, and then the next year you dump him, why would any Republican senator in the future trust us not to dump him or her? I am not saying Specter can screw us--if he does, and I see no advantage to him in doing that, then deal with it next year. In the meantime I say "Welcome, Sen. Specter."
April 29, 2009 9:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's sad that we in PA will be stuck with Specter. As much as I was (and still am) hoping that Sestak or Schwartz runs, I am not optimistic. However, the fact that Sestak has not ruled it out and in fact said that he wants to know what Specter stands for (and not just what he is against, i.e., the far right of the Repuglian party) gives me hope that if Old Arlen torpedoes healthcare reform or something else, Sestak will primary him.
April 29, 2009 10:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope this is not a done deal. Joe Systec would be great. The DEM machine should not decide this. It should be up to the voters. The grassroots have proven that they can raise as much money as the machine if they have a great candidate. Spectar is not a real DEM. He is only trying to save a career. People in PA need to be heard. A strong DEM can beat him.
April 29, 2009 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink