The American Spectator

p> SECOND THOUGHTS br> The bubble was bound to burst eventually. According to Senate Democratic leadership sources, both Senate minority leader Harry Reid and chief 2006 candidate recruiter Sen. Chuck Schumer had received assurances from presumptive Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee Bob Casey, Jr. that he was supportive of Reid’s leadership and was comfortable with the party’s position on abortion, stem cell research, and the filibustering of President Bush’s federal judicial nominees. /p>

According to one of these sources, Casey did not make commitments to voting a certain way on specific legislation or issues, but Reid and Schumer felt comfortable enough with what they heard that they approached the state party apparatus, including Gov. Ed Rendell, about exerting pressure on possible Democratic challengers to Casey in order to clear the field for him.

They also felt comfortable enough sharing their impressions with members of the Democratic Senate caucus, including Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Barbara Boxer, and Sens. Dick Durbin and John Kerry, all of whom expressed doubts about Casey’s ability or stomach to stick with them in tough fights on social issues.

“Everyone was assured that Casey was going to hang tough with us on reproductive rights and judges,” says a Democratic leadership staffer. “But there was genuine concern that Casey was not going to be a team player. You have to remember, Casey’s dad was not popular with the Washington party establishment. It’s a natural reaction. They don’t want this guy after a couple of years to be another Zell Miller.”

Given Casey’s low-watt personality, no one would mistake him for a Miller clone, or even a Sam Nunn. But Casey has presented himself as a moderate to conservative Democrat, and has said he shares his late father’s pro-life and conservative social policy positions. Schumer surprised some of the Democratic caucus when he made recruitment of Casey a top priority after the 2004 election cycle.

Reid and Schumer’s hand-holding and discussion of Casey with their colleagues, according to another leadership aide, was also born out of the need to stem a possible break within the caucus that would have seen some liberal members encouraging a primary challenger to Casey.