Specter Gets PA Dems' State Party Endorsement in Senate Primary
We have an interesting dilemma here in Pennsylvania: Arlen is cruising through the Democratic senatorial primary, but his poll numbers are much closer against Club For Growth soldier Pat Toomey in the general election. (Then again, Sestak isn't polling much better against Toomey, either):
LANCASTER - When U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter switched from a Republican to a Democrat last year, some Democratic loyalists in Pennsylvania said hell would freeze over before they'd embrace an old foe they had been battling in statewide elections for 30 years.
Yesterday, amid the deep freeze and howling winds of the worst winter storm in years, the Democratic State Committee met in a snowbound hotel in Amish country to consider endorsements in this year's races for the U.S. Senate, governor, and lieutenant governor.
Despite the reservations of some party members, who challenged him for what they considered pro-Republican sins of the past, Specter, of Philadelphia, beat U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, of Delaware County, gaining the two-thirds majority required for endorsement by the party rules.
With chants of "Arlen! Arlen! Arlen!" from some of his supporters, Specter, who will turn 80 on Friday, practically bounded to a microphone in front of several hundred Democrats at the Lancaster Host Resort.
"I have been involved in many, many elections, but never one quite as thrilling as this," he said. "It almost feels like a presidential nominating convention."
I'll note here that Mike Stark has some misgivings about Specter's age and cognition. (Mike calls it dementia; I think it might be chemo brain.)
I have to say, though, that my own experiences with Specter have been different; he's been very sharp when I've spoken with him. Even on his worst day, no one's ever accused Arlen Specter of being dumb.
This is pretty tricky ground to navigate (Robert Byrd, anyone?). From what I hear, it was an open secret that Ted Kennedy was unable to function most of the time since his brain tumor was diagnosed, and that his wife and staff were running the show.
Should we have made him resign? Should we make Byrd resign? We need every vote we can get.
And I'm frustrated, trying to explain to out-of-state progressives why Arlen might not be so bad. (Remember, the Republicans thought he was too liberal.) As a native Philadelphian, I've been watching Arlen for decades. He can be a real weasel, but once he's bought, he tends to stay bought.
I feel the way I did watching A-Rod stick it to the Phillies in the World Series: "That smug bastard!" But would I be angry if the Phillies somehow managed to bring him on board? Hell, no.
And now that he's on our team, I can't help but see Arlen as an legitimate asset. He's really good at what he does. And at this point, it looks like he's going to be our candidate.
I don't know but Sestak seems pretty good. Specter would be alright if he votes the way we want and it doesn't seem like he would pull a LIEberman. Maybe Sestak can run after Specter dies. I can't imagine Specter running again in six years.
...republican and lifelong political insider who magically flip flopped into a Neo-dem. (and is part of Americas problem)
re-elect no-one!
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
right-on toast!! wtf's wrong with sestak????????????
If he doesn't win the primary, there is NO WAY I will vote for that Republican nut.case, Pat Toomey. I will have to vote for Specter.
If I remember correctly, in the 80's, Rummy said of Saddam, "He may be a sonofabitch, but he's OUR sonofabitch."
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
can we put honest people in government when they don’t give us a good choice? We are so screwed!
There's still wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Dems are awfully quiet about those. You think your domestic politics are more important?
To use another baseball analogy, a lot of Red Sox fans were hoping Manny Ramirez would get the boot long before he did. And it turned out to be the right move.
Yeah, Specter isn't so bad. He is, after all, better than Lincoln or Nelson. But why stick with someone who is clearly a craven weasel when you can get someone better, especially when the alternative actually has an equal or better chance of winning? That's why we're stuck with all these do-nothing crooks in the Senate for decades.
No offense guys and I know what you are trying to say. . . but doesn't using sports analogies for politics create exactly what people hate about it?
and he gets things done for Pennsylvanians. People from both parties, plus independents, have voted for him over and over. He's been in government for a long time, was DA in Philadelphia. Sestak is good too, so if Specter drops out we have a great backup.
...he has a lot in common with Sarah Palin and Joe Lieberman. As they all seem to be able to switch partys on a "whim or a whiff".
He is hijacking the left!
(he is here to make liberals look bad)
Specter can be classified (at least) as a..."Blue Dog" (of course he is a neo-con but...)
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
I think it's time for Arlen to pack it in. He's old (80+?), sick and confused; ergo he's flipped from D to R and and back to D. He only really cares about Arlen - not the people of PA or the US.
Toomey sucks big time....and Sestak is a little weird, but at least seems to be an actual Democrat...and he does have some military chops that could be useful.
I'm just glad Big Eddie Rendell is our Gov. - he's a pretty solid pol for PA.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
The fact that the DEM establishment backed Arlen should be a message to all DEM voters that Sestak is a better candidate. The DEM leaders in PA got their orders from DC. They don't like Arlen any better that we do.
Pushing Arlen left. If Sestak hadn't challenged him, I'm convinced Arlen Specter would just be a Pennsylvania Lieberman.
Barack Obama: Change we can only imagine
He's on no side but his own.
...con side. (in pro-choice drag) ...it "only looks like" he goes "either way"...
audit-prosecute-incarcerate
Lieberman, Nelson (Neb), Lincoln, & Landrieu any day.
Specter, Bayh, Nelson, Landrieu, Reid, Pelosi, Lieberman....the list goes on and on. Let's face it, until every one of these Republicrats is voted out of office, the Democratic Party will continue to be nothing more than a subsidiary of the GOP.
Only a complete idiot would vote for Specter at this point.
leaves the magic bullet theory on the table
instead, repudiate it and all it entails. http://greendoorxxx.com/what-happened-nov-22
or else ya get what you deserve, America... geez sounds like a slogan
your name's Lebowski, Lebowski... and your wife is Bunny
where is the party endorsement?
Some stuff you can't make up!
Hence, I give you Arlen Specter.
Short term thinking on a long-term goal.
Besides being a Rethuglican and in the mold of Landrieu, Bayh, Nelson, and Lieberman - he's 80! And a recovering (?) cancer patient! If he wins he will only be a one-term Senator. And then, Penn. will have to run another candidate who, if he wins, will be a junior Senator and have to go another 6-years to move up one seat on a major committee. that's 12-years shot. Dems have to run candidates in their late 40's and early 50's who will be there for the duration.
I can smell Rahmabama all over this.
Why let a real democrat win, when you can have a dying repig instead.
The DLC shall never die! Our manchurian president will see to that.
By the time Rahmabama leaves office, the democrats will officially be the republicrats, and the people will be able to bow down to their elected representatives who the people will now work for.
We really need to have a Parlimentary government, and eliminate the assinine U.S. Senate; and their House of Lords mentality. I am sick of watching wingnut senators from states with less population than my county, sit there with their smug grins - and screw the shit out of 90% of us, because podung fucksville has 20,000 morons who voted for them.
Rush Limbaugh is what a smart person thinks a stupid bigot sounds like.
played right into Specter's hands, Rahm. Hell, this might have been your plan all along.
why bother anymore? new day, same OLD pos.
me-oww!
Does anyone else sense trouble? The next time the Dems are pushing for some progressive legislation, either Specter or Lieberman will be in the way. It's time to clear out the false Dems and the Blue Dogs. It's time to bring in some true progressives in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. People we can build a true base around, who will be here for the long haul.
Specter will be 80 soon. I am all for age limits and term limits. Senator Specter served the republicans and his state well. But flipping from one party to another sort of makes me wonder if he is in this political game for the country or himself.
pennlady
We keep electing the same people to the same seats from the same old tired parties over and over. The country is STILL falling apart at the the seams. Speaking of old...Specter went from one tired, old (and insane) party to another tired, old party which isn't much better. I agree. As with POTUS, there should be term limits put on both Houses of Congress. There should also be age limits. There comes a time when you simply get too OLD. There is a mandatory age for retirement for us 'little' people, why not these 'people' who who sit in our Government pretending to be Our voices and doing The Peoples work? Look at Senator Byrd...the man is 91 years old. How is it this man kept getting re-elected?? He has no business holding a seat in The Senate at his age. There should also be limits on net-worth. If your net-worth has so many zeros behind it, you should be ineligible to run for an office in the Federal Government.
Government + the Federal Reserve = organized crime
Wow, if nothing else why would you choose an 80 year old has been Republican as your nominee? Why not take the 59 year old guy who was a Vice -Admiral in the Navy? Wow - what was it that Obama said about Pennsylvanians? I think he was right.
You would think that Massachusetts would have given the party a clue.
The largely Republican suburbs who turned out for Obama aren't going to vote Democratic just so they can support Specter. They're going to pull the "R" the way they always do. And in-state progressives are going to stay home just as they did in Massachusetts. (Because voting for Specter would be like voting for our own Joe Lieberman.)
Sorry, but this state doesn't need another Republican lunatic. Remember how Rick Santorum was known as Sen. Sanitarium? So is Toomey going to be known as Looney Tooney Toomey?
Just because some of us are mad at Dems doesn't mean we are mad as hatters.
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