Sen. Arlen Specter, whose word one must take with an asterisk, declares his position on card check to be unchanged. So Big Labor is now supposed to sit out a competitive Senate race and meekly accept Specter as the standard bearer of the Democratic Party? Hmm.

I suspect one of two things will occur: either Specter will have new insight into the “plight of workers” or Labor will challenge him in the primary. Why should they risk leaving a seat to someone who is not a solid “yes” vote for card check? (This should also make Red state Democrats squirm as card check may be perceived to be back in “play,” forcing them to risk Big Labor’s wrath to preserve their own political future.)

Yes, Harry Reid made whatever promises he made to Specter to support him in the primary, but unless Big Labor has once again shown remarkable political density, it will seize the chance to find a “real” Democrat. Indeed Big Labor will not be alone as liberal Democrats begin to ask why they should vote for an 79-year old lifelong Republican who discovered the Democratic Party just in time ( he hoped) to save his skin. It may be that Specter’s cravenness turns out to be for naught.