The Specter Steamroller - From WSJ.com's Political Diary

All-Out for Specter

The big question since Sen. Arlen Specter switched parties was just how hard his new Democratic patrons would fight to get him re-elected next year. The early answer? Hard enough that Majority Leader Harry Reid is willing to shut down the nation's business on behalf of the Pennsylvania Senator this afternoon.

Mr. Reid announced on Friday that the Senate would hold no votes after 3 p.m. today. According to CQ Politics, "His office later said that the scheduling decision was meant to accommodate a long-planned fundraiser that President Obama is headlining in Philadelphia to benefit Specter's campaign," CQ reported. And not just any fundraiser: The event will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and feature many of the state's prominent Democrats, including Gov. Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

One of the organizers, Comcast executive and Democratic heavyweight David L. Cohen, circulated the details to potential guests in a widely reported email: The night will include a cocktail reception at $1000 per head, a special reception open to those who raise at least $10,000, and a super-special dinner for which "an individual must write (not raise) a minimum of $10,000 or raise $50,000 to attend." Attendees at the dinner, Mr. Cohen added, will get their picture taken with President Obama and Senator Specter. Organizers are hoping to raise $2.5 million.

One Pennsylvania Democrat not likely to show up is Rep. Joe Sestak. The party went to great lengths to dissuade Mr. Sestak from running against Senator Specter in next year's Senate primary. Gov. Rendell at one point promised that the Democratic congressman would "get killed" and "marginalized" and fade "into political obscurity" if he defied the party's wishes. But Mr. Sestak sensed an eagerness among the liberal base for an alternative to the party's Republican-turned-Democrat designee.

Yesterday, the now-candidate fired off a pointed response to the Reid announcement: "I urge Arlen Specter to speak with Harry Reid and ask that the Senate hold votes Tuesday afternoon, instead of delaying the public's business. This gets to a larger issue, and why I am running against the establishment's wishes, because too often it favors the powerful and well-connected who are also too often rewarded at the cost of those who are at the bottom. Can Arlen Specter -- or anyone in this fundraiser -- explain why it is okay to hold up the entire U.S. Senate to benefit his political campaign, but it's -- in Arlen's own words -- a 'court martial' offense for missing a few primarily procedural votes?"

That's a question some Pennsylvania Democrats are probably asking themselves. A Franklin & Marshall poll late last month showed Mr. Specter still leading his challenger by 26 points, even as his "unfavorable" ratings have also been rising steadily since his party switch. But party leaders appear to be doubling down. The fundraiser is part of a bigger Specter strategy to stockpile enough to cash to swamp his lesser known rival, whose greatest foreseeable challenge will be in raising enough money to remain competitive.
-- Kim Strassel

Top Secret Stimulus - Post from WSJ Political Diary

Democrats apparently are in a mad rush to pass their stimulus bill before the public or Members of Congress have much chance to read it. Just a few days ago the House overwhelmingly passed a new procedural rule requiring 48-hour public notice before any bill faces a roll call vote. The idea was to allow voters to review bills online before they are approved by Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been crowing about this new era of transparency.

But the stimulus bill, which numbers more than 700 pages and was just renegotiated by the House and Senate Democratic leadership, may be voted on less than 24 hours after the agreement was reached. Last night, House Republicans were vocally complaining that they still didn't know the line-by-line details of the biggest spending bill to hit Capitol Hill since World War II. We also hear that House Blue Dog Democrats are furious with Ms. Pelosi for forcing a vote that clearly violates the party's own brand new sunshine rule.

Many squeamish House Democrats who represent mostly Republican districts are getting slammed back home for voting in favor of the original House stimulus bill. These moderates are also angry that the Democratic leadership bill made more room for pork by slicing Barack Obama's much-heralded tax cut for families by 20%. Couples were supposed to get $1,000, now they will get $800 off their income taxes.

A House Republican leadership staff member tells me: "Yep, looks like they will waive that [disclosure] rule even before the ink is dry on it." Rep. Dave Camp, ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, adds: "Frankly, because this process has been so rushed, we are literally flying blind."

One rumor is that Democrats want to speedily enact the bill in the House without public vetting because Nancy Pelosi has to fly to Italy over the weekend. Democrats in the leadership are also getting weary of this stimulus debate. They're aware of the shrinking public approval and want to strong-arm the bill through Congress before rank-and-file House members get cold feet.

So the era of transparency and openness on Capitol Hill has come and gone. Mr. Camp pleads: "The American people have a right to know what's in this bill." Ms. Pelosi thinks it best that they learn about the bill's contents only after Barack Obama has signed it into law.

-- Stephen Moore