Big story in Allentown Morning Call and other papers is bad news for Arlen Specter as his race against conservative Rep. Pat Toomey enters home-stretch. In a nutshell: Lehigh County (PA) Commissioner Andy Roman – discussing a local rail project with Specter legislative aides – says
And at the end of the conversation, the question was, “By the way, we understand there’s a possibility you may not be supporting the senator.” And I said, “Well, you’re right, I’m supporting U.S. Rep.Pat Toomey.” And the tenor of the conversation changed very quickly. They said, “If that’s the case, your rail initiative will come to a sudden end, and it will never happen.”
Specter spokesman denies conversation happened that way. But Roman says “This kind of intimidation is widespread across the whole state. . . . Arlen Specter has put the fear of God into every elected official you talk to, and people are given the message quite clearly: That if you cross Arlen Specter, you will pay a price.”