Specter's Blame Game

National Review ^ | April 28, 2009 | David Freddoso

[blackbart.223]

"He’s now 80 and the folks are ready for something NEW."

Don't pin your hopes on that. Robert Byrd is still in office although I doubt he knows he is.

[colorado tanker]

He was a Democrat assistant DA who wanted the top job for himself, but the incumbent DA was a long serving Democrat. So, he switched parties, posed as a reform candidate and beat his boss. He got to the Senate in the Reagan landslide in 1980 and got a taste for the good life of a Senator in the majority.

He's always been an opportunist. This isn't about principles because he has none.

[Verginius Rufus]

Freddoso should have been quotation marks around “pro-life” when referring to Casey Jr.

[angkor]

>>>> The departure of Arlen Specter looks very bad for the GOP <<<<

I agree. Best thing that’s happened to the GOP in years.

Now if McQueeg, Snowe, Collins, and a few others would follow suit....

[blackbart.223]

"This isn't about principles because he has none."

Amen. I would sooner trust a whore than Specter.

[Baladas]

That’s right. The democrats in particular love their dinosaurs.

I think Arlen is finally going home, and that Pansy should stop being such a pansy and go with him to the jackass party if he won’t.

[freekitty]

I keep hearing Brit Hume what I think he is saying and that is we should vote for who think can win moderate or not according to the red or blue states and that Snowe and Collins work with the Dems. That may be true up to a point; but not to the point of losing our country. I am all for working with each other but not at that cost.

Surely when Spector, Collins and Snowe defected to vote for the stimulus bill; they should have known it wouldn’t be good for the country.

[Walrus]

We already HAVE term limits. Simply vote the incumbent out.

This ain’t rocket science.

[Jaidyn]

Specter wanted to pass a law making it illegal to switch parties midstream. I guess the rules are for other people. He has always been a democrat, but would do or say anything to get elected. He’s the scum of the earth, and even Pennsylvanian democratic voters won’t trust him.

[WOSG]

If we take Specter's word, then the GOP has become intolerant of moderate politicians like himself. On this score, Specter appears to have a severe case of amnesia. Exactly five years ago, the national Republican Party swooped into Pennsylvania and saved him from certain defeat at the hands of Rep. Pat Toomey (R). Valuable presidential time was sacrificed on his behalf. Also sacrificed for Arlen Specter was the reputation of his conservative colleague, Rick Santorum (R), who never recovered. From that moment forward, he lost his core constituency, and was easily defeated two years later by a pro-life Democrat. Without essential help from the party that is so intolerant of people like him, Arlen Specter would already be a former senator today. It is not the party but the voters in Pennsylvania who have stopped tolerating Specter.

Specter further cemented the fall of the GOP majority be being a big-spender and refusing to pass permanent tax cuts. He damaged the GOP brand. It's a great pity we didnt lose him in 2004 when we could afford to lose him rather than in 2010 when the Dems enjoy a super majority. Perhaps the voters will weary of his self-centeredness.

[WOSG]

McConnell wasnt even majority leader then. Dont blame him. The Bush/Rove WH made that call.

[blackbart.223]

"Simply vote the incumbent out."

My approach is the same. At this point we are out numbered. I pray that will change.

[Migraine]

Arlen Rectum’s switch is as irrelevant as republicans are these days. The beauty of the switch is that baraq will not have an excuse to use the “reconciliation” ruse to get the next trillion through congress — especially after the comedian from MN joins the scene. Sans excuse, I would think that the next trillion should have to be subjected to at least a measure of debate. Maybe light will be shed on the full-blown communism of it all. Don’t forget that baraq was about to just ramrod the boondoggles through via “reconciliation” — a euphemism for “fiat” or “decree”.

[Racer1]

Well one thing for sure, if I were a Dem I wouldn’t vote for him. If he wins he could switch back after the election. Who knows since he has 0 credibility or loyalty.

[WOSG]

“I’m tired of Conservatives taking it in the chin all the time”

Exactly. we worked to get Republicans elected to do conservative policy things. Then we find out that despite 80% of the Republicans being good, the 20% of them that are RINOs are the swing vote and ruin everything - they stop any meaningful conservative policies from getting enacted.

we are tired of having RINOs sell out what we believe in and we WILL dump these non-Republicans in the primaries.

Conservatism has ‘hit bottom’ with this news. We now know where we stand. Time to rebuild.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Do we have a shot at unseating this SOB?

I’d like to start saving now to donate!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

He's 79, almost 80.

That's the thing that these butt-smooching, NE RINO lovers refuse to acknowledge. Specter is too damn old to run for re-election and should have stepped down even back in 2004. He's the epitome of what's wrong with Washington but unfortunately the country clubbers don't see it that way, they just to blame conservatives.

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

Party of one boarding the Jackass Express, now leaving Elephant Station.

At last, a little truth from Specter. Truth in labeling anyway.

[SECURE AMERICA]

The departure of Arlen Specter looks very bad for the GOP

As a Pennsylvanian and American,Specter leaving the Republican Party is NOTHING BUT A GOOD THING..........
Since he has not been a Republican for many years now his moving out free’s up a spot for a real Republican to enter....

[GAB-1955]

I think we'd better start thinking about building up the GOP’s core from conservative values. We'll be a smaller party than before, but more effective. The Democrats can't stay together for more than a few years before fracturing over the goodies.