Frank to endorse Rep. Sestak on Monday

Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank (D) is reportedly ready to endorse Rep. Joe Sestak in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary.

The official show of support, to occur at a news conference Monday in Philadelphia, would be the first endorsement Sestak has received from another member of Congress.

It could also function as a symbolic blow to Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), Sestak's opponent, who has struggled over the past few months to convince voters he has the faith of the Democratic Party's more liberal-leaning members.

"No one calls it like they see it quite like Barney Frank," Sestak said in a statement, first reported by Salon. "He's not willing to let Sen. Specter get away with running from his record as a loyal Bush Republican. Just like Barney and I, Pennsylvanians won't be fooled by election year conversions."

Ultimately, Frank's endorsement is unlikely to make the 2010 primary contest any easier for Sestak: A Rasmussen poll conducted in October showed congressman trailing Specter by at least four points. Other polls, however, have depicted that gap as far wider.

Still, Sestak's campaign perhaps hopes Frank's support will earn them the subsequent endorsements of other influential members in Congress -- a shift in opinion, they argue, that could propel Sestak to victory in 2010.