Specter sweats.

Oh goodie.

In Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate race, a new Quinnipiac poll finds Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) leads former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-PA) by nine points, 46% to 37%.

Specter had a 20 point lead at the beginning of May.

Said pollster Clay Richards: "Sen. Arlen Specter's numbers have slipped since the controversy that followed his switch to the Democratic Party, but he's still better off than he would have been if he stayed a Republican and faced a tough primary challenge from former Rep. Pat Toomey."

Richards is right. No one questions Specter would have lost in the primary to Toomey. His only chance to keep his seat was to abandon his principles and switch Parties.

Of course, this assumes Arlen had any principles left in the first place.

The results seem to illustrate that much of the electorate is finally digesting what Specter did. And they don't like it.

This means those that don't pay attention will be vulnerable to paid media in the closing months of the election that hammers Specter for the switch.

It seems Toomey still has a shot.

And to think, Arlen. You could have left with some shred of dignity.