Parties on both sides of the newly-introduced Employee Free Choice Act have targeted moderate Democrats and Pennsylvanian Republican Arlen Specter in a massive lobbying effort to gain control of the vote on legislation that would clear the way for employees across the country to unionize. In an effort to summon enough Democratic support to overcome a possible Republican filibuster, pro-union parties are lobbying 8 key Democrats and Senator Specter whose votes are considered up in the air. Observers say many moderates who felt they could previously support the bill when it appeared former President Bush would veto it, are now being pressured by business interests
See "Fierce Lobbying Greets Bill to Help Workers Unionize", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, March 10, 2009