Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania announced today that he is “switching” political parties. He is not the first to do so, but the reason he gives is stunning for its hypocrisy. Now children, “Why did Senator Specter switch?”
A. Because as he walked on the road to Emmaus (Pennsylvania) he had a political epiphany and realized that the he was called to a new party.
B. Because he believes that the 2008 election is a message that requires him to give the American people the prospect of a filibuster-proof Senate.
C. Because those Jefferson-Jackson Day dinners are so tasty.
D. Because his own polling revealed that the Republican voters of the Commonwealth will not nominate him in next year’s primary, and he really likes the perks that come with being a member of the ruling class, the voters be damned!
And of course, the answer is D. His concept of duty is to look out for Number 1. Has been for years, and in 2004, Congressman Pat Toomey, a real Republican came within a frog’s hair of beating Specter in the primary. Since then, Specter has sided with the Dems in too many important instances.
Compounding the hypocrisy, Harry Reed has fallen all over himself to arrange this move. Never mind that many Dems, especially women, still remember the searching cross examination of Anita Hill when she suddenly remembered that she had been “harassed” by Clarence Thomas. Of course the Dems call it a “hatchet job.” But Harry and the gang can forget that to get that 60th vote. What about those senators elected in 1982? They have 27 years seniority, but Arlen automatically jumps them because Harry is letting him keep his seniority. (The fact that there are senators and congressmen who have been serving that long is another sickening story.)
Arlen had better be ready—this will energize his former party like nothing you can imagine.
4 comments:
Trouble is Mac, right now Pennsylvania is a 'blue' state according to the way it voted last election.
This may have been an abnormality, but considering that PA has elected a Democratic Governor, a Moderate Republican senior Senator, and a Democratic junior Senator; it may be a case of too little too late.
Based on information I read on a listserv I follow, one analyst thinks that the GOP is shooting itself in the foot by calling moderate members (RINOs), and calling for expulsion from the party.
That said, some Democrats are doing the same thing with its moderate to conservative members.
I've been saying this for the past 8 years: what was once a civil dialogue between friends with differing viewpoints has descended into partisan 'take no prisoners' warfare that does the country absolutely no good.
A pox on both their houses.
I wonder when the new centrist party will finally emerge?
At least, this may help the economy in the Commonwealth. Yesterday, two separate talking heads I heard estimated that each party will spend upwards of $50,000,000 on this campaign. Obscene!
Obscene, indeed.
What do you think his chances for re-election as a Democrat are?
Wonder what Reid promised in exchange for this critical switch?
No wonder approval ratings for Congress is at an all-time low.
QG,
I suspect that Spector will win re-election. He has always pulled in Democrats. My problem is with a filibuster-proof Congress.
I happen to like checks and balances, which is why I'd rather have one party in the W.H., and another in control of Congress.
During the last administration, when the GOP controlled Congress, they lost control because they were more concerned with stuff they wanted, and less with what Joe Sixpak wanted.
That said, I don't see the current Congress diverging from that either. I fully expect that in 2 years, unless there is some definite improvement in the economy, the President's popularity will shrink, and along with that, some changes will happen in Congress.
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