Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

May 21, 2009

Specter Would Crush Sestak in Primary

A new Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group poll in Pennsylvania found Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) way ahead of Rep. Joe Sestak (D) in a possible Democratic primary match up, 56% to 16% with 16% undecided.

The poll was commissioned by the DSCC.

Meanwhile, an interesting article in the Allentown Morning Call notes that with the exception of his first two Senate votes after switching parties, Specter has "been about as automatic" a 60th vote as they come, "holding the party line on every measure but one that's come before the chamber. The sudden streak of loyalty comes after some Democrats balked at Specter's initial insistence on touting his maverick style and as a potential deep-pocketed challenger waits in the wings."

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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.

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.

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

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