There are four days until Election Day, and state Democratic leaders who aren't on the ballot are undertaking grueling campaign schedules in support of endangered Dems (a release this morning from the state party shows 19 Ed Rendell events and eight Bob Casey appearances in the next three days). So where's Sen. Arlen Specter? Attending to more important matters -- peace in the Middle East.

According to press reports in the region, Specter met Thursday with Syrian president Bashar Assad to discuss the country's disputed territory with Israel -- his second trip in the past few months. One problem: Assad, according to one report, doesn't see a path to peace given the "presence of an Israeli government which doesn't want peace and doesn't believe in it."

Hmm, sounds a lot like the next Congress.