Senator Arlen Specter, who a year ago was a Republican, got an endorsement from the Democratic State Committee.   Specter beat Sestak 227-72 to surpass the 2/3 threshold needed.

Frankly, I am amazed at the plurality of support he received, given his history.  There could be a number of reasons for this, and I have no idea which it would be.  Maybe Sestak’s poor campaign organization turned people off.  Maybe Specter’s move leftward appeased the Committee people.  Maybe Specter seems more viable than Sestak in the general election against right-wing extremist Pat Toomey and the Teabaggers.

I agree with all three possibilities.  Sestak is poorly organized, Specter has been pushed to the left by this primary, and Specter, polls show, does better against Toomey (still below Toomey, but that can change).

This measure of unity will benefit him, because it allows for open institutional support.  Anything we can do to be united sooner against the forces of the GOP is a positive.