Specter switching parties, Dems will gain filibuster proof Senate
Published: April 28, 2009
Updated 6 months ago
“This was a straight up survival decision,” according to NBC News’ Chuck Todd.
The Washington Post reports, “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,” Chris Cillizza writes for the paper’s online The Fix column.
“My change in party affiliation does not mean I will be a party line voter for the Democrats than I have been for the Republicans,” Specter noted in a press release. “Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatically 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on employee free choice card check will not change.”
Cillizza observes, “Because of the shrinking Republican vote in the state, Specter was seen as a dead man walking politically in the primary with polling showing him trailing Toomey by ten or more points. The bar for Specter to run as an independent was also extremely high due to the rules governing such a third party candidacy. That left a Democratic candidacy as Specter’s best option if he wanted to remain in the Senate beyond 2010.”
Specter was recently photographed embracing Vice President Joe Biden during a reception at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia “to honor Specter for his vote for the economic stimulus package,” the Wall Street Journal noted in March.
Politico’s Jonathan Martin Twittered, “Officials close to the White House say that Vice President Joe Biden, who served in the Senate with Specter for 28 years from next door Delaware and became close to him through their work on the Judiciary Committee, played a pivotal if quiet role in persuading the five-term senator to switch parties.”
At National Review Online, Jim Geraghty snipes, “I guess he concurs with recent polls that former Congressman Pat Toomey would beat him like a drum in a GOP primary.”
“As of April 9, Specter was telling Newsweek, ‘I’m a Republican and I’m going to run in the Republican primary and on the Republican ticket,’” Geraghty adds. “Good to know his word is his bond.”
Specter announced he’s going to have a news conference this afternoon where he will answer all questions.
President Obama called the Pennsylvania senator this morning to offer his full support.
“POTUS talked to Specter at 10:32 this morning from the Oval Office, said Dems are ‘thrilled to have you,’ according to a White House aide,” Martin Twittered.
NBC News claimed that this decision had been under discussion by Specter and Senate Democrats for about three weeks. The network added that he wasn’t promised any chairmanships in this Congress.
Democratic Senator Pat Leahy remarked that the Republican party ‘left him, he didn’t leave the party.”
Full statement by Senator Arlen Specter:
I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.
Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.
When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.
Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.
I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.
I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.
I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank specially Senators McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.
I am not making this decision because there are no important and interesting opportunities outside the Senate. I take on this complicated run for re-election because I am deeply concerned about the future of our country and I believe I have a significant contribution to make on many of the key issues of the day, especially medical research. NIH funding has saved or lengthened thousands of lives, including mine, and much more needs to be done. And my seniority is very important to continue to bring important projects vital to Pennsylvania’s economy.
I am taking this action now because there are fewer than thirteen months to the 2010 Pennsylvania Primary and there is much to be done in preparation for that election. Upon request, I will return campaign contributions contributed during this cycle.
While each member of the Senate caucuses with his Party, what each of us hopes to accomplish is distinct from his party affiliation. The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation. And no Senator, no matter how loyal he is to his Party, should or would put party loyalty above his duty to the state and nation.
My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (Card Check) will not change.
Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy’s statement that sometimes Party asks too much. When it does, I will continue my independent voting and follow my conscience on what I think is best for Pennsylvania and America.
This video is from MSNBC’s News Live, broadcast Apr. 28, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
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Ha! They messed with the wrong dude! Their offensive tactics are backfiring.
So is Lieberman going full Repubtard?
Screw Specter. We need a real Democrat in Pennsylvania. It’s a democratic state. Why settle for him?
“Gentlemen, We must protect our phoney baloney jobs!!”
No change here. “Magic Bullet” Specter will simply join the pigsty of blue swine democrats. Your blue swine dem is even worse than a republicon, because the blue swine is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. All the DINOs need to become extinct.
Now that he’s got Non-Hodgekin’s Lymphoma he wants to legally partake in the sacred herb of healing!
tinyurl.com/gov74
A) How telling that “today’s Democrats are right-leaning enough to be 1980s Republicans”
B) How telling that a Politician will ’switch party’ to make sure they get enough votes to stay in office (taking advantage of the moron masses who vote ‘party ticket’).
Amazing that the guy who denies physics (magic bullet, indeed) changes party when it becomes clear that the populace isn’t quite as dumb as it used to be..
This country is SO fucked.
Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter. Eventually your past deeds will catch up to you, and we shall administer judgement.
Ohhhh, political “thermite”. Down comes the Repubican Party, in its own footprint!
Arlen Specter is the Democratic party’s funny new lump. Watch how he undermines the programs and investigations that we need done immediately. Watch how he delays and prevaricates.
Another Joe Lieberman, caucusing with Democrats so he can infiltrate and subvert all needed reforms.
A funny new lump.
Absolutely!!!
Two questions.
1) Has the GOP lost its way?
2) What can they do to return to relevancy?
My thoughts.
1) The GOP was hijacked by neo-cons. Not only did they lose their way, but the people who hijacked the party have diametrically opposed views to the traditional party platform. The members of the GOP sold out to the neo-cons to gain power. Their brand of Fascism Light appealed to enough far right wingers and christian conservatives to almost win the elections in 2000 and 2004 (both elections were taken via voter fraud: Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004). The concepts of torture and pre-emptive strikes are against everything the USA used to stand for (and I guess is slowly starting to stand for again). To have taken these paths, which are what the Founding Fathers fought against, into the platform of the Republican party is to invite the eventual disrepair of said party.
2) As far as returning to relevancy, it is going to be a long hard road with much soul searching. Firstly they need to refuse the concept of “Might makes Right” and return to “Might in the service of Right”. The enemies of the Republican party who serve in said party are deeply entrenched so it may take from a decade to a generation to wash the stain of the Neo-Cons from the Republican party.
Finally, Sen Specter. His flip gives the Democrats control of the Senate during Obamas first term, ensuring that americans will have universal health care and that a myriad of other programs popular with voters will be passed. This will increase Obamas chances in 2012, which many say is already a landslide in the making. He will be able to state “I got a new budget through, provided americans with health care and fixed the economy” all this in the first year!
The punishment is not over yet, in 2010 one-third of the senate is up for election, while many of those seats are safe (on both sides) I daresay that the Dems will pick up more seats, leading to an unprecidented 60+ majority.
And the hits just keep on coming!! In 2012, where another one-third of the Senate is up for re-election it is POSSIBLE that on Obama’s very long and elegant coat-tails he can bring in enough democratic senators to get the count to 66 democrats. Why, the audience asks, is this important?!
With so many, a super-majority, Obama can do what few President have ever done, successfully change the very Constitution of the United States of America, and maybe, just MAYBE bring the US out of the 18th centruy vis-a-vis its form of government.
And that ladies and gentleman is “Change you can believe in!!”
Yours in 66 Senators Plasma,
Star¤Dagger
P.S. I am laughing so hard right now it hurts!
“Specter switching parties, Dems will gain filibuster proof Senate”
———————————-
As if it will make a damn bit of difference.
Oh, my. I agree with Specter on some things, I don’t agree with him on others, and, I’ve admired Spector for his independent streak (except when he, like McCain, lost that streak over the last eight years) . Time will tell if it turns out to be a good thing. Curious to see how this plays out …
That stinking filthy piece of shit Arlen “Magic Bullet” Specter established his bona fides with the Plutocracy when he took the lead on the whitewash operation called the Warren Commission and helped hide forever the real assassins of JFK.
Specter is a degenerate, bald-faced liar; one of the Plute’s favorite puppets. He needs to be immediately voted out in his next Democratic primary.
Hey check the actual ballistics………
like it makes a difference
Whatever it takes to keep winning!! He is aging, too–– maybe dumping Republicans will give him a better chance at Heaven when he dies.
Newt Gingritch made it well know that if Clinton passed healthcare reform, the Republican Party would face major loses in 1994[6?]. Therefore he [and Bob Dole] instructed Republicans to do EVERYTHING in their power to prevent that from happening. Because of this callous disregard for Americans, he succeeded, and ushered in the new Republican majority. The one that was finally just destroyed.
Now, the Republicans will once again pull out all the stops to see that healthcare reform fails. You thought they were nasty now . . . you ain’t seen nothing yet! They will do this even though it’s against their own best interest and American’s own best interest. I’ve never seen a party so bent on commiting suicide. It’s a little sad, and a lot fascinating!
A big reason for the change in the Repugnant Party is that in the 80s a whole bunch of nasty assed, cross burning, Christian, Blue Dog, Democraps switched affiliations and eventually took over control of the Repugs figuring that the Dems were going extinct. Now we have the same thing starting, only in reverse. We should learn a lesson from this. I hope the most repelent, to them, of the health care options gets rammed down the Repugs throats and they choke on it. While we’re at it, let’s get rid of that damned,”Under God” in our pledge, that they put there when everyone was still afraid of McCarthy and his band of Christo-Fascist inquisitors.
he’s tryin’ to keep himself employed, nothing else. As he already said in his statement, he’s not going to just vote ‘with the party,’ which means he could have just as easily stayed the way he was and stayed in the party he was in. He’s only switching parties to save his own ass. he saw Santorum get unvoted and he doesn’t want to be next. He’s a smart guy; now, if you vote AGAINST him, you’ll be voting FOR a republican.
If he makes it through the primary. Which he probably will, since he’s been in the Senate since 1960.
Democrats don’t need to settle for Spector in Pennsylvania. We can elect a real Democrat instead of one who blocked every investigation into the Bush Administration dealings with Halliburton, Blackwater, no bid contracts, torture, pretty much anything…when he controlled the Judiciary Committee.
Pennsylvania is now firmly a democratic state. Why would we be happy about a republican slithering away with an easy senate seat pickup for a real democrat?
And if Toomey picked it up through some miracle…fine…it’s another rabid self-servative wingnut republican in congress to spout the nonsense that is driving the republicans ever deeper into the wilderness. Who cares. It’s better than wasting an easy senate seat pickup on someone who won’t vote for progressive policies that this country, and Pennsylvania, clearly wants.
Obama called this weak sister “One tough hombre?” Tough as a cream puff. He bowed and scraped his way through the infamous, illegal and crime ridden Bush years. He was Bush’s prophylactic. He was anything but tough.