Posted on 04/28/2009 8:37:10 PM PDT by Chet 99
IT is disheartening and disconcerting, at the very least, that here we are today — almost exactly eight years after Senator Jim Jeffords left the Republican Party — witnessing the departure of my good friend and fellow moderate Republican, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, for the Democratic Party. And the announcement of his switch was all the more painful because I believe it didn’t have to be this way.
When Senator Jeffords became an independent in 2001, I said it was a sad day for the Republicans, but it would be even sadder if we failed to confront and learn from the devaluation of diversity within the party that contributed to his defection. I also noted that we were far from the heady days of 1998, when Republicans were envisioning the possibility of a filibuster-proof 60-vote margin. (Recall that in the 2000 election, most pundits were shocked when Republicans lost five seats, resulting in a 50-50 Senate.)
I could have hardly imagined then that, in 2009, we would fondly reminisce about the time when we were disappointed to fall short of 60 votes in the Senate. Regrettably, we failed to learn the lessons of Jim Jeffords’s defection in 2001. To the contrary, we overreached in interpreting the results of the presidential election of 2004 as a mandate for the party. This resulted in the disastrous elections of 2006 and 2008, which combined for a total loss of 51 Republicans in the House and 13 in the Senate — with a corresponding shift of the Congressional majority and the White House to the Democrats.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Can imagine John Adams penning an editorial lamenting the “loss” of Benedict Arnold?
We didn’t lose Arlen Specter. He was never a republican.
The clock is ticking, Ms. Snowe.
Yes, Olympia, and I’m sure that Ronald Reagan would agree with you 100%/sarc
“You still here?”
Hey Olympia if you go too we got 2 outta 3 ...
Sorry Olympia, Yes we did. It was for the good of the party. It’s time to dump all far left-leaning RINOs. Sphincter started out as a ‘RAT so he has now come full circle. He’s home again.
The reason he switching is so transparent that she is only making an ass of herself for suggesting that it comes down to ideology.
The Republicans have never really recovered from the Bill Clinton impeachment debacle.
Olympia
You silly idiot. YOU didnt lose him. He was never in the fold of the Republican party. Neither are you. You will be next to go as well. After all, Arlen (and people like him) only look at politics for the love of power. They are gluttons. You are the same. You should be lined up and mowed on down as well. You and Arlen only look at the letter in front of your title as the viaduct you used to climb the ladder.
Hope Snowe is next.
He was Mr. “Scottish Law”.
No loss none at all wish the other rinos would follow suite the GOP is done as far as I am concerned.
Sen Snowe laments the loss of Specter.
The media reports this with glee, as if it is the disintegration of the Republican Party.
Years and years of many Dems switching to Republicans was given nary a look. Nobody “lamented” their decision.
Shaddup, Snowe....you’re next.
Here’s the real headline:
Snowe weeps for Benedict Arlen.
You don’t have to lose him, Olympia. You can join him ... and drag Susan with you.
Can Snowe and Collins join Specter, please?
Now that the 60 vote threshold is meaningless, we might as well lance these two losers as well.
Exactly - he even said so - he left because he knew he wouldn’t get reelected.....it would be so wonderful if he lost anyway after becoming a turncoat.
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