Is the White House Girding for a Specter Loss?

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Bob Schieffer of CBS says that’s what sources are telling him privately about tomorrow’s Pennsylvania Senate primary. (Via Greg Sargent.)

“In all candor, I have been told on background and so forth that the White House is preparing for a Specter loss here, and that the president doesn’t want to be associated with that,” the network’s chief Washington correspondent told a local affiliate.

While former President Bill Clinton trekked to the Keystone State to stump for Democrat Mark Critz in the hotly contested special election for John Murtha’s 12th Congressional district seat, according to Sargent Vice President Joe Biden is no longer planning to appear on Specter’s behalf. The grizzled veteran has notched a slew of key endorsements, but as Jay notes in a story for Time.com today, in this virulently anti-incumbent cycle, earning the favor of the establishment may not provide much of a boost this year:

Polls show both Democratic contenders losing to Toomey, the presumed GOP candidate, Sestak by a smaller margin. The state’s 200,000 committed swing voters hold the key, and the nasty primary fight between Sestak and Specter could strengthen Toomey.