Breaking: Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is switching from the GOP to the Democratic party and will run as a democrat next year.
BloombergTV was first to report the news at 11:57amET. CNN’s Dana Bash was first with the “seismic” news on CNN at 12:02pm, telling viewers, “this has been rumored all morning but he did just confirm it.”
MSNBC and FNC were broadcasting comments from Pres. Obama at the time, as Obama responded to the Air Force One flyover in New York City yesterday. MSNBC reported the news at 12:05 sourcing WaPo’s Chris Cillizza. Cillizza reported it on The Fix at 11:51am. FNC confirmed the news a few seconds after the MSNBC report.
CNN’s Ed Henry reports that Pres. Obama was made aware of Specter’s decision at 10:25amET.
And with all the rushed reporting, it’s not clear if any one reporter got the scoop. Specter announced his decision via a statement:
I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary. I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.
Last year, MSNBC host Chris Matthews explored the possibility of running in the 2010 Pennsylvania Senate race. Matthews is from Pennsylvania.