Arlen Specter

Sestak Takes Aim At Specter For Blocking Key Obama Nominee

Brian Beutler | October 30, 2009, 3:05PM

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA)

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) has found a new lever in his primary campaign against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA). Sestak is hitting Specter for his early (and possibly continuing) opposition to the confirmation of Dawn Johnsen, whom President Obama nominated to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel back in February.

"As the administration deals with crucial legal issues from interrogating and prosecuting terrorists to closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Arlen Specter and Senate Republicans have decided to tie the President's hands by denying him a critical advisor," Sestak says in a new statement.

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Barack Obama

Political Blitz: Dem Candidates Prepare For (And Hope To Capture) Obamarama

Christina Bellantoni | October 19, 2009, 2:34PM

VA-Gov candidate Creigh Deeds at rally with President Barack Obama

As we near the critical two-week benchmark before elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York, the White House is going all-in to help Democratic candidates. President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are raising money and stumping for hopefuls across the country - in some cases looking beyond the narrow focus of next month's election to the 2010 midterms.

Last week Obama raised more than $3 million for the Democratic party in San Francisco, and Biden helped raise money for Missouri senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

But in the race to the finish, and with Republicans eager to make a loss in Virginia or New Jersey seem like a major national trend for the president, it's a high-profile week for both Obama and Biden.

Obama has eight political events scheduled over the next week. Before he leaves for the Czech Republic tomorrow, Biden has a long day of double political duty.

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PA-SEN

Specter Leads Money Fight, Sestak Raises Money With Anita Hill

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 15, 2009, 6:05PM

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA)

Rep. Joe Sestak announced he raised $758,000 in third quarter today -- and immediately began his quest to raise more by questioning the commitment of his opponent, Sen. Arlen Specter, to women's rights.

Sestak's fundraising total was dwarfed by Specter's. The long-time incumbent and short-time Democrat Specter raised $1.8 million, thanks in no small part, according to the Lehigh Valley Morning Call, to a September fundraiser for Specter hosted by President Obama. Specter announced his fundraising totals on Wednesday.

But today, Sestak made it clear he's going to keep hitting Specter hard, despite the fundraising mismatch.

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PA-SEN

Poll: Specter Barely Leads Sestak In Dem Primary

Eric Kleefeld | October 15, 2009, 9:57AM

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA)

The new Rasmussen poll of Pennsylvania finds Sen. Arlen Specter just barely ahead of his Democratic primary challenger, Rep. Joe Sestak.

The numbers: Specter 46%, Sestak 42%, with a ±3% margin of error. In early August, Specter had been ahead by 47%-34%. Sestak has been challenging Specter -- who switched form the Republicans to the Democrats in order to avoid certain defeat in the GOP primary -- on the grounds that he's not a real Democrat, and both of them have been moving noticeably to the left (though Specter has logically taken a greater journey, given his starting point as a moderate Republican).

In the general election match-ups, Republican former Rep. Pat Toomey leads Specter by 45%-40%, while Sestak edges out Toomey 38%-37%, with a ±3% margin of error.

PA-SEN

Poll: Specter In Serious Danger On Re-Election

Eric Kleefeld | October 14, 2009, 12:28PM

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

A new Susquehanna poll has some awful numbers for Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), with him stuck in a dead heat for re-election -- and a huge majority of the state's voters saying he doesn't deserve re-election.

Only 31% of voters said Specter should be re-elected, with 59% saying someone else should be given a chance. It's not surprising to learn that Specter has a large base of opposition -- after all, he switched from the Republicans to the Democrats in order to avoid defeat in the GOP primary at the hands of former Rep. Pat Toomey -- but that's quite bad.

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Arlen Specter

In Heated Primary, Sestak, Specter Seek Liberal Ground

Brian Beutler | October 9, 2009, 2:47PM

Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA)

On May 8th--long before Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) made his primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) official--I wrote that "as long as Sestak's running, or threatening to run, both men will feel the incentive to move left. That's good news for progressives on its own, and even better if the brinksmanship results in a sort of political positive feedback loop, where each candidate does his best to prove himself more liberal than the other."

Soon after that--in his first weeks as a Democrat after nearly 30 Republican years--Specter began taking baby steps to the left. But as time has gone on, the extent to which the two men have indeed attempted to outdo each other by taking more and more progressive stances has become fairly comical.

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PA-SEN

Biden To Raise Money For Specter

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 11:20AM

Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Vice President Joe Biden will be headed to Pennsylvania later this month, to raise money for Sen. Arlen Specter.

Specter announced the event, set for October 19, in an e-mail to his supporter list. He also quotes Biden:

Earlier this year, Vice President Biden welcomed me to the Democratic Party, saying:

"[Arlen's] independence, integrity, and piercing intellect will continue to be a tremendous asset to the people of Pennsylvania, and now, to the Democratic caucus in the Senate."

(Emphasis in the original.)

Specter faces a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak, who is attacking Specter for his prior history as a Republican, and is arguing that Specter is not a genuine Democrat. Look for Biden to say a lot of great things about how much Specter has contributed to the Democratic cause over the last six months.

Joe Sestak

Toomey Raises Over $1.5 Million In Third Quarter

Brian Beutler | October 7, 2009, 9:54AM

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

An impressive haul from Republican Pat Toomey, who's running for Arlen Specter's Senate seat in Pennsylvania. $1.5 million in the third quarter.

According to a press release announcing the total, Toomey has raised over $3.1 million from over 20,000 contributors since he announced his Senate candidacy five and a half months ago--that's more contributors than he had in all of 2004, when he last challenged Specter.

Still no word on fundraising totals for Specter, or his primary rival Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA). Sestak came out strong in the second quarter, and has been ramping up his attacks on the 30-year-Republican-turned-Democrat. But Specter has been enjoying the support of the party establishment, and his totals will reflect the fundraising prowess of President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and many other Democratic celebrities.

Arlen Specter

Sestak Launches Site Tying Specter To Palin

Brian Beutler | October 6, 2009, 11:00AM

As I reported yesterday, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) is putting the screws to his primary opponent, incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) by launching a website tying Specter to his 30 year record as a Republican.

The site, which bares a non-coincidental resemblance to Specters actual campaign site, has since gone live; you visit it here. Perhaps most damningly, it includes one image tying Specter to liberal bete noir Sarah Palin.

A letter from the Sestak campaign warns, "This election, Pennsylvania will have a choice between a principled, accountable leader for the next generation or two long-time Republicans." (Whoever wins the Democratic Senate primary will face conservative Pat Toomey in the general election.)

PA-SEN

Poll: Toomey Narrowly Leading Specter And Sestak

Eric Kleefeld | October 1, 2009, 9:49AM

Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

The new Quinnipiac poll of Pennsylvania has some good news for Republican former Rep. Pat Toomey, with him edging out both Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter and Dem primary challenger Rep. Joe Sestak.

In a match-up with Specter, Toomey has 43% support to Specter's 42%. These two guys have been enemies for years, since Toomey narrowly lost in his 2004 Republican primary challenge to the then-GOPer Specter -- and his primary challenge this time around spurred Specter into switching to the Democrats.

Against Sestak, Toomey has 38% to Sestak's 35%. Both results are within the ±3% margin of error.

Also, Specter leads Sestak in the Democratic primary, but is below the crucial 50% mark: Specter 44%, Sestak 25%.