PA Democrats snub Specter

Despite being the incumbent and sitting on top of an $8 million campaign war chest, Sen. Arlen Specter has not been able to win support from Pennsylvania's Democratic Congressional delegation.

From the latest "Whispers" column in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

JUST 2 DEM REPS BACK SPECTER. Pennsylvania's Democrat congressional delegation isn't exactly leaping on the Arlen Specter bandwagon.

The Washington, D.C., newspaper The Hill reported that only two Democrat congressmen -- Chaka Fattah of Philadelphia and Tim Holden of Schuylkill County -- have publicly endorsed the snarlin' one.

This despite the fact that Specter has received the backing of President Barack Obama, Gov. Ed Rendell and Sen. Bob Casey Jr.

Perhaps the congressional delegation wants to remain faithful to one of its own -- Rep. Joe Sestak of Delaware County, who is challenging Specter in the 2010 Democrat primary.

But among the representatives who have failed to formally endorse Specter are John Murtha of Johnstown, Jason Altmire of McCandless, Mike Doyle of Forest Hills, Bob Brady of Philadelphia, Allyson Schwartz of Philadelphia, Paul Kanjorski of Scranton and Patrick Murphy of Bucks County.

In late April, Specter told reporters that Rendell wanted to get Casey and Brady and the rest of the Democrat delegation together to make a formal endorsement.

Nearly four months later, that has yet to occur. With Specter's plummeting poll numbers and the hostile reception he received last week at several town hall meetings held to discuss health care reform, we wouldn't be surprised if that collective endorsement is postponed indefinitely.

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.