Arlen Specter's Presser: Meet the New Ben Nelson? A roundup of opinions
Sen. Arlen Specter gave a press conference to talk about his decision to become a member of the Democratic Party. He says the Limbaugh National Committee moved too far to the right and the Club For Growth was destroying any form of moderation in his old party. He blames Pat Toomey's old group for the fact that thirty four judges were left on the table for Obama because of them and says they cost the GOP the majority in 2006. He still says he opposes EFCA and doesn't support President Obama's choice of Dawn Johnsen for the OLC.
"I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," said Specter, who was first elected.
Howie writes that we have another Ben Nelson on our hands.
Although this will be a blow to rightists-- when Franken is finally seated Democrats will now have at least a theoretical filibuster-proof majority-- it won't do much for progressives. Remember, as awful as Ben Nelson (NE), Mary Landrieu (LA) and Blanche Lincoln (AR) have been on core issues-- lately joined by reactionary freshmen Kay Hagen (NC), Mark Begich (AK) and Michael Bennet (CO)-- all of them, except Nelson, are significantly better than Specter. This year Nelson and Specter has each scored a 33.33 on the progressive scale when it comes to tough partisan votes that split the parties. And when it comes to selling out to vested interests...
Rush Limbaugh wants him to take John and Meghan McCain with him.
After briefly downplaying the concerns about swine flu, Rush kicked off today's program by noting that Sen. Arlen Specter will announce today his switch from (R-PA) to (D-PA). Rush counseled Specter to take Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and his daughter, Meghan, with him, and then pondered who else in the Senate should make the switch.
As usual Karl Rove lied and said Arlen suddenly veered left.
Newsweek gives us the GOP party line on Specter: He's a Sell Out
Michael Steele says Specter flipped the bird at Republicans and he's sure his momma didn't raise him this way.
Lindsey Graham and Olympia Snowe blame conservatives.
Two leading Republicans say Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to become a Democrat highlights the hostility moderates feel from an increasingly conservative GOP.
“You haven't certainly heard warm encouraging words about how [the GOP] views moderates,” said Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, one of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the Senate.
Specter's insistence on being opposed to the Employee Free Choice Act, which he mentioned prominently -- indicating he would vote against cloture -- is going to be problem for anyone running in the Democratic primary in union-heavy Pennsylvania. Since his current position reflects a reversal already, it may take only a month or two of further polling for Specter to begin to see the light again.
Corn Pone Nazi party is a comin' Heil Limbaugh!
I guess he saw the light. A repug was NOT going to get elected in his state this time so the best thing is change to a Dem. what A joke! I guess when bush was the pres he thought bush was doing a good job. Now that all the shit is hitting the fan, he wants to be a Dem. Power,Power,Power, I want my Power. Must stay in office what ever the cost is.
When he says his political philosophy is more in line with Democrats than Republicans- that should be cause for concern among Democrats.
He didn't see any light, it's just the Democratic party of 2009 looks a lot like the Republican party of the 1960s.
the EFCA is his road to the promised land of re-election.
He'll submit a meaningless amendment. The Dems will pass it. He will claim victory...and vote for it.
TADA...that's how ya doos it in DC.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
I was much happier when Arlen was a pain in the butt for the Republicans. I just wish he would have retired. Arlen, you will probably die in that seat, next term. No ill will just the actuary tables. Still he is better than the other current PA senator. Can you name him?
Progressive Punch gives him a lifetime progressive score of 91.03. That's higher than I'd get.
Thanks for the info. I don't know how he got such a high grade. Seeing he is against a woman's right to choose. I would like to do a PA poll to see how many voters think he used to be governor. Or if it was just name recognition.
That's not the score Anita Hill would give him. That's the way Specter will be forever remembered.
At least by Progressives.
(Biden wasn't much better.)
Specters party of affiliation change is being held up by a republican fillibuster.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
nice one.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
I listened to most of this and to me, at first blush, it seemed all about him and saving his career. I'm not sure how much good he will be since he is always unpredictable. From what I can remember about him he talks one way but when it comes down to the vote, he would almost always go right and vote with the repubs.
The best thing about this so far is listening to the right wing heads explode almost in unison.
Maybe that report yesterday of only 21% of Americans calling themselves republicans pushed him over the edge.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
That's still depressingly high.
Considering that only about 8% of the population is really "rich," that means there is still a whole lot of stupid goin' on out there.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
of the elderly? That's where they're gone lose a lot when they die off. What scares me are the hard core right whiny teabaggers under 30 or 40. That's really the depths of stupid.
Their age, or their IQ?
It's clear that it's both.
:)
he's a politician!! LOL!
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
I'm ok with that. So long as Specter votes with the Democrats now. If he doesn't, he can be removed next election. If he does, his motives matter much less to me than the result.
it's just snother magic political bullet. After the damage the repugs did to Pa. and Oh. they are toast in the industrial belt. So the dems get another Ben Nelson/Heath Schuler.
Some stuff you can't make up!
While I agree in most part to your post, I also now think that this was a good move. The One Big Thing that firmed my opinion was when I read Bill Kissass Kristol saying that it was great news for the gop to get the crap out of the membership and Kissass also wanted McSame and Cindy to go with Specter.
Rethugs heads exploding at record pace.
"Let's talk dirty to the animals"
The GOP is quickly becoming a fringe party. And then we'll have Dems and moderate Rep Dems. Still too rightwing for my tastes, but baby steps. And speaking of babies, the hard core Repubs should not be considered dead. We made that mistake at the end of the seventies....and look what happened.
Got to be one more in there somewhere.
I wouldn't trust a single one that makes the switch, even is they dressed all in blue and made an Unbreakable Vow with Alan Alda.
I seem to recall in the movie “The Ten Commandments” the character of Dathan was also “forced” to switch sides. Didn’t work out too well for them Hebrews. I hope the Dems don’t end up wondering 40 years in the wilderness because of this specter.
Where's your messiah, now...nyahhhh!
my BS meter is going off and it's because I don't trust this... nope! I really don't... I'm concerned these fringe republican(t)s are going to undermine the Democratic party big time. The Bu$h years have made me cynical of all republican(t)s.
haven't really helped me with Dems much either.
I hear ya!!
True dat.
Lieberman, perhaps?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
And with this switch of loyalty, the senior senator from PA has become the newest member of the "Lieberman for Lieberman" party--and the next on "this side of the aisle" to be a thorn in our asses.
I don't trust this lying opportunist at all. But I do enjoy seeing the pain Specter's decision is giving to the Conservatives. Thank you Cyst butt Limbaugh, Sex offender O'Reilly, that fucking Psychotic Beck, et al for sending your party right...over a clift.
with the repugs, it always is.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Never have; never will.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
in a special box in the senate with the other Blue Dogs.
/
Corruption favors the wealthy.
I mean special...as in for "special" children. Lot's of bright colors and a small TV playing "Barney" and "Teletubbies" 24/7.
AND a buttload (no pun intended) of Pampers.
stinging insects for all of 'em...
And we're stuck with a right-wing DINO in what could easily be a progressive seat?
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Was listening to Ed Schulz a few hours ago (god knows why), and several candidates sound like they're preparing to run. Admittedly, I don't know much about PA politics, but I'd think that--unless you're in Vermont, Oregon, or maybe Massachusetts--switching party allegiances isn't the best way to endear yourself to the electorate, no matter which party you're from.
Several of Schulz's callers said PA will run a Progressive against Specter to make him come more to the left in the primary. That will leave him vulnerable in the primary, although maybe not so much in the general (this, I don't know about--anyone from PA with better info?).
Schulz, of course, equivocated.
I cannot believe anyone who is not 110% batshit crazy still belongs to the republican party. They are certifiable. Especially the evangelical wack-jobs from the old confederacy.
How f***ed-up between the ears do you have to be, to belong to the modern corporate fascst conservative movement?
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Don't forget the criminal scumbags.
Specter's voting record is much worse than Nelson's record.
By the time Minnesota seats Franken it will be time for him to campaign again. Also, I would not rule out Evan Bayh deciding to become an offcial Republican instead of a pretend Democrat.
Bayh might as well change his voting card, he's already working against the President.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Evan Bayh is a Democrat? Is he aware of this?
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Eh......
Can't get too enthusiastic about him, but it's a (small) step forward.
the most attention Specter has received in a long time!
And he appeared to be eating it up. His ego won't need to be fed again for months.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
The hard right is really squawking over this latest news. I look forward to hearing the hate from Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Really, and others. There response to this conversion will either solidify the ranks in the republican party or will cause more defection.
Beck, in his own insane way, said he thought Specter was already a democrat. Beck also thinks the swine flu will cause all Mexicans to come storming over the border to get free health care at US hospitals therefore bringing our economy down even more.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Who gives a damn what that gibbering dumbass thinks?
:)
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
My wife's best friend. Sigh! And millions more empty skulls like her.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
Senator Specter has always been a political opportunist and I don't see that changing. He used to be a Democrat until we wanted to run for office in Pennsylvania, then he became a Republican.
As with many "ultra-conservative" Democrats (Dixiecrats) after the 1994 elections becoming Republicans, we are going to see more "moderate" Republicans joining the ranks of the Democratic Party to save their elected butts.
Even though I would prefer more liberals, I will take what I can get to keep the Senate out of Republican control.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
I wonder if "Single Bullet Specter" will change his mind on that theory, too?
With friends like spector we don't need enemy's.
All these guys are only there for what they can get.
I've been saying for years that the two parties are just different side of the same coin.
I hope no one votes for this sorry old fool!
The economy looks to have a lot more unraveling to do so it probably doesn't do the Democrats any good at this point to have their filibuster-proof majority. I think a few more months of gridlock would have left them better off politically.
Glenn Greenwald on Specter here.
excerpt:
point (2)…
…
point (3):
----
I say it is the Republicrats that should rejoice!
----
I ask when will the majority of the people of the country WAKE UP and say
THEY ALL MUST GO!
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Couldn't agree more.
What?
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Do you mean by whom?
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
We all get that you hate everything about the current system. Now perhaps you can move to stage 2 - suggesting a viable and reasonable alternative.
It is mostly a matter of the people in office. Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich are seem to be alright.
I am looking for others.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Somebody in an opposing party whose vote you can count against you, and be surprised when it falls the other way?
Or somebody in your own "party" whose vote you should count with you, but who frequently betrays you?
Who do you want to deal with?
He's to the right of Ben Nelson, maybe just left of McCain. No bargain for a liberal democrat. I like the black eye the goopers get, I don't like the seat lost to a progressive like Sestak. THey are fools if they give him a chairmanship. He is not to be trusted.
It will not matter if the democratic party becomes saturated with turncoat republicans. They will still obstruct the progressive agenda, only from within. With Nelson, Landrieu, and Bayh already republicrats, what good are even more of them? Is there a darker side to this switch? Eyes wide open.
and says specter's switch is a threat to the nation.
(tweakerbelle stifles laughter)
Then he opened his pie hole and spewed forth this bit of hypocritical horse manure:
"Obviously, we are not happy that Senator Specter has decided to become a Democrat," McConnell said. "If we are not successful in Minnesota ... Democrats, at least on paper, will have 60 votes. I think the danger of that for the country is that there won't automatically be an ability to restrain the excess that is typically associated with big majorities and single-party rule."
Ooooh, like during the Bush Administration? God, these Republicans are stupid.
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
If only republican stupidity was a form of energy; all of our problems would be solved.
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
he unambiguously and repeatedly supports Joe Lieberman!
he's just joining Ben Nelson. That was a good catch. arlen voted with boosh at least 80% of the time. After all the public consternation, AS would vote a "reluctant" yes to all that boosh wanted.
arlen simply joins LIEberman and Nelson as a DINO.
Some stuff you can't make up!
He's still too worried about when his Republican "colleagues" lost than why the Democrats won.
People are tired of old ideas, and though I applaud Specter's decision, I just don't trust him. He and Lieberman are going to be a continuing pain in the ass no matter what party he's in. He's already spouting the "card check" line about the EFCA, and unless he has a major epiphany about that and soon, shitcan his ass and run a progressive Democratic candidate against him in the primary.
Democratic Party progressive, Vietnam veteran and proud Union member for 41 years
Then why is the rest of the party letting Rush boss them around?
...then I'm not.
Oh well, I guess I should be glad he didnt jump on the libertarian bandwagon like Hannity and Beck did. (rats can jump)
Democrats should be insulted. (who the fuck does he think he is anyway?
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Remember, ideology has nothing to do with this move. He read the tea leaves and saw that Toomey would take him out in the primary, and he couldn't win as an independent. He'll have no loyalty to the Dems, and should not be trusted.
Harry Reid is gonna give Specter every damn thing he wants.
Time to start saving money to donate to Progressive candidates when the time comes. We'll need to donate earlier this time than we did in Michelle Bachmann's last race in order to make a difference. Candidates can't spend last-second donations very effectively.
beware the wolf in sheep's clothing.......
how do we know that specter is not moving
over to help organize and control the
bluedog democrats? if his intensions are
honorable, fine. but, the gop is not a
group or individual to be trusted easily.
anyone who approves of this douchbag becomeing a dummycrat well they are a conasuar of fine douchbags! and enabelers of the lowest calliber, and most probably voted for bush in his first bid for dictatorship!
(which I didn't), his comments on NPR yesterday, insisting that torture isn't torture because the lawyers said it was okay, would have torn it. Could we ask the Republicans to take him back, please?
I voted for Nader and Kerry the last two cycles. I just trust Specter more than I trust Lieberman, I guess. He's not perfect, but he's flexible and respects the needs of his voters.
I think he'll still be what we used to view was a Republican, secular style. However the GOP has turned into a party of fundamentalist loons. Therefore he is more aligned to the Democrats than to those who have flipped their lids.
I suppose the new Republicans are now mobilizing against the martial law that Obama is about to impose after he infected America with the swine flu. Or is it, that since Iowa legalized gay marriage, God has infected America with swine flu?
Taint too tough to figure out why Arlen switched sides.
I think this is the first time I have ever seen William the Bloody have to force his shit eating rat like grin
http://jed-lewison.dailykos.com/
Love! It!
...his name. After all, Specter was perfect for the Repugnant Party. Let's see, doesn't it stand for Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Extortion and Revenge...at least that was what Ian Fleming told us.
If we could package and intensify the essence of Specter,
we'd have the ULTIMATE BOREDOM BOMB...
Mitch McConnell, a man who is looking more and more like Jesse Helms with each passing day which is really creepy btw, says Specter's defection TO the anti-successionist party is a threat to America.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/28/mcco...
makes sense to me!
In the whole history of the country senators switching parties has only happened 21 times
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/c...
In the last 40 years only 7 times including Specter. With this we ARE going to get what we want passed. I'm ecstatic--Democratic senators and Obama are ecstatic. Senators switching parties hardly ever happens and this is some of the best news in O's first 100 days.
Is it really switching parties, or just switching labels (for now)?
far left loon >.<
He's what we would consider a Republican 20 years ago, a secular person who championed the dividend and interest class over the wages and salary folks. He's just not aligned with the current fundamentalist nutbag philosophy that defines the current Republican party.
I'm fond of saying a half a loaf is better than none - I think Specter is about a fifth of a loaf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2q7hei3T3E
I'm leary of him too.
But when Specter was going through cemotherapy boosh would even shake his hand. It was like pulling teeth for boosh to even look at him in the eye.
Me? I don't trust him. But he has been more of a moderate than a neocon.
I don't expect him to toe the party line. I hope he doesn't.
I think he's worrying about his job. As well he should .
But it's better than getting another neocon in his place.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
From what I heard. Joe Biden was the one who convinced him to flip.
Kudos to Joe.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Sign of the times, what can I say? Now if Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins join, that'll either force the Gas and Oil Party to A) come to their senses and realign, or B) commit suicide.
The repubs were going to do to Specter what they did to our good Republican Vietnam war hero - Wayne Gilchrist - kill him off in the primary because he didn't say Seig Heil to everything the Bush republican tyrants demanded They replaced Gilchrist with a doctor no less, who arguably was to the right of Attila the Hun. And Attila got defeated in a heavily republican district.
We are watching the Republican party extremists commit suicide, for the benefit of the nation. God is watching over us, thoough He must have been busy or resting during the 8 Bush years.
I bet there will be a few more republicans, good people, who will do the same as Sen Spector. And it will provide balance to the Dems, and get us back to discussion replacing the absolutist tyranny we had coming down from the white house under Bush and his gang.
And despite the crimes committed under Bush that were turning America into a Pariah in the world's view, we will have avoided becoming another Holy Roman Empire - which was a combination of religious extremists and political tyrants who gave the world a thousand year dark ages. They btw murdered upwards of 50 million Muslims during the sso called Christian crusades - actually a Holocaust for 600 years against the Muslims.
And the stories from that time have been passed down through Muslim society. No wonder it was so easy for anther egomaniac to recruit 19 people to give us 9/11, all in the name of God so they thought.
And fortunately the USA will not become the 4th Reich. If you are curious go look up how Bush's grandfather Prescott was director of a bank that was deeply involved in loaning Germany the money that helped finance their re-armament, and we all know what became of that scene.
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