Brown win may be bad omen for Specter

The election could have one Pennsylvania Senator wondering about his own upcoming election.

Some observers see yesterday’s Republican victory in the Massachuetts Senate race as a referendum on President Barack Obama and his health care agenda.  Obama’s inability to get a win for the Democrats in Massachusetts follows gubernatorial wins for the GOP in Virginia and New Jersey.  The election could also have one Pennsylvania Senator wondering about his own upcoming election. [audio: 100120LFSPECTER.mp3]

When former Republican Senator Arlen Specter switched political parties back in April, President Obama was soon at his side, vowing to support the veteran lawmaker’s re-election campaign as a Democrat in 2010.  Now Specter finds himself working hard to prove to establish his Democratic credentials in what may be a Republican year.

Franklin and Marshall political analyst Terry Madonna says it doesn’t make it any easier for Specter that he has to face a Democratic congressman in the May party primary.

Madonna: How much support can he give to the President’s Agenda, how vigorous can he be in support of that?  While at the same time that will happen him in the primary, it’s not going to help him with general election voters in the Fall.

With anti-incumbent sentiment growing, Madonna says he doubts Specter’s decades in D.C. will help him either.