Earlier, I wrote about how Arlen Specter might be in trouble based on his support for President Obama's economic stimulus plan.

The silver lining for Specter was that the AFL-CIO was willing to go to bat for Specter in his re-election campaign if he would support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Senior officials with the powerful AFL-CIO have privately assured GOP Senator Arlen Specter that they’ll throw their full support behind him in the 2010 Senate race if he votes for the Employee Free Choice Act, a senior labor strategist working closely with the AFL on the issue tells me.

Many commentators have been saying that Specter should think about switching to the Democratic party, or at bare minimum going independent.

But Specter has decided to stay Republican...and not support the EFCA.

Sen. Arlen Specter has told a business lobbying group he will vote against a bill that makes it easier for workers to form unions.

The Pennsylvania Republican's decision is a major blow to organized labor's efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act this year.

Two years ago, Specter supported EFCA but apparently he has changed his mind.

Specter said his vote to end debate on the bill two years ago was not support for the merits, but instead for Congress to take up the issue of labor law reform.

The bill would allow a majority of employees at a company to organize by signing cards, a change from current practice that allows employers to mandate secret ballot elections. It also would boost penalties for retaliation against workers seeking to organize and calls for arbitration if management and the union cannot agree on a first contract.

Specter called the secret ballot "the cornerstone of how contests are decided in a Democratic society." And he said the requirement for mandatory arbitration may subject employers to a deal they cannot live with.

His decision will make it difficult for Democratic leaders to move forward with the bill, which unions consider their No. 1 priority, but some business groups have labeled "Armageddon."

Specter has faced unusually heavy pressure from both groups as he faces re-election next year.

"It is very hard to disappoint many friends who have supported me many years on either side who are urging me to vote their way," Specter said.

He also said his announcement "should end the rumor mill that I have made some deal for political advantage."

Unfortunately, it appears that Specter has latched on to the Big Business talking point that EFCA will remove secret ballots. Untrue.

I will reiterate: the EFCA does not get rid of secret ballots. Not at all. Even The Wall Street Journal finally conceded that the EFCA doesn't eliminate secret ballots.

I noted before my belief that Specter wouldn't switch to the Democratic party and I don't believe it would have been a good match had he done so.

Specter sided with the GOP on 62 percent of votes from when he entered the Senate in 1981 through last year, according to a University of San Diego database of votes. His highest party unity score: 81 percent in 2003-2004, when Toomey last challenged him.

I guess Specter has decided not only to stay with the Republicans, but to vote party line to save his job. Sad.