Specter: an enormous amount of anger

Timothy McNulty | September 16, 2009

Here's more from the Inquirer's Tom Fitzgerald, providing the behind-the-scenes pool report at the Obama-Specter fundraiser last night. Note Specter's comments on the mood (and the anger) of the American electorate:

Specter spoke before POTUS. He praised Obama's activist presidency, admiring him for "going into the teeth of the cannon with a style and a grace that is extraordinary." Then Specter mused on the electoral mood.

"This is a very curious election. It's very hard to figure out the mood of the American people now," Specter said. "There's an enormous amount of anger out there. Nobody is safe."

Specter referred to the "You lie!" outburst during POTUS' health-care speech last week by Rep. Joe Wilson (R.,S.C.).

"If this guy from South Carolina can be a hero what's happening in America?" Specter said. "Is anybody secure?"

Specter said of POTUS, with his typical dry wit: "It's great to have him as a president, it's great to have him as a friend - and it's perhaps greatest to have him as a fundraiser." The line drew a laugh.

Christopher Nicholas, Specter's campaign manager, said that they were "within striking distance" of the $2.5 million goal for the two-tiered event. Proceeds were to be split between the Specter campaign and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.

Guests dined on steak, crab cakes, potatoes, carrots and green beans. For giving $10,000 or raising $50,000, donors posed for photos with the president and attended the dinner.

The dinner represented a "Who's Who" of Democratic fundraising in Southeastern Pennsylvania. David L. Cohen, executive vice president of Comcast Corp. and a Democratic powerbroker who was chief of staff in Rendell's City Hall, was chairman of the event. Among the other fundraisers in attendance: lawyer Mark Alderman; developer Ron Rubin; lawyer Steve Cozen; lawyer Tad Decker, a former state inspector general; Trial lawyer Richard A. Sprague and lawyers Mark Aronchick and Ken Jarin, major fundraisers in Gov. Rendell's orbit.