The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> HAFER HOOVED br> Democrats in Washington and Pennsylvania apparently are putting winning above pleasing leading financial supporters and ideologues. Late Thursday, less than a day after announcing she would challenge Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr. for the Democratic Senate nomination, former state treasurer and Allegheny county commissioner Barbara Hafer pulled out of the primary race. /p>

Hafer had received political backing from Democratic financial backers EMILY'S List and the National Organization for Women, and she was expected to press ahead, at least for a time, despite warnings from Democratic Senate leaders Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer. EMILY's List, in fact, had sent two Washington-based staffers up to Pennsylvania to open a campaign office for Hafer.

Schumer, according to a source on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, placed a call to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell early Thursday, and Rendell and Hafer spoke later in the day. Rendell owes Hafer politically, after she endorsed him for governor while she was still a Republican. (Hafer switched parties two years ago.)

According to the DSCC source, Rendell offered Hafer little beyond a promise that if senior Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter were to leave office, he would back her as the replacement. Hafer was angered by the Rendell power play, telling supporters that he refused to explain why he was backing a candidate who differed with him on issues critical to the Democratic Party.

"We have a pro-choice governor backing a pro-life candidate," says an EMILY'S List staffer in Washington. "Beyond wanting to win something for a change, it doesn't make sense, and it certainly isn't good for the party."

Hafer, according to the DSCC source, had sought to speak to DNC chairman Howie Dean, but her call went unreturned. "This was a Senate matter, handled by the Senate leadership," says a DNC staffer. "This wasn't the kind of thing to get into the middle of."

Rendell also did the dirty deed for Schumer and Reid with former Rep. Joe Hoeffel, who lost to Arlen Specter in 2004, and was mulling another Senate run. In the case of Hoeffel nothing had to be promised, by all accounts, since he had little support from the state party, and no support from the DSCC.

State polls showed Hafer and Hoeffel losing badly to incumbent Rick Santorum head to head. Casey has a slight edge over Santorum, but that lead is thought to be due more to the heavy polling done around Philadelphia, with lighter response in the Pittsburgh area where Santorum has his base.

topics:
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Law, NATO