Arlen Specter to Jump to Dems
28 April 2009 12:06 pm by GeoT
http://www.cnn.com/
wow. Is this philosophical or just practical?
This post was submitted by GeoT.
No tags for this post.28 April 2009 12:06 pm by GeoT
http://www.cnn.com/
wow. Is this philosophical or just practical?
This post was submitted by GeoT.
No tags for this post.
Good news for Dems, and another punch in the face for the party of NO.
W Post broke it: Chirs Cilizza “The Fix”
Specter To Switch Parties
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/specter-to-switch-parties.html?hpid=topnews
Toomey was killing him in the polls.
Specter is a rule of law guy, but also pro civil rights for women.
People won’t like this, but it may be the expansion of the Dem Party, which includes Blue Dems, that allows this flirtation to become a reality.
Sweeeet!
Can’t wait to see the PA polls with Specter- “D” PA in the mix.
Anybody listening to wingnut radio???
His Senate page won’t load.
Taylor Marsh says:
28 April 2009 at 12:17 pm
Anybody listening to wingnut radio???
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I leave that to you and you can report back
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This one added vote in the Senate could be huge, especially after Senator Franken takes his seat.
Just posted Specter’s full statement.
Taylor Marsh says:
28 April 2009 at 12:17 pm
Anybody listening to wingnut radio???
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I can imagine they will say Specter was a RINO anyway and wasn’t a REAL Republican so good riddance to him… I’m just guessing.
“How can the Rep. Party claim to be a national party if they can’t keep a moderate like Arlen Specter? What’s wrong with that question, Snerdly?”
Shorter Rush: Specter is really a Dem.
He’s now reading Specter’s statement… THIS IS TOO DELICIOUS.
…Rush *quickly* segued to the UAW-Chrysler story.
Taylor Marsh says:
28 April 2009 at 12:31 pm
…Rush *quickly* segued to the UAW-Chrysler story.
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because he knows there are wide ranging consequences from this. The main one being an indictment of the drift to the far right by the Republican Party and the fact that this isolates them on the fringe leaving opportunity for Democrats to welcome more moderates and Independents.
Why is there smoke coming out of my TV when I tune to FoxNews Channel?
I think this almost guarantees that Norm ‘Sore Loser’ Coleman, will try to take this all the way to the Supreme Court.
Audiegrl says:
28 April 2009 at 12:52 pm
I think this almost guarantees that Norm ‘Sore Loser’ Coleman, will try to take this all the way to the Supreme Court.
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which will drive even more people away from his party, so go ahead Norm.
Its a nice ‘First 100 Days’ present for Obama.
They are already starting to vilify Specter in earnest on Faux.
I’d just like to say that this is TOTALLY AWESOME.
Does anyone know if Specter loses his seniority for committees now?
Why Specter Did It — And Had To Do It
from TPM, with excellent numbers analysis
http://tinyurl.com/c85wt5
Audiegrl says:
28 April 2009 at 1:01 pm
They are already starting to vilify Specter in earnest on Faux.
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I noticed that. The graphic at the bottom of the screen says: “Specter to Run as Democrat in 2010″ not even allowing that as of today he IS a Democrat.
What’s been really funny is each network is claiming they broke the story and congratulating themselves. LOL
Audiegrl says:
28 April 2009 at 1:09 pm
It goes beyond electability.
good question from the intertubes:
Who might be next to defect?
Taylor-
Do you know if Specter keeps seniority or loses it?
Taylor Marsh says:
28 April 2009 at 1:21 pm
Agreed
That’s the ? that everyone is talking about, kris. I’m getting a flood of emails about it, paraphrasing just one of them: To get Specter out of the GOP side, a new org. resolution has to be passed first.
Another issue is that Judiciary Committee rules require, at the minimum, one minority vote to end debate in order to move things to a vote. If not Specter, who? If we play hardball, so will they.
Thanks Taylor. This should be interesting to watch.
Taylor Marsh says:
28 April 2009 at 1:30 pm
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I heard he gets no deal for committees “in this congress” whatever that means.
Also:
how about Lieberman taking the opportunity to jump the other way? he could write his own ticket at the moment.
That moron Mitch McConnel just called this “defection” a “threat to the nation.”
The Reublicans are not handling this well.
Joe Lieberman ‘welcomes’ Specter to the Democratic caucus …
“I enthusiastically welcome my good friend Arlen Specter into the Democratic caucus. It will be very good to have the company of yet another independent minded Democrat in the caucus!
“I have always admired Arlen as a man of deep principle who has been a bridge builder to get things done in the Senate. Arlen understands that we get things accomplished when we listen to the vital center of American politics. I know that Arlen will continue to make a major contribution to the Senate and the nation as an effective independent leader and problem solver.”
justlen says:
28 April 2009 at 2:13 pm
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here’s a couple of good ones from Free Republic:
# “I hope Juan McCain switches – probably to the Mexico PRI Party. I am so sick of RINOs.”
# “TAKE JOHN MCCAIN AND HIS DAUGHTER WITH YOU!!!!!!!”
# “I’m glad he’s gone. The more honest the choice gets, the better off for America. Let’s get rid of Snowe, Collins, McCain, etc., too. They are also liberals, not to be relied on when conservative issues are on the line. Better to have your friends on your side and your enemies on the other. Specter has been an enemy of conservatism for decades.”
Kris:
Specter is speaking live, he just said “with my continuing seniority in the US Senate”
maybe by the rules he keeps it.
Don’t know GeoT. I can’t find a clear answer.
djjl -
Maybe this is one reason the Repubs aren’t handling it well:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0409/Specters_denials.html#comments
I know you all will disagree with me but I think this is a pure political survival move – Here’s just one thing I read.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/Labor_planned_primary_attack_on_Specter.html#comments
Wasn’t Karl Rove just a few years ago talking about a permanent Republican majority?? Things sure changed quickly – due to the Bush/Cheney administration. They really killed the Republican party. And I don’t think either one of them really cares. If either one had a conscience, they would be ashamed of themselves for doing this to their own party. But that’s to our gain, thank God. Now, if we can just get Franken in there.
GeoT and Kris
it sounds like Specter is saying that he will keep his seniority as if he was elected in 1980, and that is the rules they will follow.
kris says:
28 April 2009 at 2:28 pm
Don’t know GeoT. I can’t find a clear answer.
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well according to what he just said himself on camera he keeps his seniority. Maybe he’s in for a rude awakening.
Wow – even Lindsay Graham is pissed and talking about the conservatives shoving out moderates.
Anybody want to take bets on Snowe and Collins?
kris says:
28 April 2009 at 2:36 pm
Anybody want to take bets on Snowe and Collins?
Wouldn’t that be something?? Snowe, maybe. Collins just got re-elected so she probably won’t. I wonder when Snowe is up for re-election.
Specter is preachin!
kris says:
28 April 2009 at 2:32 pm
I know you all will disagree with me but I think this is a pure political survival move – Here’s just one thing I read.
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that’s why I said “Is this philosophical or just practical?” at the top of the thread. But to be honest with you I don’t care what his reasons are. The message is clear: The Republicans have become a far-right party that now represents less the 1/4 of the American electorate. (actually 21%)
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The Republican Shrinkage Problem
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/parsing-the-polls/21-percent.html
New post is up on this one, folks. It’s not just political business, folks. This one is personal.
GeoT says:
28 April 2009 at 2:43 pm
Sorry, my mind must be in the gutter today, I LMAO after reading the title of the article.
Audiegrl says:
28 April 2009 at 2:45 pm
GeoT says:
28 April 2009 at 2:43 pm
Sorry, my mind must be in the gutter today, I LMAO after reading the title of the article.
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“Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats.”
It really was a great idea to go through all 50 states during the primary last year. It strengthened the party a great deal as evidenced by Specter’s switch.
I guess he can now be effectively labeled a DINO ….
I can’t believe that Meghan McCain has emerged has the most insightful voice in the Republican party… she gets it but no one seems to be listening.
That’s because she’s a political newby who doesn’t know squat about ideology. She’s only popular because she’s a cutesy contrarian. But as for political acuity, she’s ridiculously naive.
Taylor Marsh says:
28 April 2009 at 3:34 pm
and despite all that at least in print she seems more in-touch than most Republicans. That she stands out reflects the lack of vision on the right.