Posted on 04/28/2009 8:52:11 AM PDT by kellynla
HUMAN EVENTS has learned from staff sources that Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa) is about to announce his switch to the Democratic Party. Developing….
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
I ask because it should be much easier beating another dem than the sitting senator in the general election.
No, I think he is going to run as a Democrat now that he has switched parties. I also think he switched because he was losing BIG TIME to Toomey. According to Specter, Obama promised to campaign for him (what does that say about him?). This obviously didn’t happen overnight. He has known he was going to switch for awhile is my guess.
I hope he gets his butt kicked in the election too!
Hope that pig gets his butt kicked during the next election!
If they want a DIM, they should vote for a REAL one...not
a turncoat from his “former” party!
And we're not gonna be able to “get by” with 40 or 50 percent turnout! PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO GET OFF THEIR REARS AND VOTE!!!
“Everything that is happening between now & 2010, except for any Supreme Court appointments, can be changed...it’s just up to the GOP and every conservative in the country to do all he & she can to make sure that this whole mess comes to a screeching halt.”
The idea of trying to bring the mess to a screeching halt between now and January 2011 is now lost with no threat of a filibuster, assuming Specter votes for cloture with the Dems, which he will otherwise he would have gone independent. This is a train that will not stop for a while, it has now left the station and we are ph&cked.
As far as reversal after Jan 2011, in theory yes, it’s possible. But if you look at two practical obstacles, it seems very unlikely.
The first is that assuming a Republican revolution and takeover in 2010 (which is a HUGE assumption), Obama will be there for the veto until at least January 2013. This gives an additional 2 years of life for the new bills.
The second is the history of social outlays in the United States. Once implemented, they quickly take root and are then expected by both Democrat and Republican alike. Anyone that has attempted to dismantle Social Security, unemployment insurance, SS disability, SS death benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, etc has been met with swift and firm political blowback on both sides of the aisle.
The reversals may be possible on some legislation such as cap & trade or other liberal tax related laws or schemes assuming a Republican president and Republican house/senate supermajority in Jan 2013 (remember, Dems could use filibuster then too).
But with regard to universal healthcare and other social program expansions, if given a full four years to sink in, it will be politically impractical to reverse them.
WEll, this means Toomey has more $$ to spend, and the GOP can get behind him.
“Heads Up! Arlen Specter Switching Parties Today?
He’s gonna become a republican?”
WINNER! :)
“nothing is irreversible’
...except about a third of FDR’s new deal done with a filibuster proof majority.
which “can” be changed 11/2010...like I said “nothing is irreversible”...
INSIDE STORY: SENATOR (NOW DEM) SPECTER …
by Greta Van Susteren
Inside story on Senator Specter … check this out … an email from my colleague Trish Turner on Capitol Hill with the scoop:
Subject: Reid on Specter — timeline; cmte seniority
Per turner/Senate:
Sen. Reid just said OFF CAM that he received a call from Specter LAST NIGHT in which Specter told him he was thinking of switching, that he still wanted to talk to family and friends. Reid said Specter called him and Obama this morning (separately) to inform them both of the official switch.
This might sound boring — but it’s HUGE up here: committee seniority is at issue. Reid has said he will let Specter retain an extraordinarily high level of seniority — that the Senate Dem Caucus would consider him a Democrat as if he had been one ever since he was first elected to the Senate in 1980. That means, while he does not have seniority over Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT, on the Judiciary Committee, he DOES have seniority over his closest friend, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-IA, who is currently chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education subcommittee of the Appropriations Cmte. These are powerful positions — called “Cardinals” around here for a reason.
I asked Sen. Reid OFF CAM about this after his presser. He said he expects Harkin and Specter to “work it out amongst themselves.” This would pertain to NEXT YEAR’S Congress, not this one. Reid said he expects Harkin to retain the chairmanship, BUT — he’s leaving it up to the 2 senators.
“This will make it easier to defeat him in the next election. By a Republican.”
Probably not. He will be the Dem nominee in a Dem state and will win the RINO vote. Much easier to do that than win with a lukewarm Republican vote and a handful of Dem crossovers. He knew that the Republican primary would be tough and the election tougher and that his easiest road would be to go Dem.
Not like he’d vote with us anyway.
Hey Specter, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
I need to call my conservative Pittsburg friend. Wonder what she has to say about this.
Hey, Arlen, don’t let America hit you in the ass on the way out!
He did help get Robert Bork knocked out of consideration, however. Now he can go pal around with the Drunk Swimmah, Big Gay Bawney, Nancy Peloser, Hairy Reed, 0, and all those other characters.
Good. I do hope thisd means that Cornyn and the RNC will withdraw their primary support
Good. I do hope thisd means that Cornyn and the RNC will withdraw their primary support
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