Posted on 04/28/2009 9:43:33 AM PDT by RobinMasters
WASHINGTON (AP) - Veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter disclosed plans Tuesday to switch parties, a move intended to boost his chances of winning re-election next year that will also push Democrats closer to a 60-vote filibuster-resistant majority.
"I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," Specter said in a statement posted on a Web site devoted to Pennsylvania politics and confirmed by his office. Several Senate officials said a formal announcement could come later in the day or Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0409/specter_5642ba9c-d453-4fc1-96dc-5edb38690272.html
OBAMA CALLS SPECTER: POTUS talked to Specter at 10:32 this morning from the Oval Office, said Dems are “thrilled to have you,” according to a White House aide. — Jonathan Martin (12:16 p.m.)
MORE: President Obama was informed of Sen. Arlen Specter’s decison to switch parties at 10:25 this morning while receiving his daily economic briefing in the Oval Office, according to a White House official.
Obama was handed a note by an aide that read: “Specter is announcing he is changing parties.”
The president reached Sen. Specter, one of only three Republicans to support his stimulus package, on the phone at 10:32 and told him “you have my full support.” He added that we are “thrilled to have you.”
Officials close to the White House say that Vice President Joe Biden, who served in the Senate with Specter for 28 years from next door Delaware and became close to him through their work on the Judiciary Committee, played a pivotal if quiet role in persuading the five-term senator to switch parties. — Jonathan Martin (12:22 p.m.)
That m*************.
That’s actually good as he voted that way, anyway. Bye.
This is awesome good news and a huge favor to the Republican Senate Committee which would have been gutted again for having to support Spectre. Now, they will be able to align with the base and go for blood everywhere.
Aw, shucks, what took ya so long, Arlen? We've known it for decades...
Oh, to be the door he's closing. I'd kick him in the a$$ for sure.
It’s about time! He’s been a democrat in practice for ages.
Now, will the republicans run another democrat against him, or is there a chance for change?
Didn’t Bush support Spectre rather than his more conservative opponent in the primary?
No good deed goes unpunished!
Good riddance.
Big surprise. I reckon no one saw that coming, principled politician that he has been.
That’s fine. I can deal with a Democrat that acts like a Democrat. I can’t deal with a Republican who acts like a Democrat and then takes Republican money to get reelected. Good riddance.
I find it interesting that Specter timed his announcement in a way that has smothered all coverage of internationalist Harold Koh’s Senate confirmation hearing today.
THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
NOW WE KNOW WHAT A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER DOES
OBAMA, THE STOCK MARKET, AND ENERGY
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA IN HIS OWN WORDS
THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA'S UPBRINGING
How about a big round of applause for George Bush for supporting this piece of crap last time around? Hasn’t he been just wonderful to the cause of conservatism ?
Took him a while to figure it out.
Snowe and Collins should similarly out themselves.
Good riddance, he was stinkin’ up the place.
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