Arlen Specter (D-PA) in the Motherf***ing HOUSE (er, Senate)!

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http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/specter-will-run-as-a-democrat-in-2010/

Specter To Switch Parties
By Carl Hulse
Ryan McFadden/Reading Eagle, via Associated Press Senator Arlen Specter faced a tough primary race against former Representative Pat Toomey.

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said on Tuesday he would switch to the Democratic party, presenting Democrats with a possible 60th vote and the power to break Senate filibusters as they try to advance the Obama administration’s new agenda.

In a statement issued about noon as the Capitol was digesting the stunning turn of events, Mr. Specter said he had concluded that his party had moved too far to the right, a fact demonstrated by the migration of 200,000 Pennsylvania Republicans to the Democratic Party.

“I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans,” Mr. Specter said, acknowledging that his decision was certain to disappoint colleagues and supporters.

If Al Franken prevails in his ongoing court case in Minnesota and Mr. Specter begins caucusing with Democrats, Democrats would have 60 votes and the ability to deny Republicans the chance to stall legislation. Mr. Specter was one of only three Republicans to support President Obama’s economic recovery legislation.

The news shocked Senate Republicans, who had been hanging on to their ability to block legislation by a thread. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, called an emergency meeting of party leaders who had no forewarning of Mr. Specter’s plans.

Mr. Specter arrived for a vote shortly after noon with his wife, and said he would be lunching in the private Senate dining room rather than joining either of the weekly party policy lunches that were being held.

Democrats were jubilant about the development.

President Obama was handed a note from an aide at 10:25 a.m. on Tuesday during his daily economic briefing. The note, according to a senior administration official, said: “Specter is announcing he is changing parties.”

Seven minutes later, Mr. Obama reached Mr. Specter by telephone. In a brief conversation, the president said: “You have my full support,” according to the official who heard the phone call. The president added that we are, “thrilled to have you.”

“We will welcome him with open arms,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Michigan.

Mr. Specter faced a primary challenge from former Republican Congressman Pat Toomey and polls showed him trailing Mr. Toomey. But he had previously resisted overtures to join the Democrats.

“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,” Mr. Specter said in a statement released in the early afternoon. “I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.”
Click to expand...

This is more than symbolic, you know.
 
I spoke to someone about this over lunch. The only tangible reason he could think of for Specter doing it now was due to the challenge Pat Toomey gave him in the last election. Toomey had no money last election and now has money backing him.
 
[quote name='Quillion']Within twenty years the Republican Party United States of America, in it's current form, will cease to exist.[/quote]

Fixed.
 
[quote name='Quillion']Within twenty years the Republican Party United States of America fatherofcaitlyn, in it's current form, will cease to exist.[/quote]
Fixed.

Except for the superfluous apostrophe on "it's".
 
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Just another sign of how irrelevant the G.O.P has become in the Northeast. They need to come back to the middle, they've gone so far right they don't know what a left is. How many Congressmen from the Northeast are Republican now, 3?
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Fixed.

Except for the superfluous apostrophe on "it's".[/quote]
Oops. But it's a common blunder.

Proper usage. :)
 
[quote name='homeland']Just another sign of how irrelevant the G.O.P has become in the Northeast. They need to come back to the middle, they've gone so far right they don't know what a left is. How many Congressmen from the Northeast are Republican now, 3?[/quote]

Except for the fact that your wrong. Specter has essential been considered a Democrat for the better part of 20 years.

The rest of your post about the G.O.P losing ground still stands

I'd like to believe this is anything other than a selfish decision meant to improve his chances in the next election, but I don't.
 
[quote name='homeland']Just another sign of how irrelevant the G.O.P has become.[/QUOTE]
fixed

They can't hold the line on taxes or spending, which was the only real reason to vote for them. At least the Democrats are HONEST about what they want to do (even though I disagree with some/lots of it).
 
Arlen Specter is one of the worst, most soul-less, most belief-free individuals in politics. The moment most vividly illustrating what Specter is: prior to the vote on the Military Commissions Act of 2006, he went to the floor of the Senate and said what the bill "seeks to do is set back basic rights by some 900 years" and is "patently unconstitutional on its face." He then proceeded to vote YES on the bill's passage.
Click to expand...

A true statesman.
 
Democrats cant technically break a filibuster by themselves. They need Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to get 60, as well as currently unseated Al Franken.

And breaking a filibuster has thus far been irrelevant, because the Republicans have never been forced to actually filibuster. All they have to do is threaten it and spineless Harry Reid will cave in.

It would be much, much more damaging to the R's public opinion if they actually were forced to bring everything to a halt.
 
well if you knew about Specter, he was originally a Democrat and switched to Republican when running for office in Philadelphia. Too many people switched from Repub to Dem in the last election cycle in PA for him to stand a chance in the primary. It left all the "bitter" people in the republican party.
 
[quote name='homeland']Just another sign of how irrelevant the G.O.P has become in the Northeast. They need to come back to the middle, they've gone so far right they don't know what a left is. How many Congressmen from the Northeast are Republican now, 3?[/QUOTE]

I think there are three New York Republicans and the two centrist Republican senators from Maine. That's it. No Republican congresscritters from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and most surprisingly none from New Hampshire.
 
Give democrats absolute power and we'll see how well they manage the country. To hell with checks and balances.
 
He should not have done this during his term. He needs to run for re-election as the democrat otherwise he's slapping his constituents in the face.
 
[quote name='Phil']He should not have done this during his term. He needs to run for re-election as the democrat otherwise he's slapping his constituents in the face.[/quote]

Why? All that changed was his party affiliation. He has the same views and will probably vote the same way as he had for years. If the people who voted for him only did so because he was a Republican, not because of his views, then fuck them. They deserve to get screwed over.
 
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