Specter To Switch Parties: (fillibuster-proof majority with Franken)

Washington Post ^ | 4/28/09 | Chris Cillizza

[Nachum]

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.

Specter's decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next Senator from Minnesota. (Former Sen. Norm Coleman is appealing Franken's victory in the state Supreme Court.)

[odin2008]

Vote the A-hole out! Vote them all out!

[johnthebaptistmoore]

You are seriously overreaching with your optimism! I just wish that I was also seriously overreaching with my pessimism!

[pctech]

The GOP gave this man thousands of dollars to run as a republican. They stood up for him, helped him when he needed it, and how does he repay them now? Defection.

This just goes to show that Spector was never in "it" for the people, he was in it for himself. Now the voters of PA have to finally vote him out of office once and for all.

Anyone know how this will play out? Does he have a chance of re-election as a socialist?

[Quix]

Naw, Spectre was probably a lot cheaper.

He might even have been as cheap as a Barney Frank shoulder massage.

[Sig Sauer P220]

Watch for card check and socialized medicine to have smooth sailing now.

[ontap]

The same thing they gave jumpin’ Jim Jeffords an opponent in the primary.

[Busywhiskers]

Oh.....What a surprise!

[Quix]

They had values of any kind?

I thought they were hollow shells for hell to fill at hell’s whims.

[torchthemummy]

I’m not too concerned about it. The democrats already had a fillibuster proof majority with Specter on “our” side.

Agreed. What is good is it will all be on them. They can claim bipartisanship when Snow and Dukakis support a Dem bill but in the end that has just become icing on the cake and not a main ingredient.

[Gay State Conservative]

Wonder what the dems will give him.

I know what Barney Frank will give him.

[odin2008]

POWER!

[sappy]

“Consummatum est”.

~Obama

[ArrogantBustard]

Thirty pieces of silver.

Standard payment for a Judas.

[muawiyah]

This does not create a filibuster-proof Senate. It only empowers individual Democrats to stop anything they don't want (provided of course none of the Republicans jump the line).

I'm sure Harry Reid will thank his gods for this blessing tonight.

[patriot preacher]

Saw this coming AGES ago... And thus, my words have once again proven prophetic. ;-) Spectre is, and has always been, a RINO (Republican In Name Only). He is going HOME — good riddance. Goodbye. Take Snowe, Collins, McCain and Grahamnesty with you please.

[TheWasteLand]

Now the Dems will be able to pass their hard leftwing spending bills with impunity! Oh wait, they could do that before with an R beside Specter’s name.

[cripplecreek]

The democrats can gloat all they want. Specter was going to lose the seat anyway. This way we get to see the seat taken away from a democrat when Toomey is elected.

[Hacklehead]

Arlen is a perfect example of a RAT leaving a sinking ship.

[Delphinium]

I feel like jumping for joy!!!!!.

We have to get rid of this slime to win back our brand.

[mak5]

Specter isn’t exactly assured a win if there is a contested Dem. primary next year (Sestak is reportedly going to run). He also hasn’t been exactly the most popular guy among any group in Pennsylvania. He won’t get GOP votes and many Dems don’t trust him either.