Senator Arlen Specter to switch to Democratic party

This is just breaking over the wires. Arlen Specter, a Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, will be switching to the Democratic party for the 2010 re-election run.

No big loss to the R party, imo. Specter is truly a RINO, and is one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate, along with the Maine Dowdies.

www.politico.com...

Republican Sen. Arlen Specter is switching parties so he can run in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, abandoning his party because he does not want to be "judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate."

Specter, in a Tuesday afternoon statement, said he knows his supporters will be disappointed but says he is "willing to take all comers" in his Senate race. President Obama called Specter this morning when he heard the news and told the Pennsylvania senator that he's "thrilled" to have Specter on the Democratic side of the aisle.

Two sources said he made his decision after seeing a recent poll showing him badly trailing Toomey in the Republican primary, and concluded that he had no way of winning the GOP nomination

I never could keep his party straight anyway, so this is no surprise. Almost every time I'd here him speak, I'd have to look and see if there was a D or an R by his name.

The party won't miss him, but the balance is that much more skewed for now.

I can't wait until the next elections to see how that turns out, now that so many people are scared silly about the spending bills.

In case anybody is confused, the reason Specter is changing parties is not because of any philosophical disagreements. He is changing because he is way behind his Republican challenger in PA, and he would lose the primary. Luckily for him, the Dem's are currently in power in DC, and he is hoping to cash in on that opportunism.

Political survival, that's all. Typical long-timer parasite.

He is one of only 3 R' that voted for TARP.

I didn't like it when Leiberman went from dem to rep and I'm not particularly happy about this guy going rep to dem, either. I have no strong affection for either party and I strongly dislike partisanship and the placement of ideology over common sense and case-by-case decisionmaking. Nevertheless, something leaves a bad taste in my mouth when long-standing Senate-level guys jump ship for the other paty. They come across as sleazy and opportunistic (big suprise, huh, cause that's what they all are, but I digress...).




[edit on 4/29/09 by silent thunder]

I'd imagine that most Republicans would say 'good riddance.' He's more or less been a Democrat for years. This is just a case where the guy is making it official. There are two or three more in the Senate that need to follow suit and get it over with as well.

Or perhaps Sen Specter, like many other people, see's the GOP's internal fragmentation, melt down with no solid platform and doesn't want to be in the minority party anylonger. Or perhaps he had issues with the hijacking of the GOP by the fundamentalist, Evangelical Christian coalition.

I'd imagine that most Republicans would say 'good riddance.' He's more or less been a Democrat for years. This is just a case where the guy is making it official. There are two or three more in the Senate that need to follow suit and get it over with as well.

Very true vor78

[edit on 29-4-2009 by whaaa]

People, people he didn't do any "party" change he just move from one evil to the next evil, after all they all fall under the same power.

When you all going to understand that is not such thing as party divisions but only between the population.

All the fat rats in Washington answer to the same Boss, that is why Obama is doing the same crap Bush did and even perpetuating more of the same.

reply to post by marg6043


Marg, he committed a crime. People voted for a Republican, and he gave them a Democrat. He gave the Dem's their 60th vote in the Senate.

I hope he goes down to a blazing defeat in 2010, and that Pat Toomey is the new Senator from Pennsylvania.

It just shows how ridiculous the whole left/right scam is, even moreso in the past few decades.

FCOL, what's the matter with some of you people? What does it take to make you see you're being screwed????

Peace

I wonder if he'll explain the "magic bullet" theory to his new democrat buddies???

Just curious.

Political survival, that's all. Typical long-timer parasite.

you hit it on the head here. he knows if he runs with a R behind his name he won't get re elected in 2010. it is political survival at its finest by Washington D.C. standards.

The Dems have been trying to recruit him for atleast the last 5 years because he is more in line with them then the far rights of the republicans. His vote on the TARP just proved it.

I was watching the news this morning before work and they were talking about it. he promises to not be a "guaranteed 60th vote" But all one has to do is look at the dems voting record this session. dems vote down party lines so he will be the 60th vote on everything!

reply to post by Mercenary2007


All it took was that smile and handshake from Obama to buy him. He is a sad case of Washington politics at it's worst. He will be Obama's lap dog from here on out.:shk:

I hope Pennsylvania voters give him a good swift kick in the butt in 2010.

reply to post by jsobecky


he'll more than likely get re elected in 2010. People in the U.S. seem to only have short term memories. They'll forget all about he was a Repub then jumped ship to the Dems just to be on the popular team.

I think it's become obvious that the whole "Republicans vs. Democrats" is like professional wrestling. On TV they act like the oppose each other and stand for different values, but behind the scenes they script everything together. When one side has fallen out of favor, the other party continues the agenda.