TPM Reader FB may be on to something …
I think what you are going to see is that Specter will have very strong motivation to organize the EFCA “compromise” which involves some “protection” of the sanctity of the secret ballot but gives labor about 80% of what it wants. It is kind of the inverse of Lieberman organizing “compromises” that gave Republicans 80% of what they wanted. If Specter doesn’t do that, labor will support a democratic primary opponent who could pull a Ned Lamont type surprise.
To add to the mix here, we’re just now listening to Sen. Specter’s press conference and he appeared to say that he would not vote for cloture for EFCA, which would really put him at serious loggerheads with a big part of the Democratic coalition in his state. Don’t that interpretation as definitive. We’re pulling the tape to make sure we have the working exactly right. But that seemed to be where he was pointing. If that’s where he’s planting his flag, he may find such a ‘compromise’ necessary.
