Arlen Specter to switch parties

[lostfan]

How is that justice anyway - Franken won fair and square.

[mr_genius]

http://www.rollcall.com/news/34648-1.html

 

Despite promises from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that Sen. Arlen Specter would retain his seniority after switching parties, Specter will be put at the end of the seniority line on all his committees but one under a resolution expected to be passed on the floor late Tuesday.

 

A Democratic aide acknowledged Tuesday that under the modified organizing resolution, Specter would not keep his committee seniority on any of the five committees that he serves on and would be the junior Democrat on all but one — the chamber’s Special Committee on Aging. On that committee, he will be next to last in seniority.

 

 

 

[kapkomet]

http://www.rollcall.com/news/34648-1.html

 

 

 

"We'll take care of you, Arlen, come on over!"

 

"Ok! Now maybe I have a snowball's chance in hell at retaining my seat!"

 

"Hey Arlen, welcome! Now get on board with us on health care, card check, and everything else we want to ram rod through or f*** you."

 

"Oh s***, what did I do?"

 

[bmags]

well he really has no right to seniority on the other side, and frankly, supporting Coleman, voting against the budget, etc. I'm not surprised at this. You can't say you joined the Democrats on principal and then disagree with EVERYTHING they vote on. He even voted for the B.S. republican spending freeze budget.

[lostfan]

lol, it's now really obvious that this was nothing but a pure gimmick and had nothing to do with principle. It's much more a slap to the face of the GOP than it actually is anything useful to the Democrats. At all.

[NorthSideSox72]

lol, it's now really obvious that this was nothing but a pure gimmick and had nothing to do with principle. It's much more a slap to the face of the GOP than it actually is anything useful to the Democrats. At all.

I'm sort of torn. On the one hand, I hate seeing either party make people toe the company line all the damn time. Guys like Specter that are relative moderates get screwed either way. On the other hand though, if you switch parties, maybe not such a good idea within like 5 days to basically take every opportunity to slam that party. The Coleman statements particularly are just bizarre. I suspect that Specter may not get re-elected in any case.

 

[lostfan]

I'm sort of torn. On the one hand, I hate seeing either party make people toe the company line all the damn time. Guys like Specter that are relative moderates get screwed either way. On the other hand though, if you switch parties, maybe not such a good idea within like 5 days to basically take every opportunity to slam that party. The Coleman statements particularly are just bizarre. I suspect that Specter may not get re-elected in any case.

Liberals hate Lieberman but at least he's sort of almost kind of a Democrat, whereas Specter's going to make the Blue Dogs look like Bernie Sanders. When I first heard about this I got excited because I thought it might actually mean something politically, like maybe accelerating the demise of the GOP so that conservatives can build a meaningful coalition again (still a chance that could happen), but it's not going to mean anything to the Democratic agenda. Maybe he should just run as an independent.

[southsider2k5]

Liberals hate Lieberman but at least he's sort of almost kind of a Democrat, whereas Specter's going to make the Blue Dogs look like Bernie Sanders. When I first heard about this I got excited because I thought it might actually mean something politically, like maybe accelerating the demise of the GOP so that conservatives can build a meaningful coalition again (still a chance that could happen), but it's not going to mean anything to the Democratic agenda. Maybe he should just run as an independent.

 

Guys like Spector and Lieberman are why we need a real third party in this country. Both parties far wings are proving to go crazy when they get in office, and there is no middle ground to pull them back to. Its either far right, or far left. I really want my out of my bedroom, AND out of my wallet party to come alive one day... I think then we would see some actually progress and compromise in this country.

[lostfan]

Guys like Spector and Lieberman are why we need a real third party in this country. Both parties far wings are proving to go crazy when they get in office, and there is no middle ground to pull them back to. Its either far right, or far left. I really want my out of my bedroom, AND out of my wallet party to come alive one day... I think then we would see some actually progress and compromise in this country.

I used to think that, but after thinking about how European democracies run I came to the conclusion that I don't like that idea. I don't think it's so much the fact that we don't have enough parties, it's more of 1) the fact that the two parties work so poorly together and are always attacking each other and 2) the party(ies) don't necessarily represent or at least try to represent the views of enough Americans (this applies moreso the Republicans than the Democrats in recent years). I honestly think we'd be better off if the right was able to step up its game and present a legit challenge to the left.

[southsider2k5]

I used to think that, but after thinking about how European democracies run I came to the conclusion that I don't like that idea. I don't think it's so much the fact that we don't have enough parties, it's more of 1) the fact that the two parties work so poorly together and are always attacking each other and 2) the party(ies) don't necessarily represent or at least try to represent the views of enough Americans (this applies moreso the Republicans than the Democrats in recent years). I honestly think we'd be better off if the right was able to step up its game and present a legit challenge to the left.

 

That's just it, they don't have to do much. All they have to do is wait for the Dems to screw up enough stuff, and piss off enough people, and they are the only alternative. Its exactly what the Dems just did for eight years.

[Rex Kickass]

"We'll take care of you, Arlen, come on over!"

 

"Ok! Now maybe I have a snowball's chance in hell at retaining my seat!"

 

"Hey Arlen, welcome! Now get on board with us on health care, card check, and everything else we want to ram rod through or f*** you."

 

"Oh s***, what did I do?"

 

 

You reap what you sow. If you intended to be an independent, become an independent. Last I checked, there were two of those in the Senate today. Neither party is going to forbid someone from their caucus. If Feingold suddenly decided to caucus with the GOP, you'd see him welcomed with open arms as well, even if he didn't tow the party line on a single issue.

 

But don't talk out of both sides of your mouth at the same time and expect to be treated like nothing happens. He flipped on EFCA which he supported before this year, when he feared a primary challenge from the right - so when he switched parties, you'd think he'd come back to the position he'd consistently represented before, or at the very least say he'd vote against it but wouldn't support a filibuster against it (a much less cravenly political way to be seen), but he decided to say that he supports it. Don't say you're proud to be a Democrat and then say that the Democrat lost an election he won and that the results should be overturned. Don't promise as part of your deal that you'll be a loyal party member and then completely disavow that statement four days later.

 

The guy has been a Dem for about a week and he's managed to isolate himself from the party completely. Party politics means that you have to tow some of the line some of the time, if not you get relegated to the back bench. And don't get it wrong, it was never about principles, it was about electoral viability on his end.

[kapkomet]

You reap what you sow. If you intended to be an independent, become an independent. Last I checked, there were two of those in the Senate today. Neither party is going to forbid someone from their caucus. If Feingold suddenly decided to caucus with the GOP, you'd see him welcomed with open arms as well, even if he didn't tow the party line on a single issue.

 

But don't talk out of both sides of your mouth at the same time and expect to be treated like nothing happens. He flipped on EFCA which he supported before this year, when he feared a primary challenge from the right - so when he switched parties, you'd think he'd come back to the position he'd consistently represented before, or at the very least say he'd vote against it but wouldn't support a filibuster against it (a much less cravenly political way to be seen), but he decided to say that he supports it. Don't say you're proud to be a Democrat and then say that the Democrat lost an election he won and that the results should be overturned. Don't promise as part of your deal that you'll be a loyal party member and then completely disavow that statement four days later.

 

The guy has been a Dem for about a week and he's managed to isolate himself from the party completely. Party politics means that you have to tow some of the line some of the time, if not you get relegated to the back bench. And don't get it wrong, it was never about principles, it was about electoral viability on his end.

 

Everyone knows this.

 

 

[Cknolls]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/...d-44420672.html

 

 

Someone misread the tea leaves.

[Balta1701]

Someone is getting the message.

A spokesperson for Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), the lead sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act, confirmed today that an agreement is near that will allow Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) to return to his earlier position of support for the legislation.

 

Specter, originally a co-sponsor of the bill, announced on March 24 that he had switched to the opposition. At the time, as a Republican senator, he was under pressure from business lobbyists and right-wing Republicans lining up against him in that party’s coming primary election.

 

Since then he switched to the Democratic Party, and today he signaled his willingness to switch back to the pro-union side on the Employee Free Choice Act. He said, “I’m opposed to giving up the secret ballot or mandatory arbitration, as they are set forth in the bill, but I do believe that labor law reform is past overdue.”

 

Harkin confirmed, early this morning, that “Senator Specter’s staff and my staff have been working diligently over the last several days to get everything ready.”

 

Harkin was not specific about any particular compromises in the bill that he was willing to make. When a message was left on his answering machine, asking for confirmation of a Bloomberg news report that giving up majority signup was a “possibility,” Harkin’s spokesperson quickly returned the call and insisted there would be “no compromise on any of the core principles.”

[Rex Kickass]

Everyone knows this.

 

If you're gonna be craven and cut a deal to save your ass, fine. But if you start reneging on your deal within a day of making it, don't be surprised if it suddenly blows up in your face.

 

Specter is smart. If he supports EFCA, there is no real primary, because labor will back Specter hardcore. And that shuts the door on Tom Ridge.

[Balta1701]

Specter is smart. If he supports EFCA, there is no real primary, because labor will back Specter hardcore. And that shuts the door on Tom Ridge.

Tom Ridge still may have a shot at him in the general.

[bmags]

Tom Ridge still may have a shot at him in the general.

 

I don't know, not if labor backs Specter. They are pretty big in PA. SoxfaninPA big.

[kapkomet]

I don't know, not if labor backs Specter. They are pretty big in PA. SoxfaninPA big.

Ridge says he is not running for the Senate seat.

[bmags]

Ridge says he is not running for the Senate seat.

 

[Balta1701]

R2K/Daily Kos polled this state the correct way.

Toomey ® 41

Ridge ® 33

 

Fav Unfav No opinion

Specter 54 36 10

Sestak 29 15 56

Torsella 11 5 85

 

Definite Specter 37

Consider someone else 23

Definitely someone else 16

Not sure 24

 

Head to heads:

 

Specter (D) 56

Sestak (D) 11

Undecided 33

 

Specter (D) 60

Torsella (D) 5

Undecided 35

Other more specific issue questions at link. The key information they made sure to get was the undecided/no opinion columns for each candidate. Basically, the story is...Specter whomps everyone right now, but look at the 37% definite Specter and the 56% no opinion for Sestak...That's all room to grow for a strong opponent. If Specter had to fend off a primary challenge, he's in danger...so he needs to start working to make sure that doesn't happen.

[bmags]

The fact that he's over 50% is a little discouraging for trying to whip him into shape.

[Balta1701]

The fact that he's over 50% is a little discouraging for trying to whip him into shape.

The fact that he's so close to it though, after a big bout of what should have been good press for him, should be a major worry. Which direction is he going to go from here? It's like the President after the inauguration, it's bound to drop a little bit, the question is what happens a few months later...either people are happy with how he's performing then or they're not.

[southsider2k5]

Ridge says he is not running for the Senate seat.

 

Obama is not running for President either...

[kapkomet]

Obama is not running for President either...

I know, I know.

[Balta1701]

The Junior Democratic Senator from PA had on his web page a link to something called "Specter for the cure", which looked like it was raising money for cancer treatment but in the fine print said it was raising money for Arlen Specter's reelection campaign.

 

The site was rapidly altered after people noticed it...after they denied they had done anything untoward.