Pennsylvania Democratic Party chairman T.J. Rooney put out this statement welcoming Arlen Specter to the party — and essentially saying that Specter will have the state party’s official support in 2010:
“The Pennsylvania Democratic Party welcomes Sen. Arlen Specter with open arms as he has been a tremendous influence on Pennsylvania and has always voted his conscience for the good of his constituents.
“It was the Republican Party that abandoned Arlen Specter, not the other way around. He has been good for the commonwealth and has taken courageous stands, such as supporting President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan that is already helping hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians.
“While the endorsement process is, obviously, a long time from now, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party has a long-standing practice of supporting Democratic incumbents.”
