Unions Mulling Specter Pressure Thru Dem Challenger

By Marc Ambinder

The same labor unions which hoped to dog Sen. Arlen Specter in his Republican Primary are now thinking about using the money -- about $100,000 -- to "keep Specter honest" when it comes to the principles of his new party, top Democrats said. The money might be used to support a Democratic challenger, the Democrats said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Though Specter ruled out voting for cloture on the Employee Free Choice Act, he is now in a position to broker a compromise -- a "new EFCA."

As Ben Smith of Politico reported, a labor 527 polled Pennsylvania and found that Specter's approval ratings were below that of almost any other statewide official. That polling was used to raise money for a planned campaign against him.

Finding a Democrat to challenge Specter will be tough. Several Democrats who were thinking about the race pulled out today.

A side note: Democrats say three politicians -- Gov. Ed Rendell and Reps. Mike Doyle and Robert Brady -- were in regular contact with Specter as he made his decision.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/unions-mulling-specter-pressure-thru-dem-challenger/16817/