NRSC Uses Bush Support to Weaken Specter With Dem Voters

Democrats don’t like George W. Bush. It’s an obvious statement, of course, and something Democrats have used every opportunity they get to remind voters of over the last two election cycles.

Nowhere was that better seen than in ads criticizing Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for representing Bush’s “third term” — and who can forget the photo of Bush and McCain embracing?

Now a Bush endorsement may endanger a Democrat, Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.).

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) swiftly lauched a robo-call to approximately 100,000 Pennsylvanian Democratic primary voters reminding them of how important Specter was to the Bush administration and of Bush’s enthusiastic support of Specter.

“I’m here to say it as plainly as I can, Arlen Specter is the right man for the United States Senate. I can count on this man — see, that’s important. He’s a firm ally when it matters most,” listeners hear Bush say.

And Bush could depend on Specter. When Bush needed someone to shepherd John Roberts and Samuel Alito through their confirmations for the Supreme Court, Specter was Bush’s point man. Having worked in the Senate at the time, I can say firsthand that Specter was absolutely critical to their confirmations. It was Specter and his staff that led the way in the Senate on engaging the media, briefing senators and staff and structuring the confirmation process.

That’s something Pennsylvania Democrats won’t like. Labor groups won’t like it; pro-abortion groups won’t like it.

And you can be sure Sen. John Cornyn’s team at the NRSC will remind them of it from now until Election Day — ironically, using millions of dollars that would have been spent defending Specter.