John Baer: Arlen needs magic before his reelection vanishes

A RECENT notice from

Arlen Specter's campaign caught my eye - an e-mail tag-lined "Arlen Gets Magic."

Good thing, I thought - he might need it.

The Republican-turned-Democrat seeking a sixth Senate term runs at a time when an edgy electorate might look askance at long-serving pols, and he runs against a primary opponent - U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, of the Philly 'burbs, who doesn't seem likely to fold. Some magic, I figure, might help.

But it turns out that the notice is about a person rather than supernatural powers. Turns out Specter ran into an NBA Hall-of-Famer, former L.A. Laker Earvin "Magic" Johnson, on the Penn campus Friday. Specter was en route to meet a group of young Dems. Johnson was on a campus visit with his son.

Since the 6'9" Magic isn't hard to spot and was parked near where Specter was arriving, the senator, according to aides, walked up to say hello.

At this point, Johnson starts dishing praise and Arlen, never shy about seizing a moment, asks if Johnson wouldn't mind saying such things to the group Arlen's to address.

And an on-site blogger reports that Johnson does so, calling Specter an "American treasure" and citing Specter's "devotion" to the nation.

I, of course, call Sestak's camp to ask if they're after Donovan McNabb.

"We personally haven't been in touch with Donovan," says spokesman Jonathon Dworkin, "but I'm sure we'd love to have his support."

It's a minor moment in a long campaign, but points up an Arlen trait: his dogged style finds bones with which he builds a body of work consistently leading to wins.

Will this time be different? Two national Democratic strategists recently suggested it might.

Joe Trippi on MSNBC's "Countdown" last week was asked about Sestak's camp cashing in on Specter's voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin because Specter thought that they were "the better choice."

Trippi said, "I think that means the race in Pennsylvania's gotten a little bit more fun, and that Sestak is not going to be a slouch and an easy pushover for Specter."

A second national Democratic consultant requesting anonymity says that despite how things look today - Specter leads Sestak in this month's Quinnipiac poll 44-25 - his money's on Sestak.

Among the arguments is that the two-term congressman and retired Navy admiral is unknown with lots of room to grow before next spring's primary while Specter's a known incumbent running below 50 percent.