The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 3 of 3)

But doubts about their own side of the aisle haven't kept minority leader Harry Reid and Schumer from dreaming big. With a likely open seat in Tennessee (the expected retirement of self-term-limited Sen. Bill Frist) and potentially competitive races in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, Republicans may have to defend more of the national map next time out than they anticipated.

And Schumer isn't making things easy for them. Earlier this week, polling data purportedly paid for by the DSCC began popping up on various Democratic-leaning websites. It showed that the current Pennsylvania state treasurer, Bob Casey, Jr., led Sen. Rick Santorum 52 to 38 in a poll of likely voters. The leaking of the polling data came coincidentally less than a week after both Schumer and Reid had begun courting Casey to run against Santorum. Casey, a pro-life Democrat, and son of the legendary Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey, is said by associates in Pennsylvania to have warmed to the idea, but only if Schumer and Reid could assure him that the Democratic primary field would be cleared for him.

"He asked about it and Schumer guaranteed him a clear field," says a political consultant with ties to the DSCC. "That polling data, wherever it came from, is probably the first step toward getting Casey in line, and running off a few folks with eyes on running against Santorum"

p>Santorum was already girding for a bruising re-election battle, having been targeted by Democrats as Enemy No.1 in this election cycle, and Casey would make the campaign a tough one. "He's right on the issues that Catholics in Pennsylvania vote on, and moderate enough to get strong Democratic support," says the consultant. "He scares the hell out of Santorum's people." br> /p>

topics:
Harry Reid, NATO