Tuesday, March 24, 2009 | 4:01 p.m.
WASHINGTON — The lone Republican senator who had sided with Democrats two years ago in advancing the union-backed card check bill announced today he was withdrawing his support, leaving Democrats without a crucial vote needed to overcome a procedural hurdle in the Senate.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, who potentially faces a tough primary challenge in 2010, said the difficult economic climate left him unwilling to vote for moving the Employee Free Choice Act forward this session.
Democrats need 60 votes in the Senate to advance the bill, and hoped to get there with Specter’s vote.
Democrats now count 58 votes in the Senate, and hope to push that to 59 if the Minnesota recount is decided in favor of comedian Al Franken. Franken has been in a close recount with Republican Norm Coleman.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who supports the bill, downplayed Specter’s change of heart, saying the bill “isn’t going to go away.”
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