Posted on 04/28/2009 9:59:57 AM PDT by GreatDaggar
At 10:25 am, in the Oval Office for his Economic Daily Briefing, President Obama was handed a note.
“Specter is announcing he is changing parties," it read, a reference to Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn.
Seven minutes later the president was on the phone with Specter.
“You have my full support," the president said, adding that he was "thrilled to have you.”
"Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right," Specter said today in a statement. "Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans. When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing."
There's some pragmatic politics at place here as well. Facing a grueling primary challenge against former Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Penn. -- who almost defeated Specter in the GOP primary in 2004 -- Specter could well have lost to Toomey this time. In a Quinnipiac poll last month among registered Pennsylvania Republicans, Specter trailed Toomey 27-41 percent. That poll showed that Specter had a 29 percent favorability rating among Republicans, compared with 60 percent among Democrats.
"I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters," Specter said, announcing that he is running for re-election in 2010 as a Democrat. "I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides."
Last month, the irrepressible Gov. Ed Rendell told a Pennsylvania cable channel that he, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn., and Vice President Biden from neighboring Delaware have all been lobbying Specter to switch.
"We've tried," said Rendell. "Myself, Senator Casey, Vice President Biden have tried to talk him into it, but he's bound and determined to stay a Republican," Rendell said. "He doesn't want to see Republican moderates banished from the earth."
Asked what would happen if Specter ran as a Democrat, Rendell said, "he'd be unopposed" in the primary and "he'd win 60-65 percent of the vote in the general election."
So, being fiscally responsible and respecting the Constitution are Far Right concepts?
I guess Specter did not notice that the Democrats have moved so far to the left. A bunch of American-loathing socialist atheists.
I think the last line is important:
Asked what would happen if Specter ran as a Democrat, Rendell said, “he’d be unopposed” in the primary and “he’d win 60-65 percent of the vote in the general election.”
Hey Arlen-you’d be better off listening to Moe, Larry and Curly (and sometimes Shemp).
Who will they blame now...?
Joining the Anti-American Hussein is a fitting end for this whore.
This is a gift in disguise, folks. For the next two years, as the country continues to go down the crapper and the democrats have no one to blame, the sheeple will be forced to realize who is REALLY at fault.
Bush?
...and Barney whispered sweet-nothings in his ear.
Now they can turn all their efforts to getting Snowe, Collins and McCain. We need to help Democrats get all of our RINOs. If the Republican Party isn’t divided against itself, we can turn our efforts towards beating Democrats. There will be plenty of Reagan Democrats to welcome aboard by the time 0bama has run this country into the ground, in another 100 days or so. He is well on his way, and the pop-star glamor is wearing thin, about to pop, or poop, as some people prefer.
Arlen can't see that the GOP has not moved right, but simply moved left *less* than the Dems. As for the shift in registrations, isn't PA a closed-primary state? If so (and I think it is), then "Operation Chaos" helped shake this RINO loose. Is it too much to hope that McCain will follow suit?
“Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats.
those were anti-hillary voters you dumb @ss
I think Specter switching parties is a good thing. We already couldn’t count on his vote to break filibusters, so nothing has really changed, and now Toomey won’t have to waste money on a primary. Additionally, the RNC will have no choice but to support him, so he should get some national money.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn released a letter today offering a full-throated endorsement of Sen. Arlen Specter in his coming primary against former congressman Pat Toomey,
The Mime Casey barely cracked 60% in the Democrat landslide year of 2006. And then only because of his famous father and supposed pro-life views.
Pretty bad timing, Cornyn. It must really hurt to shoot yourself in the foot with a 12-gauge like that.
“plenty of Reagan Democrats” OK where are they?
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