The whispers of a possible U.S. Senate run by MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews have turned to shouts in recent days, after Matthews reportedly met last week with state Democratic Party officials.
Matthews has long been rumored to be considering a run against U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in 2010. He continues to shy away from questions about the prospect publicly. But his meeting last Monday with state party chairman T.J. Rooney and executive director Mary Isenhour prompted a flurry of news reports that Matthews was gearing up for the campaign.
The blog FiveThirtyEight.com reported late last week that Matthews was actually staffing up for a run against Specter, though Matthews later denied that report. What's clear, though, is that Matthews' thinking has, at the minimum, progressed from simple speculation to serious consideration.
A Quinnipiac poll last week showed Matthews trailing Specter by 12 points in the potential match-up, 45 percent to 33 percent. As a moderate Republican with high approval ratings and a tenacious campaigner, analysts see Specter as tough to beat for any Democrat.
U.S. Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-Abington) and Joe Sestak (D-Edgmont) have also been floated as potential Democratic opponents against Specter. On CNN last night, Specter told Wolf Blitzer he would be ready for whatever opponent that Democrats threw at him.
"I long ago adopted the philosophy of Satchel Paige, the old pitcher, and that is I never look over my shoulder, never look behind," he said. Somebody may be gaining on me. I run with blinders. Wolf, I'll be prepared, whoever my opponents are."
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