Welcome to the Dems-Arlen Spector

**Zulu Warrior** · April-28-09, 12:49 PM

http://www.thestate.com/nationalpoli...ry/766672.html

Looks like conservatism is having a bad day....

**Johnlodge** · April-28-09, 01:05 PM

Didn't he kill his wife and start the trend of over-producing music? Oh, wait that's the other guy.

**sarge** · April-28-09, 01:15 PM

Well, I guess I can't use him as an example of a repug who is not crazy anymore. Welcome, Arlen!

ccbatson · April-28-09, 02:41 PM

He has been a known RINO for a while...better to have honest members. He will probably do more good for Republicans as a foil in the Democrat party anyway. Besides, a converted Democrat, losing in the polls for the Republican primary as an incumbent is a long shot for re election.

**Johnlodge** · April-28-09, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

He has been a known RINO for a while...better to have honest members. He will probably do more good for Republicans as a foil in the Democrat party anyway. Besides, a converted Democrat, losing in the polls for the Republican primary as an incumbent is a long shot for re election.

**Eastburn** · April-28-09, 02:54 PM

I've always wondered how honest it is for a politician elected as a member of one party to switch sides mid-stream. Seems if the voters wanted a Democrat [[or Republican, for that matter) they'd have elected one. Strikes me that the honorable thing to do is announce they're switching parties for the next election but dance with them that brung ya for thew current term.

ccbatson · April-28-09, 02:57 PM

Honest? Politicians?

**MCP-001** · April-28-09, 03:17 PM

I'm sorry, this is news why?

ccbatson · April-28-09, 03:18 PM

It confirms the long suspected RINO status of the guy...not really news.

**Lowell** · April-28-09, 04:20 PM

Now that Rush and Hannity are the de facto leaders of the party, look for more defections. The lunatic fringe is holding sway over the party and no reasonable Rep., and there are many, can feel safe in a primary election. Extremists will win the low turnout primaries and lose in the general.

This is kind of like when Feiger won the Dem primary. The shoe is on the other foot now.

**gazhekwe** · April-28-09, 04:24 PM

I heard Mitch McConnell hoping that the majority won't run roughshod over the minority. Hello? Doesn't he remember the last four years of the Clinton administration and the first six years of the Bush administration? How come it's OK if his party does it?

**Gistok** · April-28-09, 04:51 PM

There was one US Democratic Senator who did a party switch to Republican... but he did it in a rather sleazy way... he switched after the election, and after the Democrats lost control of congress in 1994....

Who was this sleazeball??

Why none other than Michigan's least favorite politician... Alabama's Richard Selby!!

lilpup · April-28-09, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by Eastburn

I've always wondered how honest it is for a politician elected as a member of one party to switch sides mid-stream. Seems if the voters wanted a Democrat [[or Republican, for that matter) they'd have elected one. Strikes me that the honorable thing to do is announce they're switching parties for the next election but dance with them that brung ya for thew current term.

That argument might hold for a first term winner but Spector's been around since 1980. I'm sure any in his constituency who have been paying attention are well aware of his policy positions.

**Detroitej72** · April-28-09, 05:30 PM

Another sign that the Republican Party is sliding farther to the fringe right, and out of touch with mainstream America.

Keep up the good work dittoheads.

**Glowblue** · April-28-09, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

He has been a known RINO for a while...better to have honest members. He will probably do more good for Republicans as a foil in the Democrat party anyway. Besides, a converted Democrat, losing in the polls for the Republican primary as an incumbent is a long shot for re election.

Not really. PA is a heavily Democratic state, so Specter flipping greatly increases his chances of re-election. Especially if the Republicans put up a right-wing nutjob like Toomey.

**oladub** · April-28-09, 09:14 PM

Voted for Bush's Wall Street bailout. Voted for Porkulus. Guess Senator Spector is a big spending, big government/Goldman Sachs kind of guy. Now, maybe, he will be better able to represent his corporate friends on the other side of the aisle.

Top 5 Contributors, 2003-2008, Campaign Cmte
ContributorTotal
Blank Rome LLP$235,450
Comcast Corp$111,100
UPMC Health System$100,750
GOLDMAN SACHS$99,100
Kline & Specter$88,650

Top 5 Industries, 2003-2008, Campaign Cmte
IndustryTotal
Lawyers/Law Firms$2,558,680
Securities & Investment$927,899
Retired$860,345
Real Estate$812,666
Lobbyists$724,737

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicia...n00001604#cont

**firstandten** · April-29-09, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by Glowblue

Not really. PA is a heavily Democratic state, so Specter flipping greatly increases his chances of re-election. Especially if the Republicans put up a right-wing nutjob like Toomey.

Spector felt he put too much time and effort as a senator to go down in the republican primary to a right winger only to have that person lose to the democrat in the general election. He was also upset with his parties position on stem cell research which is close to his heart.

**East Detroit** · April-29-09, 08:07 AM

When does Al Franken take his seat?

**ghettopalmetto** · April-29-09, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

There was one US Democratic Senator who did a party switch to Republican... but he did it in a rather sleazy way... he switched after the election, and after the Democrats lost control of congress in 1994....

Who was this sleazeball??

Why none other than Michigan's least favorite politician... Alabama's Richard Selby!!

Ahem, don't forget Strom Thurmond, who switched parties because the Democrats weren't racist enough anymore.

**oladub** · April-29-09, 09:11 AM

Specter condemned Jim Jeffords' party switch in 2001

"Senator James Jeffords of Vermont appears in 2001, announcing his departure from the Republican party.

When the Vermont Republican became an independent, Specter lost a committee chairmanship in the Senate's resulting power shift. An angry Specter proposed a ban on such party switches."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,2430682.story

Specter was also trailing his Republican primary opponent by 20% in recent polls. The Republican base, it seems, is getting cranky about the Wall Street bailouts and about to give their party an enema . It was a good time for Senator Spector to jump ship.

No one has mentioned that Reagan started off as a Democrat or that Specter was a registered Democrat before becomming a Republican.

"In 1965, Specter ran for District Attorney, on the Republican ticket as a registered Democrat. He handily beat incumbent Jim Crumlish, and subsequently changed his registration to Republican."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlen_Specter

**jiminnm** · April-29-09, 11:18 AM

I guess this means more Senate hearing on steroids in MLBl and on establishing an NCAA Football championship.

ccbatson · April-29-09, 04:21 PM

Political expediency...far too many politicians have very little integrity, exactly the opposite of the way it should be.

**Detroitej72** · April-29-09, 04:48 PM

The Republican Party used to stand for: limited government, low taxes, protecting the constitution, and anti-abortion.

Now it stands for: large government, stripping the constitution of civil liberties, huge deficits, higher taxes on the working folks, anti abortion, anti gays, anti any religion that is not conservetive protestant, and corporate welfare.

It is no wonder why some think it will slide into a regional, southern- based party of the fringe element.

ccbatson · April-29-09, 04:50 PM

True on a few counts, but backwards. The neo statist [[a Mark Levinism) RINOs are pro big government, true conservatives are not. Arlen Spector is a member of the former, not the latter.

**Detroitej72** · April-29-09, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

True on a few counts, but backwards. The neo statist [[a Mark Levinism) RINOs are pro big government, true conservatives are not. Arlen Spector is a member of the former, not the latter.

So, by that definition, Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and the like are RINOs. Hell, Reagen, the god of the right wing, was not a true conservetive, as he was the first one to realise the neo-con agenda of spending like a drunk sailor and leaving future generations the bill.