Senator dropped by pollster after switching political parties

US-- Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies has resigned from the campaign team of Senator Arlen Specter (pictured), after he announced his intention to switch to the Democratic party.

Glen Bolger, a partner with Public Opinion Strategies, said yesterday: “Senator Specter has been a record-setting US Senator, and we have been part of his campaign team in 1992, 1998 and 2004, but because of his surprising decision to switch parties today, we will no longer be involved. As Republicans, we are disappointed by Senator Specter's decision.”

Specter, who has been a Republican since 1966, said in a statement yesterday that President Obama's economic stimulus package, which he supported, had caused a “schism” that made his differences with others in the party “irreconcilable”.

He announced his intention to run for re-election in the Democratic primary next year, saying: “I now find my political philosophy more line with Democrats than Republicans.”

Specter said his membership of the Republican party had never “defined” who he was. “I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgement to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation,” he said.

Virginia-based Public Opinion Strategies polls for 15 other Republican senators and one independent.

In the latest Honomichl list of the top 50 players in the US research industry, the firm was ranked 42nd, having achieved $15.5m revenue in 2007.

Author: Robert Bain