[...] Specter joins Sestak in backing Johnson for Justice Dept post… [...]

Is this huge news? This has been on the radar for awhile.

From Adam Schwartzbaum’s Oct 9 pa2010 article:

“19. don’t ask don’t tell, and also Dawn Johnsen – my question
a. Johnsen: he likes her positions on a woman’s right to chose, but her views on exec power are different. Had a second meeting with her, and he is thinking about it- may change if it is brought to the floor”

Thanks Matt for noticing what I reported on back on October. I knew based on his answer to my question at the UPenn town hall that he had changed his position on this issue. This is just validation of what Specter basically promised back in the Fall.

This is another example of Sestak getting advanced word of Specter announcing a position, then jumping ahead to pretend Specter is reacting to Sestak’s challenge.

As Matt points out, among those following the issue, Specter’s position was already known. Specter’s not going to oppose a Dem nomination unless there is a major controversy.

With Obama resubmitting, Sestak had to know Specter would be making an announcement. So, he jumped out ahead. This is a recurring tactic.

Hey everyone,

Just to clarify, Adam did indeed report that Specter was increasingly leaning toward this a while back. However, I’m pretty sure this is the first time he’s said more explicitly that he’ll support her nomination.

Dan Hirschhorn

Dan-
Agreed that it wasn’t explicit before, but the resubmit was going to require a definitive answer.

Adam seems convinced (“knew”) that Specter had changed his position. The exact quote doesn’t convey all the tone and other clues that formed Adam’s opinion.

The direction was clear enough for Sestak to jump the gun ahead of Specter’s announcement.

What struck me about my exchange with Specter at the time was the conspiratorial air with which he told me to pay attention to what he does “when her vote comes up on the floor.” As Specter said this, he looked me straight in the eye, and there was sort of a wink-nod expression on his face that seemed to say, “people like you and I who know about these things understand that I am going to go along now with the President’s desires on this nomination like a good party member should.” I didn’t report on this at the time, because it was more a feeling than hard news – indeed, the facts were as Dan described them, that he was “reevaluating” his position. But I probably should have.

I say I “knew” because I could discern, based on the way in which Specter was positioning himself as a solid supporter of the President, that his “reevaluation” was actually a signal that, after the passage of a little time, he would eventually be voting for the Johnsen nomination.