Fleeing Moderates Caused Specter to Switch

Worth Clicking: Blasts from the past wound Romney

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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 founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

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Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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May 03, 2009