Gov. Ed Rendell had a present for his old boss last night.

As the Democratic State Committee gathered for its quarterly meeting, Mr. Rendell stood on stage with Sen. Bob Casey welcoming Sen. Arlen Specter to his new party. Mr. Rendell handed Mr. Specter a box wrapped up in a big bow.

In it was a tie festooned with donkeys, the governor's homage to Mr. Specter's decision to forsake his Republican past and seek a record sixth Senate term, this time as a Democrat. Before handing it to the man who had hired him in the Philadelphia district attorney's office, Mr. Rendell offered a litany of praise for the voting record the senator had compiled during three decades as a GOP senator.

"All his years in the Senate, he has supported constituencies that are important to us," Mr. Rendell said while extolling the Specter record on issues ranging from health care to the environment.

"Sounds like a pretty good Democrat, doesn't it?"

Mr. Rendell recalled how, in a recent round of conference calls with party leaders and elected officials across the state he had been "blown away," by Mr. Specter's familiarity with so many of the Democrats. The tie might be nice, but those words of praise and Mr. Rendell's presence on the myriad conference calls and other joint appearances constitute Mr. Rendell's more valuable gift to the 79-year-old senator.

Rep. Joe Sestak, Mr. Specter's likely rival in the 2010 primary, shook hands in the back of the room and will be meeting with state committee members in a variety of meetings today, but Mr. Rendell and Mr. Casey underscored the intent of the party's senior officials to shepherd Mr. Specter to the party's nomination.

"I want to make sure that we have a Democratic senator from Pennsylvania in addition to myself, and I want to make sure that Arlen Specter is that Democrat," Mr. Casey said.

The dinner at the Westin Convention Center Hotel was officially a tribute to the late Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, and the evening was filled with praise for the pioneering Democrat. But Mr. Specter was the unofficial star attraction, and he basked in the tributes from his new colleagues.

"It is heartwarming to have that kind of praise when I'm still erect," Mr. Specter said. "To hear those compliments while I'm able to enjoy them it's an eulogy in the present, so I am very, very grateful."

But Mr. Specter was also reminded that his path to a new party was not without bumps.

Earlier in the evening, he ran into Bill George, the president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.

"I hear you're having a party for me tomorrow," the senator said. He was referring to a rally planned for this morning in which labor leaders were to court support for the Employee Free Choice Act, a measure designed to make organizing easier and one that national labor leaders have described as their top congressional priority.

In the waning days of his career as a Republican, Mr. Specter announced his opposition to the bill, incurring the ire of unions that have endorsed him in past elections. Mr. Specter has been seeking a compromise that he can support a process spurred in part by his desire for labor support in next year's primary.

Mr. Specter agreed to attend the rally.

"I'm looking forward to it," he told Mr. George.

Speaking later, the labor official said that the free choice act, known to its detractors as card check, was not the only issue that his group's support would turn on. He cited health care reform as one example of an issue that would be similarly vital in the union movement's ongoing scrutiny of the new Democrat.

"We hope when it comes down to the push and the shove, he's going to be there," Mr. George said. "It's multiple issues. I would hope that Arlen Specter and the house of labor would come together."

Of today's rally, he said, "We're not going to throw eggs at him; that's not our intent."

Mr. Specter was scheduled to give a longer speech to the party officials during their business meeting today. Anticipating the new look he's in the process of cultivating, he said, "I've never liked to disrobe in public so I hope you'll bear with me and await the display of this gorgeous partisan Democratic tie until I speak to you tomorrow."

State Rep. Bill Kortz, his only officially declared Democratic rival, protested to party officials that he should have a similar opportunity to speak, but the state officials turned him down, offering the rationale that only incumbent officials would be allowed to address the group.

Mr. Sestak, who has stopped just short of announcing his bid, said he was content with the opportunity to introduce himself at several of the regional caucus meetings scheduled for this morning.

Mr. Rendell has been caustic in assessing the Delaware County congressman's chances in the race, but the retired admiral professed to be unconcerned.

"I really appreciate his input, but this isn't a state of kingmakers," Mr. Sestak said, offering an assertion that may be tested over the next year.