Specter To Switch Parties: (fillibuster-proof majority with Franken)

Washington Post ^ | 4/28/09 | Chris Cillizza

[Nachum]

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. (Former Sen. Norm Coleman is appealing Franken's victory in the state Supreme Court.)

[Nachum]

Crap.

[edcoil]

Wonder what the dems will give him.

[GeronL]

Spectre, Snowe and Collins usually voted with them anyways

[Tarpon]

And so what ... he voted with the progressives on all critical issues anyway. Never forget that part.

[umgud]

Yeah, look for Collins and Snowe to make the leap also.

[SeanOGuano]

I hope he’s as big a pain in the ass to the Dems as he was to the GOP.

[meandog]

Thanks for nothing, Arlen!

[11th Commandment]

April 14, 2009

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn released a letter today offering a full-throated endorsement of Sen. Arlen Specter in his coming primary against former congressman Pat Toomey,

"Article"

[pillut48]

No, no, no!! This is GREAT news for conservatives!! :-)

2010 is just around the corner. Big changes will be coming as liberal extremists like Arlen Specter will get voted out of congress!! The bottom line is that everyone has a wallet, and all this taxing and spending will be in full force come election time! Kiss most of the dems in congress goodbye then!

[Obadiah]

Good news!

[henkster]

30 pieces of silver.

[cripplecreek]

I’m not too concerned about it. The democrats already had a fillibuster proof majority with Specter on “our” side.

[azlinda]

All three of them (Snowe, Collins and Specter) have no conservative values anyway. If they were honest, they never would have run as Republicans to begin with. Dishonesty abounds in Washington from the president on down.

[hoosierham]

Is his switching parties allowed under Scottish rules?

(I think we know the answer from Scottish history).

[pierrem15]

Didn't make any difference: the Dems were willing to prostitute the "reconciliation" procedures to pass legislation with a simple majority, and as far as confirmations go, the stinking RINOs in the Senate have a habit of rolling over anyway.

We made this situation inevitable as long as we tolerated Bush's "big government" pseudo-conservatism and the Republicans' K-Street corruption racket.

[Servant of the Cross]

They already have it with Arlen, Collins and Snowe.

[LibFreeUSA]

Crap?? - this is great! We get rid of a RINO and send him as a DINO into the enemy camp. This now ‘cleanses’ the way for more conservatives. I hope McCain goes too!

[Da Coyote]

Slime is as slime does.

Spector is not official slime - instead of RINO slime.

[massgopguy]

Where’s Joe Lieberman?

[pgkdan]

Doesn’t change a thing.

[section9]

He saw that he was far behind Toomey, and made a deal with Obama and Fast Eddie. This is a smart thing to do from his point of view. He’d have had far more credibility had he’d stayed indie like Lieberman. Now he just looks like he ‘s trying to save his ass.

Oh well, at least he help get Alito and Roberts through. Give him that much.

Best,

Chris

[Tarpon]

And then we can have real elections ... Have you noticed how the progressives straddle the aisle. Won't be long now, before we wonder where the Constitution went, and how we let it slip away.

It's time to out them for what they are, progressives who want to destroy the Constitution. Most Americans do not live their lives the way the progressives want them to, and don't intend to change.

[Da Coyote]

Oops, that’s “now”, not “not”.

I hate it when I do that.

[11th Commandment]

April 14, 2009

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn released a letter today offering a full-throated endorsement of Sen. Arlen Specter in his coming primary against former congressman Pat Toomey,

"Article"

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Wonder what the dems will give him.

Considering his "service" to the Dems, I'd say a pat on the head, and they won't have to do anything but reach down.

[China Clipper]

So, I apologize for my ignorance, but does that occur TODAY, or do we wait until 2010?

Seems kind of shady a man can run as a (R) and then change midstream and serve as a (D)....<>Oh wait, I guess he was doing that already....Hmmmm

[Joe Boucher]

And how much money did the G.O.P. give to this bastard to help him get re-elected?
Not to mention G.W. Bush helping to get his sorry butt re-elected, nice going G.W., not that we needed another REAL republican.

[I see my hands]

It appears the Democracy approach is a squandering of time and effort.

[Tarpon]

Specter, Snowe, Collins and McCain.

Specter is all about Specter ... And getting re-elected.

[boomop1]

Good ridden take Snowe and Collins.

[the long march]

Nothing is filibuster proof. Truth is not all democrats feel thrilled about what us going on in the country. No guarantee that Arlen will even be around next time. He knew he would lose to Toomey so he is trying to find a place to hide. Won’t work with those who supported him the first time. Won’t work with the lefties who didn’t support him last time

[fr_freak]

I’m not too concerned about it. The democrats already had a fillibuster proof majority with Specter on “our” side.

Whether the Dems have a filibuster-proof majority or not doesn't matter. Does anybody believe that the Republicans in the Senate would ever have had the motivation or the guts actually to employ a real filibuster? The answer isn't no, it's HELL no.

[bolobaby]

EVERYTHING IS NOW OFFICIALLY THE DEMOCRATS' FAULT! YIPPEE!

[Welcome2thejungle]

Et tu, Sphincter?

Useless traitor and backstabber

[Man50D]

It’s irrelevant. He’s not switching parties since we only have a one socialist Republicrat party system.

[Vaduz]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Obadiah]

Less abilty for Dems to say they have "bipartisan support". Heck, give 'em all the RINOs and be done with it!

Look, the writing was on the wall, Spector was going to get creamed in the primary and he took easy way out.

[Quix]

At least his . . .

STINKY PEDIGREE will now be overtly evident in more ways than usual . . . with the more accurate label.

[mort56]

It just goes to show you it is all about them. These politicians stand for little more than reelection. Shame on Pa for electing this bum in the first place and shame on the GOP for standing up for him against principle.

[GOP_Party_Animal]

Is his switching parties allowed under Scottish rules?

LOL! Like Robert the Bruce in the movie Braveheart.

[RC2]

I sure hope so. As it stands now, 1/2 of our country has no representation at all.

[La Lydia]

Curb your enthusiasm. A filibuster-proof Senate working with Obama will be able to do a great deal of damage to the Republic before the new Congress is seated in 2011. It is waaay too early to celebrate. Specter has always been a worm, and the biggest mistake Bush made was making sure he got re-elected the last time. This sucks for several different reasons.

[zeaal]

At least he made it official ... we all knew long time ago.

[Quix]

The vast bulk of the Senate has been sold down the treasonous river for decades.

SpectRE was a place holder on the pretend opposition side.

[Political Junkie Too]

What does Specter expect to get from being a Democrat? It's not like Leahy will move aside and give up his Judiciary Committee Chairmanship.

Will Republicans remove Specter from his committee assignments? Do Democrats have enough slots to keep Specter on the committees he's currently on now?

-PJ

[Huskrrrr]

Spector knew he would lose in the primary. This is all about HIM, screw the rest of the country. Good riddance! Count me in for a contribution to his opponent.

[Lurking in Kansas]

What took you so long, Judas?

[Dansong]

Great news! Remove the cancer grow the party...

[Turret Gunner A20]

Crap.

Describes Specter to a T.

[big black dog]

More than anything, I think this represents the notion that he probably was going to lose in the GOP primaries.