by Peter Nicholas and Josh Drobnyk
President Obama wades into an intramural fight among Democrats today by attending a high-dollar fundraising dinner for Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), demonstrating an unusual measure of personal commitment in a primary battle whose outcome is far from clear.
As leader of his party, Obama had the option of following a more neutral course and staying out of the primary race between Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). But the White House has opted to double down on its support for Specter, a longtime Republican who switched parties in the spring partly to avoid an anticipated defeat in the GOP primary next year.
Proceeds of the reception and dinner in Philadelphia will go to both Specter and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to a Specter campaign aide. The fundraising goal for both events is $2.5 million.
Guests attending the private dinner with Obama must donate $10,000 or raise $50,000. A ticket will also get them a picture with the president. The ticket price for the reception is about $2,400. Organizers expect about 750 people to attend the reception and 250 at the dinner. The Senate is scheduling no votes after 3 p.m. today so Specter can attend the fundraiser, a leadership aide said.
Next month, Vice President Joe Biden will headline a Specter fundraiser in Pittsburgh.
Although a president may not want to take sides in such contests, the Specter case is different, said Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, a Specter supporter.
"The president feels an obligation because he and the vice president worked hard to get Sen. Specter to switch parties, and that's not your normal situation," Rendell said. "I think they feel obligated."
See the story about President Obama's fundraising in Pennsylvania for Sen. Arlen Specter in Tribune newspapers today and here in the Swamp:
The move carries risks for Obama. Should Sestak prevail as an insurgent candidate lacking establishment backing, it would be an embarrassment for a president who ran much the same kind of campaign in 2008.
Specter raised an impressive $1.7 million during the three-month period that ended June 30, putting him well ahead of Sestak. Having served five terms in the Senate, he is by far the better known of the two.
A poll by Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., last month showed Specter leading Sestak among Democratic voters, 37% to 11%, with half of Democrats undecided. But the poll showed that Specter is not invincible.
The poll asked Pennsylvania voters of all political affiliations whether Specter ought to be reelected or if it was time for new blood. A total of 34% said he deserved reelection, with 54% saying it was "time for a change," according to poll director G. Terry Madonna.
An Obama endorsement may not carry as much weight in Pennsylvania as it once did. The Franklin & Marshall poll found that 47% rated Obama's performance "excellent" or "good," compared with 53% who chose "fair" or "poor." In June, his "excellent/good" rating was 8 points higher.
Obama administration officials said that endorsing Specter was an easy call. "Our position from the start is that we're going to support [Democratic] incumbents seeking reelection," said a senior Obama administration official.
Specter has sought to show that he is a loyal Obama Democrat, making it easier for the White House to give him its full support. He championed Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court and backs an Obama-supported proposal to establish a government-run health insurance program to compete with private insurers. That idea has made some conservative Democrats uneasy, but Specter last week declared himself an "emphatic" supporter.
When Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) apologized to Obama for yelling "You lie!" at the president during the joint session of Congress last week, Specter said it wasn't enough.
"Maybe it's no coincidence that for many years I have been derided by the far right as a Republican in name only," Specter told party activists at a June Democratic Committee event in Pittsburgh.
"Well, I'm no longer a Republican. I'm again a Democrat," said Specter, who was a Democrat early in his political career. "And I'm pleased and proud to be a Democrat."
Comments
It is a sad testament to our national party system, that a member of one party, The Republican-Libertarian Party, has to jump ship, because of a hostile environment within that Party, because that Senator is a moderate. That is what a toxic agenda will do to your Party unity. I know that there is more to the story than just the Republican-Liberatarian's toxic agenda, but a think that played no small role in Senator Specter's decision to join the Democratic ranks. The Republican-Libertarian Party's ranks continue to dwindle and they must have party discipline in order to obstruct President Obama's and the Democrat's initiatives, so they have to cull their herd, join in lockstep and hope they can prevent President Obama and the Democrats from succeeding. It is a silly strategy and a destructive one and I think they will pay a heavy price for fostering it and inflaming it !! They are becoming the Party of confusion, distortion and obstruction, not a very pleasant development, when you consider it was once the home of President Lincoln and Senator Everett Dirksen !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | September 15, 2009 9:48 AM
The constant "Campaigner" just needs to settle down and become a leader. Willthat ever happen?
Doubt it but then stranger things have happened in politics.
Bring them home now - huh Don? What's the murder - death - kill numbers this week Don? Got any pictures of flag draped caskets on the horizon?
Posted by: springfield | September 15, 2009 10:03 AM
Another "Career" politician", which is something we all can do without. Its time to clean house, no pun intended.
Seriously, this guy has been around far to long. He doesn't have the peoples best interests at heart, he has his own.
Posted by: Paul | September 15, 2009 10:09 AM