Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

May 03, 2009

Fleeing Moderates Caused Specter to Switch

The Philadelphia Inquirer has details from the internal poll that Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) took before deciding to switch parties last week.

The survey found Specter trailing Pat Toomey in a Republican primary by 15 points in a three-way matchup with antiabortion candidate Peg Luksik.

Said a source familiar with the poll: "The numbers reflected the exodus of moderates from the party in the eastern part of the state."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the creator of Political Wire, a political column updated around the clock with the most interesting news, buzz and commentary.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

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