Posted on 04/29/2009 5:08:51 AM PDT by Salena Zito
When Arlen Specter became the 21st senator to switch parties while in office, he did so with considerably more flash than one predecessor.
"I basically tried to move about without notice," said former Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr. of Virginia. Byrd, 94, switched from Democratic registration to independent in 1970. "Colleagues were cordial, but I did my best to avoid everyone."
Specter, 79, had little chance of repeating that feat Tuesday. His announcement kicked off a national frenzy of news stories and speculation about what it might mean for Pennsylvania politics, President Obama's agenda, the balance of power in the Senate and pending legislation.
Byrd waited three days before calling a news conference to explain his switch.
"The press wasn't particularly happy with me, and coming from a newspaper family I understood that," Byrd said. "Still, I thought it would only be right to wait a couple of days until everything calmed down, and I could give Virginians all of my reasons for switching.
"I left the Democrats in 1970 because they tried to have me sign an oath of loyalty to the party. That would have meant that I would have had to support the Democratic nominee for president two years prior to the election," Byrd said. "Well, I didn't think I would be worthy of my office if I did that, so I switched."
During that year's election, Byrd won more votes than the Democratic and Republican candidates combined, he
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
FEAR OF LOSING HIS SENATE SEAT caused the move, nothing else.
But of course the MSM continues to play the “straight man” in this Vaudeville act.
uh, read the whole story, it is in there
He seemed feeble and almost confused yesterday
What a sad legacy he leaves, ending up as a useful tool
In 2010 the democrats will dump him like toxic waste
a national frenzy of news stories and speculation about what it might mean for Pennsylvania politics,
What it means for the citizens of Pennsylvania is that they may be able to get a Republican Senator now....
Lets hope that Pennsylvanians can see through this fraud and vote the bum out.
"I switched for completely different reasons," Byrd said. "He wants to win. I did it because I could not in good conscience sign an oath to vote for people I had not even met yet."Let's hope the good people of Pennsylvania see the switch for what it is.
NO....they wont.
he will lose(I hope) but he will run as a democrat if his cancer or some other problem does not crop up in the mean time.
right now I am watching FOX news and O’bummer and Biden are fawning all over this POS.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZmU4MDUzNTAxMTU4OGViNjE4YTljZmY3ZDg5MDljZGQ=
“In 2010 the democrats will dump him like toxic waste.”
I’m don’t know that they will, but it would be nice to see.
I’m betting, in typical sleazoid style, that he tried to get some kind of agreement before bolting. I’ve heard it reported that he met a bunch of times with Slow Joe.
Regardless, that will be funny if the DNC does toss him under the bus, because working that kind of deal is sort of like taking the word of a committee of pimps and whores on a handshake.
Actually, I bet pimps and whores have more rigorous ethical standards.
They know he is senile and looks and sounds like cat crap next to Toomey- or just about anyone else
Another good reason to install term limits. These old guys have been in Washington too long. There should be no reason for Specter, Kennedy, Kerry, Byrd (Robert of WV), Leahy among others should still be in office. I would propose 4 terms as a limit. That is still 24 years. Voters are stupid for continuing to elect these dopes.
Permit me to connect the dots. Specter is an
O .. P .. P .. O .. R .. T .. U .. N .. I .. S .. T
Fear of losing his Senate seat. This shows his utter depravity. He will be in his eighties and coming off a pesky cancer of the brain when he runs for re-election- if he’s alive. The ego level of a turd like this is mind-boggling.
Bryd would not switch to the Republican party or even caucus with them because he felt that he had been elected as a Democrat and owed his constituents that much. He would not even have left the Democrat party had they not tried to make him sign a loyalty oath in 1970 to whomever turned out to be the presidential nominee in 1972. He was and is a truly great American.
Listening to the bookends (Obama/Biden) who are on stage with him now, he will get their full support in the next primary and Obama all but guaranteed it. Pundits are saying Specter met with Rendell (who controls PA) before making his decision, so the fix may be in. Apparently Rendell is looking for his wife to be appointed to the bench and will do whatever he has to to insure victory.
Yes. It’s pure self preservation.
Good find! Another “do as I say, not as I do” demonRAT!
so you assume the democrats are honorable enought to run a sick old man
I assume they lack honor,
and in return for a big egoistic-stroking payoff, Arlen will develop “health issues” that preclude him running
my personal situation precludes me from gambling....but time will tell....bird in the hand and all that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.