Sen. Harry Reid talked at length today on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell about Arlen Specter, the closing of Gitmo and possible prosecutions over the torture memos.
Reid said that he talked to Specter after he read that Arlen supported Norm Coleman when he was interviewed by the NY Times, and Specter says he misspoke.
The political whirlwind that surrounded Sen. Arlen Specter ’s switch from the Republican to Democratic party had him forgetting which team he is rooting for in 2010.
But after voicing support for Republican Norm Coleman in his contested Minnesota Senate race, Specter said he misspoke in a New York Times magazine interview and is supporting Democrats.
--
Asked whether he cared about a shortage of Jewish Republicans in the Senate, Specter replied: “I sure do. There’s still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.” But questioned outside the Senate chamber Tuesday, Specter said the comment was a mistake.
“In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates,” he said. “I’m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I’ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke.”
Asked who he’s backing now in elections, Specter said, “I’m looking for more Democratic members. Nothing personal.”
Specter's idiocy forced Harry Reid to come out and talk the whole story down. I'm sure he was really giddy about that. And is Specter's support for Franken only based on the fact that he switched sides? Reid also said that he wanted to wait until Dianne Feinsten's investigation into the torture memos was completed before he gave an opinion on the Bush Co. torture memos. Are you sold on her investigation, or the OLC's?
The minute Feinstein became the great congressional leader on torture, I wondered if it wasn't kabuki. It's DiFi we're talking about. She rushed in "begging" the president not to launch any investigation until she'd finished hers. The village babblers were using her investigations as the primary reason not to pursue prosecutions. It makes perfect sense that they would bottle the thing up in secret hearings and a very slow investigation as long as possible.
We already saw them do this with phase two of the pre-war intelligence investigation. It took years and the media treated it as old news, not worth talking about, when it was finished. But it helped keep a lid on the political hot potato that was the dawning realization that the Bush administration had manipulated the intelligence to get us into war.
Secret investigations are a junk yard for rear view mirrors.
We need a special prosecutor, period.
I was surprised that Reid held back on this because he has shown no interest in going after the torture authors, you know, like the Mormon Judge Bybee, but he was very careful today on MSNBC. I wonder if he practiced with Blitzer, because I heard he was mumbling and stumbling his way through The Situation Room.
BLITZER: It certainly sounds like he wants Norm Coleman to beat Al Franken, the Democratic candidate, when the dust settles.
REID: Arlen has said -- that is the way that he said that. I'm not here to put words in his mouth. All I know is he told -- he's told everyone that that isn't the way that it was meant to be. He wants Franken to win ...
BLITZER: That's what he told you personally?
REID: who’s also Jewish.
BLITZER: Al Franken's Jewish, a Democrat. Norm Coleman is Jewish, a Republican. Arlen Specter's Jewish as a Republican. But what I hear you saying is that Arlen Specter personally has said to you he'd like Al Franken to win in Minnesota?
REID: He said that -- last night I came to him and I said, "Arlen, what's all this about?" He said, "I forgot what team I was on."
BLITZER: So it's just a slip, you think, that he was saying?
REID: That's what he told me, yes.
BLITZER: But he was actually quoted in "The New York Times."
REID: Well, I don't know about that. All I know is that was given to me last night, and I said, "Arlen, what's that all about?"
Arlen better wake up fast.
Senate Majority Leader, get use to using your new found testicles. Arlen Defector belongs in the back of the line like any other newbie Democratic until until he proves his worth. President Obama does need your help.
One of the funny things about arlin is how he slipped that line in the Patriot act the night before the vote to eliminate senate oversight on Attorney Generals and judging by the clowns that replaced dedicated, honest, decent, trustworthy Americans he's quite the comic.
SPecial (interest) Executive (he wishes) for CounterinTelligence (double agent, but for which party?), Extortion (DNC will pay), and Revenge (see "double agent")
Blofeld strokes his cat and smiles.
International War Crimes Tribunal nothing less. We can never investigate ourselves and administer justice. Think Hadifia women and children and babies slaughtered and what was the severe punishment . Jack shit, that's what.
If it is true, and it may be, that it slipped his mind which party he belonged to, then he is confessing senility. Can you imagine the thought he put into this, let alone, evryone is interviewing him right now. Anyway, it seems to be slipping his mind a couple of times a day for the last week.
Reid converted when he was an adult. Then ... wonder how anyone can take anything Darwin wrote about seriously. Irregardless, and such as... U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
I have this sneaking suspicion that ol' Arlen joined the Dems to screw them over, and for no other reason. He's done more harm than good. Instead of being responsible, he is causing the Dem. leaders to have to run around speaking up for his screw ups and such. I would not put it past the Repugnants to put a mole in the Dem party to screw things up.
Nice spin Zilam but I am afraid he is just a self serving turncoat nothing more nothing less.
sounds more historicaly accurate.
A traitor to all.
Some stuff you can't make up!
Everyone is watching this old fool. Specter can only screw himself. When Sen. Franken becomes official, Specter will be that crazy old uncle everyone ignores at family reunions while he talks to himself about magic bullets and other meaningless shit that no one gives a fuck about.
Like I said before he is getting really old very fast. Sad but true.
I suppose thats true, considering he is 80!
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.
From Democrat to Republican and back to a Democrat.
At least Lieberman stands firmly for Israel, even ahead of the USA.
But Specter only stands for Specter.
I don't live in PA but I urge the Keystoners to vote him out.
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
have for almost 40 years. I think many of us would have been delighted to vote Arlen out a long time ago - but the Dems have not given us a decent alternative since the 1980's. We did mange to get rid of Santorum - so, I think we deserve some credit! #:)
Arlen is a good example of why there should be term limits - he's always had a strange, speaking style, but I've notice recently that he seems to be even slower and misspeaks quite a bit. Even at his press conference announcing his 'defection' he admitted he was confused. Maybe it's the chemo therapy drugs - maybe it's just a little dementia starting up....
I seriously doubt he'll be able to get elected to any office here in PA --- ever again. Buh-bye, Arlen.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
i used to think a lieberman was slang for a reach around, now i guess there is a new contender fighting for the namesake.
just for the record, lieberman was for coleman only until february this year;
some democrats will never be democrats.
...were the last book on Earth, I'd give up reading.
Do we really need another senile old man in the Democratic caucus? I think we will cut him loose in 2010. No big deal. Let him retire. He has had a good Senate career. Not one that I really agree with but not bad if you were in his shoes I guess. Retire Arlen!!
Wrong-way Corrigan redux.
It's not what Spector or Reid said here...it's just another example that values and doing what is right is irrelevant. It's what "team" you're on is what's important. Then when it comes down to it, the winning team still drinks from the corporate still. Same as it ever was.
Harry Truman would tell Harry Reid not to bullshit a bullshitter!
"Specter missspoke" - my ass!
For God's sake, Harry, admit you fucked up and had to take Spinchter to the woodshed. Stop trying to make a silk purse from Spinchter's foot-in-mouth disease. Methinks Reid got his tit caught in the Senate Democrat's wringer over the comittee seniority deal, and not backing Franken over Coleman and had to back off big time.
Democratic Party progressive, Vietnam veteran and proud Union member for 41 years
Reid is almost 70 and Specter is almost 80.
Both of them need to go home, toddle around the house, be complete nuisances and bother their wives nonstop every hour of the day. That's what old retired guys do.
Leave the American people alone. Please.
Dudes, it's time to dust off the rocking chairs and sit for a spell ... a long spell.
Thank you! Wiser words were never spoken.
These old farts need to go home after age 70 - tops! Remember old Strom "100" Thurmond, the guys was more dead than Captain Pike in the first Star Trek episode. Yet, there he was, in the U.S. Senate, soiled britches and all.
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.
Speaking of fossils, Robert Byrd is 92!
I must admit that I was quite impressed with Byrd when he made his impassioned speech about Iraq a few years ago. Many of his colleagues remained silent at the time.
what boots won't harry lick?
Some stuff you can't make up!
The boots of a progressive. The people who support him.
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.
What’s it all about
AlfieArlen?Too bad Arlen and his ilk don’t have as much concern for their country as they do for their careers.
Franken HAS won, you gop-efftards! Coleman needs too concede and just go away... slink away like the snake-with-arms he is.
Seriously... this whole thing is really effed up!
Maybe Specter was thinking he was asked about Jewish representation, overall, in which case the obvious answer is supposed to be "yes," and he went with that story from his "team's" perspective...
... which would have been fine if he'd remembered which "team he was on" and said that Franken should be seated immediately, insofar as Franken had a Jewish upbringing.
Either or both ways--or in between--this is more a sad commentary on the state of politics. Honestly, do you think politics is too old to remember what it's doing and saying? As a concept, politics is among the elderly, too.
When will music, art, and food lose their memories?
i am tired of all these fucking bastards
lying to us, the public that voted for them.
the lobyists don't vote, they give money only.
the American public makes donations and votes...
and what does the American public get......FUCKED
We have enough Dempublicans as it is. Find and sign the draft Sistak in Penn. petition. Spincter doesn't care about either party or anyone besides himself. I can laugh at hypocritical Republicans but when they call themselves Democrats I just want them to go away
If the polls would show Spector could win the Republican primary after all he'd get the 'R' back in a flash. He's for himself, period.
All those who have called your second wife by your first wife's name will understand Specter's mistake.
"He wants Franken to win ..."
Franken did win. You should probably start saying that. Basically AS was saying he wanted the election 2000'd and Norm thrown back in. That's not getting a name wrong, that's getting a meme wrong.
Neither one of them are Democrats after all.....
Get rid of ALL these corporate puppets masking as Democrats and get REAL Dems in there. This country is sunk if we don't get public financing of elections. In the meantime, democracy is an illusion.
...every time i was flat out wrong or got caught blatantly lying i could just say i misspoke and get rid of all that accountability nonsense.
he needs to have his ass jacked up and made to drop down and give you 20 (pushups).
Comments are closed on this entry