PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running

by Todd Beeton, Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 04:55:27 PM EST

The Democratic power structure has apparently promised their full-throated support for Arlen Specter in next year's Democratic Senate primary -- "in money and in message" -- and no doubt intends to do everything it can to clear the field for our Johnny come lately. Ed Rendell made that perfectly clear in an interview last month.

Via Greg Sargent:

Asked if Specter could win a Dem primary, Rendell said: "He'd be unopposed. The Democrats in the Senate would welcome him. We in Pennsylvania would welcome him. He'd be basically unopposed for the Democratic nomination."

God forbid actual Democrats get to choose for themselves who will be their nominee. What's that called again? Oh yeah, democracy. Specter said he switched parties because he saw he had no chance of winning a Republican primary. Clearly, he has no intention of having to compete in a Democratic one either. How convenient.

So now we get to watch the depressing spectacle of the big guns trying to push Joe Sestak and Allyson Schwartz away from a run against Specter. Will they be successful? Who knows, but it doesn't really matter. Either way, Specter will not have the field to himself.

Per Bowers:

It turns out that Arlen Specter already has a serious primary challenger: Joe Torsella (I can't seem to find a campaign website.) Torsella is CEO of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, head of the Pennsylvania Education Board, and was also a Rhodes Scholar. He held a variety of civic and political positions in Philadelphia during the 1990's, and narrowly lost a 2004 primary for the U.S. House to Allyson Schwartz. [...]

This is a serious campaign. Torsella raised $596,513 during the first 51 days of his campaign, and has $586,798 on hand. While that is still a long way from the $6,735,915 that Specter has on hand, it is not to be taken lightly. Torsella has also hired a high-profile, experienced set of staff and consultants...

Today, Torsella reiterated his intention to run for the Democratic primary. I'll be interested to hear more about Torsella's views but no doubt if he remains the only Democrat to challenge Specter, he is going to find a lot of support online and on the ground in Pennsylvania. His life sure just got a whole lot more interesting.

Update [2009-4-28 17:20:34 by Todd Beeton]:From Ben Smith, until today Torsella was "Rendell's favored candidate."

One man in an interesting spot today is Neil Oxman, Ed Rendell's political advisor and media consultant who is working for the man who was, until today, Rendell's favored candidate for Senate, Joe Torsella.

Torsella, now, is defying his old boss and staying in, and Oxman said in a brief interview that he thinks his client can beat Specter in the Democratic primary, if he decides to stay in the race, despite the power governor's decision to back Specter.

"Ed Rendell will be for Specter and will be at the press conference with the president tomorrow, but I don't think it's relevant," Oxman said. "In these kinds of races poeple make up their minds not because some government leader tells them to."




Tags: pa-sen, joe torsella, arlen specter (all tags)

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Quite honestly (none / 0)

Specter had a 70% approval rating from Demcorats before today. He has to do something royal to piss of Democrats to really see his seat in danger.


Keep Yelling, Nobody's Listening -SallyCat
by DTOzone on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:05:00 PM EST

Re: Quite honestly (none / 0)

Then he has nothing to fear from an actual primary. Yours is an argment tht favors primaries. So,  it's interesting that the Dems would choose anti-democratic strategy. I regularly see arguments here that what I say does not represent the Democratic Party or where Americans are. Yet, regularly the party leadership makes moves to ensure a right ward swing more so than is necessary and will go to great lengths to ensure thata the congress remains to the right of where the American peo are. In this case, Specter has  been moving to the right of where PA is. Yet, an open democratic prmary is being blocked despite the claim that Specter would fare well. Okay. Let's test that.


by bruh3 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:58:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Well he doesn't have anything to fear (none / 0)

from a primary.


Keep Yelling, Nobody's Listening -SallyCat
by DTOzone on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:03:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Well he doesn't have anything to fear (none / 0)

If he has nothing to fear from a primary, then why are Democrats clearing the field. It's clear from their own actions that they do fear Democratic voters not supporting this choice. You can not have it both ways. Claim to represen t the majority, but then act to prevent the majority from having a duly ran primary process. This is about protecting an incumbant that no one is certain could win against anothere democrat. You can repeat your conclusion again for 3rd time, and it will not change what this means. It means they do not believe as you do. They fear a more moderateDemocratic challenger beating him. Their actions speak louder than y our claim.


by bruh3 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:16:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think offering support (none / 0)

is obvious for someone switching parties. I hardly think anyone would switch parties if the other party tells them "Yeah sure come to our side. We may support someone else next year." Trying to clear the primary field just seems like the obvious thing to do when someone switches to your party...but like Joe Sestak said, just because the party clears the field doesn't necessarily make it clear.

We've had this discussion before in the past...we had it in 2006 concerning Snowe and I thiink we all came to the conclusion that if any Republican switched parties, the one thing they'd get is the support of the Democrats in the state or district's party.

Having said that, I don't think Specter even needs their support.


Keep Yelling, Nobody's Listening -SallyCat
by DTOzone on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:14:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I think offering support (none / 0)

Nothing in your response is an answer as to why voters do not get to decide for themselves versus having party bosses decide. It's just an avoidance of the fundamental question I raised: if he represents the party so much then he should be subject to the will of the PA Democratic voter rather than decision by inside the beltway politicians trying to protect their full employment program.


by bruh3 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:02:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

So you're not in favor (none / 0)

of Republicans ever switching to Democrat while in office? Because having the establishment try to clear the priamry field in the next election is a pretty standard thing to do when someone switches parties.


Keep Yelling, Nobody's Listening -SallyCat
by DTOzone on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:09:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: So you're not in favor (none / 0)

I am in favor of it as long as we get the benefit of the bargain more so than they do. When they place conditions on it like they aren't going to support major legislation, then I feel that I am on the short end of the stick. I am also a big believer in if you have the upper hand in a deal, then use it. We have the upper hand by about a 100 miles. Yet to read this description of his defection from the GOP, I feel like writing a bumper stick: "Specter defected to the Democrats, but all we got were the optics." Most of the statement I make here are qualified on us not controlling him. If we control him as I want, and he falls into line, then Ia m find with it. Change for the sake of the emotions (the short term feel of it) is not what I am looking to find. Therefore, clearing the primary for someone who is not changed on the issues is a problem. Hell, I give Gillibrand hell, but at least she changed her positions on the major issues to try to fit the state. What is Specter doing? Zilch it seems other than changing the optics. As I said, I would love to be wrong here and hope that I am. But I am concerned right now that we aren't getting the bulk o the benefit fo the bulk, and that we are sheilding a guy who 2 years from now could be back with the GOP. Let me repeat_ this is not about what they gave him, it's about what we got. And a primary would test whether he really represents what the state of PA believes, and thus test whether we got a good deal or not. The altnerantive would have been him coming out in favor the workers right- which seems to fit the state of PA. But even there he has not said anything promising.


by bruh3 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:23:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (none / 0)

Agree with the preceding.   Moreover, if more than one Democrat runs against Specter, the splitting of the field virtually guarantees his re-election.

My take:  move along, there'll be nothing to see.

Would like to pry Olympia Snowe out of the Republican caucus.


by InigoMontoya on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:24:00 PM EST

Yup... (none / 0)

Oly Snowe is my current favorite Republican in the Senate.  Her co-senator Collins, she is a bit to smarmy for me.

Reminds me of WA.

Love Patti Murry.

Maria Cantwell, not so much.


Support the separation of Church and State: Vote YES on WA R-71!
by WashStateBlue on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:27:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

All things considered, (none / 0)

I'd rather be a Rhode Islander. Is there a state with such a complete PAIR of Senators?


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by Charles Lemos on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:58:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (none / 0)

Watching Specter the last couple months, it's pretty clear that the primary motivator in his actions is fear of losing a primary election. If Democrats want Specter to do anything for us, we'd better start engineering that fear quickly.


by mcc on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:44:50 PM EST

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (none / 0)

yep, I will even give Torsella money. If only he had a website.


by Lolis on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:03:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Mmm, I like it (none / 0)

Democrats getting fired up about primaries.  That can only be good in the long run for getting a solid working Democratic supermajority... as long as we remember that there should be no hard feelings in either direction.


You can't stop the signal.

President "That One"

by Dracomicron on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 05:50:49 PM EST

Re: Mmm, I like it (none / 0)

I can't see upset Torsella voters voting for Toomey in the Fall.


by antiHyde on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 07:01:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (2.00 / 1)

Torsella is an ambitious guy.  I really hope that Rendell doesn't manage to muscle him out.

In my personal opinion, if Specter wants the nomination, he should have to prove himself as a Democrat.  He shouldn't just waltz on in boasting about his history as a prickly independent and think that it will be just fine.  He's not Jeffords.

My personal attitude aside, a well-funded Democratic challenge is essential in this situation.  Specter has proven that he can be easily pressured through electoral calculations.  Torsella, or any other Democratic candidate needs to be all over the Senator for the big votes.  I suspect a good Dem challenge will tamp down some of Specter's lingering Republican inclinations, and this could be very good for Obama's agenda.


by enr37 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:09:43 PM EST

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (none / 0)

Agree 100 percent. If he wants the title of Democrat, he needs to earn it at the ballot box.  We are being forced unnaturally right despite what the voters preference here may or may not be. By him going unchallenged, we have no idea whether he represents what PA Democratic voters want.


by bruh3 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:05:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (none / 0)

If Arlen Specter's idea of switching parties in order to have an easier primary doesn't get dubbed "the magic ballot theory" then our nation's pundits are asleep at the switch.


When you start out making the "slippery slope" argument, where do you draw the line?
by Jess81 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 06:13:41 PM EST

Re: PA-Sen: The Democrat Who's Already Running (none / 0)

by the way- this i sthe second time in as many months that it seems the democratic establishment is trying to push a candidate onto the electorate of a state that may be to the right of the electorate.


by bruh3 on Tue Apr 28, 2009 at 08:07:08 PM EST


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