Well Spector's in the news today with his announcement that he'll cross the aisle to run as a Democrat in 2010 (via Memeorandum). Check this out from his statement:
Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.Ah, the "stimulus" package, a.k.a, "porkulus maximus."
When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.
Also, perhaps this had something to do with it: "Specter Faces Conservative Challenge From Familiar Foe."
More later ...
15 comments:
I would like to welcome Arlen to the party. Someone please give that man a drink!
Its just too bad Specter didn't take McRino and Snowe with him.
Cool, now the socialists own 100% ofeverything that passes from here on out.
They will not be able to point to the repubs and cry "obstructionism!" come next election.
-Dave
http://tinyurl.com/cjrxfz
Good riddance to the democrat in drag
Love the segue, nicely done Donald!
All it changes is the letter after his name. Good riddance. He probably knew he wouldn't survive the primary.
Such bitterness! I thought that was the mainstay of the left.
Would love to see the Republican party show up in session wearing the blue surgical masks.....
Take it Mr. Steele, its yours...
Specter did two positive thing for the GOP. He made fundraising easier, since no right thinking conservative would contribute if
Specter was to receive any funds raised, and he has made the Democrats truly responsible for the economic disaster they are creating. Both will burn the lefties in 2010.
And Toomey will get to run against this guy in the final! What is the Toomey his website again? Need to send him a few bucks.
I know that they love throwing that 'centrist' and 'moderate' crap around when it comes to Specter. The truth is - he is now, and has always been a flaming democrat.
Good riddance. Shame on the GOP for promoting the man over Toomey in the last election.
Perhaps the GOP will take a hint? Embracing Specter's brand of RINOism will lose every time. It's not just Specter - it's all of the high spending, big government Republicans that got the GOP where it is today - in loserville.
One way of looking at this is that it is a positive for Republicans that Specter has defected. He would have lost to Toomey in the primary -- of that everyone is certain. But let's be honest -- Toomey would have lost the general election in PA against almost any establishment Democratic candidate put forward. PA is now solidly blue.
So, rather than having a "true blue" Dem in office, we will have Specter, who is likely to vote with Republicans on certain issues (like Card Check) that another Dem in his place would not. It's a sign of the times that this is the kind of silver lining we are left with.
Dear George W Bush and Rick Santorum: Your staunch support of Arlen Specter in his 2004 primary campaign against Pat Toomey has just been repaid.
Arlen Specter is a shameless opportunist! If he really disgreed with the Republican, why did he wait until DEM is in power? Why didn't he switch parties when the REpublican was calling the shot? I have no respect for someone like him. One day he is going to betray DEM... wait! He had already done that in the past.
Another example of the Senate's entitlement mentality. Whether it's Ted Kennedy or Larry Craig or David Vetter or Joe Lieberman, these guys love their jobs- first and foremost, above all else. 5 terms isn't enough for PA's 79 year old senator. It's HIS seat, by god... and he'll hang onto it forever.
In today's political environment, a principled stepping-down (such as Sam Brownback's) seems almost naive, foolish. Sam could've been a Senator Forever. But he kept his promise. He should be extolled.
My hunch is that Specter would've gone Independent (ala Lieberman) but for the fact that he couldn't beat the Dem in the general. If his move was principled, one would think that Specter would've supported Obama, not McCain. He chose McCain. It's expedience based upon personal ambition. It's all about staying in the Boy's Club forever.
I'm with ya, kreiz...
Except for a principled few, these people will never vote themselves the term limits they should, because the everlasting campaign and the entrenchment does too much for them, and too little for the people they're supposed to be representing.
(Of course, I also like the idea of a single, six year presidential term, proportional representation, election laws that don't discriminate against third party candidates, and instant runoff elections... ...any/all of which are also probably never going to happen without a whole lot more principled people in and out of our legislative and executive bodies at every level.)
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