Posted on 05/03/2009 7:27:03 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Specter: GOP moved 'far to the right' By: Mike Allen May 3, 2009 09:55 AM EST
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) said Sunday in his first TV interview since becoming a Democrat last week he had not promised to be “a loyal Democrat” and would lead a filibuster against his new party if he felt strongly enough about an issue.
Specter told David Gregory on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had determined “with polls and a lot of personal contact” that his reelection prospects as a Republican were “bleak.”
But he added: “There’s more than being reelected here. There’s the factor of principle. The Republican Party has gone far to the right since I joined it under Reagan’s big tent. … In recent times, I have diverged materially from the Republican line … As the picture has evolved, I felt a lot more comfortable – as a matter of principle – with Democrats than Republicans.”
Specter heatedly denied a Wall Street Journal report that he had told the White House that he would be “a loyal Democrat.”
““I have shown, repeatedly, my independence — willing to cross party lines — when I thought the interests of the American people and Pennsylvania required it,” Specter said. “If I see that there are other issues where I feel as a matter of conscience, I will continue a filibuster against legislation.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Ourleft Spectacle has been the GOPs embarrassment for a long time.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2203340/posts
Sen. Specter says he’s trying to lead the Republican Party
WILK News Radio (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA) ^ | 3/9/09 | Kevin Lynn and Nancy Kman
Sen. Specter says he’s trying to lead the Republican Party
U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa) talked with WILK’s Nancy and Kevin this morning about the economy, healthcare reform, his opinion on Rush Limbaugh, and the leader of the Republican Party. Specter criticized RNC Chairman Michael Steele on his recent flip-flop concerning comments about Rush Limbaugh. When asked who’s leading Republicans, Senator Specter laughed and said he was trying to lead them, “moving toward the center, where American’s want to be governed.”
Funny thing about the “far” right.
Any SANE defintion, would include solid family and American principles and values that the vast majority of Americans would agree with, if stated without any political labels.
I share your desire, but don’t think Toomey can beat him in PA and Snowe and Collins will get reelected as long as they want to in liberal Maine. If PA voters really wanted to see Spector beaten in PA, they would nominate Tom Ridge. Ridge certainly isn’t the conservative Toomey is, but he is still popular enough in PA that he could win in a General Election and he would be a vote Republicans could count on.
“Well, of course I am,” Mr. Specter said when asked if he’s worried about the conservative backlash. “But (President) John Kennedy had it right. He said, ‘Sometimes the party asks too much.’ And this is something I think is necessary for the country. It goes beyond politics. It goes beyond the Democratic or Republican position. It’s the right thing for America.”
Mr. Specter said he would have supported the package even if Democrats had not added $6.5 billion in additional money for the National Institutes of Health to the final version of the bill.
Mr. Specter had sought the money for years, and had mentioned that he wanted the money in the bill when he met with President Barack Obama last week.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2181685/posts
It is hard for me to believe anyone could say that without their face beginning to twitch or laugh involuntarily.
The entire nation has moved, or more correctly been moved to the far left by the media, universities etc. I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s and what is now called conservative would have been considered radical liberalism back then.
Today’s GOP is a whole lot like the Democrat party of the 1950s and 1960s, even the non-McGovern faction of their 1970s party. We have moved left, not right. The real change is that today’s Democrats have moved even further to the left.
Yes the factor and the principle , he thinks he's god and the world will end if he's not senator.!!!
Nobody likes a traitor- either side!
Arlen Specter and principle have never met.
F.U. Specter you traitor.
PERFECT!!! “In the words of Charles Krauthammer, Specter is an “Unprincipled hack”.
“He thinks he’s God”! Doesn’t that pretty much sum up the thoughts of all US Senators? The US Senate has to be the most egotistical political body ever assembled. I wasn’t around during the days of the Roman Senate, but I find it hard to believe any political body could ever surpass our Senate for pure self idolatry.
Several years back, when my wife and I had just moved to Philadelphia, we went out to dinner at a restaurant on Rittenhouse Square named Opus 251 (251 is about what you’d pay for a dinner for two at this place). Seated at the table next to us was none other than Arlen Specter, who was there with his wife and another couple. We couldn’t help but hear their conversations, and we could help but notice what an incredible name-dropping blowhard Specter was. After an hour-and-a-half of listening to this crap, my wife and I were rolling our eyes and sick to our stomachs (having just spent that 251 dollars on dinner, we had hoped to have had a pleasant feeling in our tummies).
We knew very little at the time about Pennsylvania politics, and only knew that Specter was a Senator. We were surprised - and very dismayed - to find out later that he was a Republican.
I can honestly say that I’ve never liked the man, and it turns out that first impressions can often be the correct ones.
LOL. If only that were true. This self-serving idiot knew his gig was up so he cut and ran back to his original party, the one with which he has always been more congruent. I always found him contemptible.
Sounds a lot like zer0's job numbers too
How do you know Arlen is lying?
His lips are moving.
Our US Senate has certainly evolved into the Roman Senate of ancient times. Great analogy and true! And one of the main reasons why the Roman empire collapsed.
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