Separated at birth?
I am having a hard time reading the tea leaves on this Arlen Specter party switching move. Stupid me, I thought that it was a clear win for the president's agenda but after a look at the blogosphere, I'm wrong, wrong, wrong. If you listen to the right wing columnists, it is a portent of dire consequence for the Democratic Party.
William Kristol in the WaPo: Good News for Republicans. I wonder if today’s Arlen Specter party switch, this time to the president’s party, won’t end up being bad for President Obama and the Democrats. With the likely seating of Al Franken from Minnesota, Democrats will have 60 seats in the Senate, giving Obama unambiguous governing majorities in both bodies. He’ll be responsible for everything. GOP obstructionism will go away as an issue, and Democratic defections will become the constant worry and story line. This will make it easier for GOP candidates in 2010 to ask to be elected to help restore some checks and balance in Washington -- and, meanwhile, Specter’s party change won’t likely have made much difference in getting key legislation passed or not. So, losing Specter may help produce greater GOP gains in November 2010, and a brighter Republican future.
So let me get this straight, Bill - the defection is a good thing because the Democrats will now have the power to do everything they want, and eventually the country will get sick of them. Is that it? Like D-Day was a clear win for the Nazis because they wouldn't have to bother funding a military for the next 50 years.
Sen. James Inhofe says that Specter's departure is evidence that the GOP was on its way back: "Now the evidence of this was found out when Arlen Specter made his decision," Inhofe explained. "And that is all of a sudden, we find out that Arlen Specter is down in the Republican Party, down in terms of his popularity. The guy that ran against him and was defeated by Arlen Specter in, six years ago, now is so far ahead of him that Arlen Specter's own advisers said there's no way that you can win this thing unless you change to the Democratic Party. Now to me, that's the evidence it's coming."
Forget the fact Jim, that Pennsylvania overwhelmingly voted for Obama and the Democrats, the Democrats just won eight more Senate seats and that in the latest Pew Research Poll earlier this month, only 24% of Americans identified themselves as Republicans.
Sen. John Cornyn : During the last 24 hours, much has been written about U.S. Senator Arlen Specter's (D-PA) defection to the Democrat Party. Unsurprisingly, the Washington media have cast Specter's announcement as a devastating blow to the Republican Party, and are predicting doom and gloom for us in the months and years ahead. Senator Specter's decision indeed carries important ramifications, but there is another side to this story that has been largely ignored by the Beltway pundits. First, his departure likely spares Republicans from spending valuable resources in what would have been an expensive and divisive Republican primary - a primary battle that Specter appeared extremely unlikely to win. Indeed, Specter cited recent polls showing him trailing former U.S. Representative Pat Toomey (R-PA) by more than 20 points as his main reason to bolt the Party. While Senator Specter's decision was indeed disappointing, it did allow us to realize - perhaps sooner than we would have liked - the dangerous ramifications of unbridled, one-party rule in Washington. Come November 2010, this may ultimately be viewed as a positive development in the Republican Party's climb back to power.
You got me John, you've obviously got the Democrats right where you want them...
Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina is positively giddy about Specter's departure. "I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in the principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than have sixty who don't have a set of beliefs."
Gee Jim, might not be a great time to talk about free markets and deregulation. We just saw what happened when the foxes guarded the henhouse.
The de facto leader of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, has referred to Specter in the past as being the leader of a "liberal lynch mob." He said that Specter should take McCain and his daughter with him.
The Republicans are on a witch hunt to restore ideological purity to their party. Snowe and Collins are the next (and probably last) two moderate Senators likely to be in the crosshairs. The Repugs are down to one Senator in the northeast, Gregg, who has signaled that he is retiring. Apparently the party was backing Specter's conservative opponent Toomey in the next election. Is it any wonder he bolted? I am convinced that most Americans are interested in centrists, yet the vanquished pachyderms continue to charge to the fringe. Soon they will be near extinct and only visible in zoos and circus tents.
This is like having a front seat at the Donner Party. Pardon me for my glee at watching the sick spectacle. But if this is somebody's idea of bad news for the left, please bring me a second helping.
This is like having a front seat at the Donner Party. Pardon me for my glee at watching the sick spectacle. But if this is somebody's idea of bad news for the left, please bring me a second helping.
5 comments:
Arlen went back to the place he started, the Demo party. He left the GOP just like he left the Jack Ass club, because he couldn't win the election.
For decades Senator Spec has played havoc with the republican agenda. When he supported the stimulus he made his supporters in PA angry. When his opposition to card check didn't win them back, and his pollster told him where he stood, he made the switch.
Arlen Specter has been out for himself the entire time. That's why he switches back and forth. He thinks his odds are better at winning the election. Plus, his value is much higher with the Democratic leadership than with the out of favor republicans. Watch for the position he gets from Reid. If he doesn't get his power chair, Reid doesn't get his vote.
Why would Republican's not be upset about losing one of their own? Because he has never been one in heart with them.
When the time came to count votes, everyone knew that Arlen was never a sure thing. But, he sat in the chair that was labeled republican. If you want to pass legislation, or block it from being passed, isn't it better to find someone else to fill the chair, someone who will help you?
You know, we need more people like Specter, Nelson, Bayh, Collins, Hagel, even Lieberman who will not be automatic votes but will vote their conscience. I disagree with much that all of these people espouse but they all buck their party leadership and that's a good thing. Specter will not be a rubberstamp, he will do what he has always done, and vote for what he thinks is right.
However, I must say that Michael Steele is a complete ass. His threats to punish the gang of three for their disobedience and to financially back their party opposition pushed Specter over the edge. You don't mess with a six term senator like that.
I don't know who you are, Mr. Anonymous, but I sure enjoy reading your well thought out replies.
Ciao, Baby.
The GOP has found the transient source of the Swine Flu: Arlen Specter. He will now spread his diseased form of politics on the Democrats and ultimately destroy Earth.
Luckily for the Republicans they can rise above this abomination and become true patriotic alchemist searching for new cures to vacinate the conservative right from filth like Specter. They can concentrate on the new forms sterile legislation so contaminations like Specter will never happen again, plus being martyrs is good for extreme right radio and Faux News.
Hmmm, I always thought Bill Kristol looked like Donald Duck.
more news about the russian mugger/sex toy.....
politics?
why bother?
the last time he did anything useful was in the movie, "Throw Mama From the Train."
O, I forgot, that was BILLY Kristol. or was it Krystal? No...that's the booze rappers like to drink.
Anyway, Arlen Spector has always been a strong effective advocate for his constituents.
He made a smart move and I predict 8-10 more will do likewise in the next 9 months as the Repubs continue to run down their own clock acting like brats and consistently doing the wrong thing by basically, acting stupid instead of smart.
It was pathetic enough when Warhol suggested that everyone deserved fifteen minutes of fame, but nowadays, it is out of control.
In the old days, only a lunatic like Hitler could make face....now EVERYONE can as long as they have access to the internet....should we not all be twittering ralph reed, david miscavige, and martha stewart? O yeah, I forgot, David Dukes?
We should run a contest:
The dumbest person to ever get fifteen minutes of fame-
to start the ball rolling, as much as I liked Michael Steele, I hereby nominate Joe the Plumber.
Steele finished high school as far as I can tell, so that places him out of the running.
The kid who got Sara Palin's daughter pregnant does not count because he is underage.
Rule One-If you are under the age of 18 and do not have a celebrity as a parent, you do not qualify. Even Andy Warhol had scruples and was never ever caught with an underage boy whose parent was not either a celebrity or very very rich. Not like today.
What's up with that Norm Coleman? How come the upper courts have not intervened like they did in Bush v Gore in an effort to keep government functional? (what do you call this---a cunundrum or something, right? A paradox? No....a pandora? A Panda? what is the fucking word....an impossible, ironic riddle.
Peas-
Stan
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