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United States Senator and newly switched party Democrat Arlen Specter is in trouble in his 2010 re-election campaign.

Uncomfortable town hall meetings are just the tip of the iceberg for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter. He now trails Republican Pat Toomey by double digits in his bid for reelection next year and is viewed unfavorably by a majority of the state’s voters.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Pennsylvania voters shows 48% would vote for Toomey if the election were held today. Just 36% would vote for Specter while four percent (4%) prefer a third option, and 12% are not sure.

These figures reflect a dramatic reversal since June. At that time, before the public health care debate began, Specter led Toomey by eleven.

Just 43% now have a favorable opinion of Specter while 54% offer an unfavorable assessment of the longtime GOP senator who became a Democrat rather than face Toomey in a party primary. Those numbers have reversed since June when 53% had a favorable opinion of him.

The current figures include 15% with a Very Favorable opinion of Specter and 36% with a Very Unfavorable view.

And, Republican Pat Toomey is beating left-wing Democrat Congressman Joe Sestak who is challenging Specter in the Democrat primary election.

After watching Specter in action at a health care town hall a couple of days ago, is there any doubt that the near octogenarian may be too old and feeble to succeed in his re-election efforts?

I doubt Specter wins the primary election and Toomey then mops the floor with Sestak.

The latest Quinnipiac poll shows former Pennsylvania Congressman Pat Toomey trailing incumbent U.S. Senator Arlen Specter by 9 points, 37-46 per cent.

That’s better than Toomey’s showing in a May 4 poll, in which he trailed Specter by 20 points immediately following Specter’s party switch — a switch Specter decided to make in large part because polls showed Toomey beating him in the GOP primary race.

The numbers and candidates in the Pennsylvania race are still in a state of flux. Former Republican Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was considered a possible challenger, but he opted not to run earlier this month despite a Quinnipiac survey showing him competitive against Specter in a general election.

Now Toomey is the leading GOP candidate. Another potential Democratic challenger recently dropped out of the race against Specter as well.

And though Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., is expected to challenge Specter in the Democratic primary, the latest Quinnipiac poll shows the lesser known congressman trailing the five-term senator by nearly 30 points.

The GOP must be heartened with this poll since it appears that Rep. Joe Sestak will be running against Specter in a contested Democratic Party primary election. The negatives of this primary campaign undoubtedly will help Toomey who has a clear field now that Tom Ridge has declared he will not be running.

Now, will President Obama who has promised to support Specter for re-election place pressure on Rep. Sestak to withdraw and/or will he campaign directly for the incumbent Senator?

Stay tuned……

Yesterday, I reported that Tom Ridge would have to move his official residence back to Pennsylvania if he was going to challenge Senator Arlen Specter in 2010.

Well, former Governor Ridge never changed his official residence although he currently resides in Maryland, where it is a short commute to Washington.

By making two, simple phone calls to the Erie County courthouse, we were able to determine that:

1. The Ridges still own a home in Millcreek Township, Erie County and have since 1990. The 10-room manse on Westwood Estates Drive sits on 2.1 acres, has five bedrooms, two full bathrooms, one half-bathroom and a cheery fireplace. It’s assessed at $460,990. And a county and municipal tax bill totaling $3,416.16 was sent to the Ridges’ Chevy Chase address in March. The 2009 school tax bill has not yet been sent out, but officials told us Mr. and Mrs. Ridge paid $6,518.40 in school taxes in 2008.

2. County Election Director Sharon Drayer told us that Gov. Ridge remains registered to vote in Erie County and voted by absentee ballot in last November’s general election.

Looks like Ridge is good to go in his run against Specter. He has said he will announce his decision as to whether he will run in two weeks.

Well, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and your new Democrat Caucus friends screwed you, Arlen.

You will not be able to argue you that by re-electing you in 2010 that the voters of Pennsylvania will be getting a Senator with seniority. At best you will get a vote.

“Senator Reid assured me that I would keep my committee assignments and that I would have the same seniority as if I had been elected as a Democrat in 1980. It was understood that the issue of subcommittee chairmanships would not be decided until after the 2010 election. Some members of the caucus have raised concerns about my seniority, so the caucus will vote on my seniority at the same time subcommittee chairmanships are confirmed after the 2010 election. I am confident my seniority will be maintained under the arrangement I worked out with Senator Reid. I am eager to continue my work with my colleagues on the various committees on which I serve and will continue to be a staunch and effective advocate for Pennsylvania’s and the Nation’s priorities.”

No respect for the traitor and Specter will likely draw a Democrat opponent in a primary election from the NUTROOTS.

Sucker……