re: #88 looking closely

Its the polls.

Specter is badly behind in the Republican primary polls, and would rather take his chances running again as a Dem next election rather than face a humiliating, and (at this point) near certain loss to (actual) Republican Pat Toomey.

Toomey could have knocked off Specter in ‘04, if the party, including Bush, and Santorum (!) hadn’t abandoned him.