Rendell Tries To Convince Specter To Switch Parties

From Aaron Blake at The Hill.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell’s (D) office on Monday confirmed the governor’s recent comments that he has tried to get Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) to switch parties and run as a Democrat.

After Rendell said in a news station interview that he, Vice President Biden and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) have all lobbied Specter to make the switch, Casey’s office denied that Casey had done so in any private manner, and Biden’s office declined to comment.

But Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said Rendell has indeed tried to convince Specter on many occasions to switch parties.

“The governor has had conversations — both public and private — trying to urge Sen. Specter to switch parties, and each and every time, he has received a resounding ‘no’ in response,” Ardo said.

Ardo did not speak to how serious the supposed lobbying efforts by Biden and Casey were. He agreed with Casey’s office that Rendell might have been referring to an event last month at which Rendell and Biden joked about Specter switching parties.

“I think the governor was alluding to some [conversations that were] public, some private, some tongue-in-cheek, some a bit more serious,” Ardo said.