Clearing the Way for Specter?

Gov. Rendell has never been shy about clearing the path for favored candidates. He asked Bryan Lentz to step aside for Joe Sestak in 2006. He asked Joe Hoeffel to end his lt. gov. campaign a day or two after it started. Now that Arlen Specter is running as a Democrat, will Rendell "persuade" other Democrats to step aside? See Shiar Toeplitz in Roll Call, "Specter's election prospects improve," 4/29

In a lengthy statement from his office, Sestak said he questioned Specter’s motivation for switching parties. He did not directly address running for the seat when pressed by reporters.

“In short, I believe that the principles of what he is running for and his commitment to accountable leadership are questions that still need to be addressed,” Sestak said.

The only announced Democrat in the race, former National Constitution Center President Joe Torsella, said he would continue his campaign for now. Pennsylvania Democratic sources said that Torsella had the implicit support of Rendell until yesterday, even nabbing the governor’s media consultant, Neil Oxman, to work for campaign.

According to a source close to Torsella, Rendell did not alert him beforehand about Specter’s switch, and party leaders had not called on Torsella to step out of the race.