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Pennsylvania's Specter switches parties, bolstering Senate Democrats

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The GOP's continued rightward radicalism is alienating its own members. By appealing to only the narrow interests of the far right the GOP is losing its relevance. The bonus here is that Specter will offer a counter weight to the leftist radicals in the Democratic Party who mirror their rightist siblings in alienating the interests of the nation in favour of ideology.

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Woo Hoo !!!!

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It's going to need a 60-vote fillibuster-proof majority in the Senate to fix the diaster caused by bush and the GOP over the last 8 years.

The great thing thgat has been happening for some time now - as buddha4brains alluded to above - is that the GOP are tearing themselves apart.

America can only benefit from that.

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59 !

59!

59!

If we could just get Al Franken seated in the U.S. Senate.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

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Ironic - Arlen Specter just said 'no' to the Party of 'No.'

That's funny. :-)

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I wonder what Rush Limbough and his GOP party are going to do now?

I'm hoping Arlen Specter's move will inspire other moderate Republicans to become true patriots and follow suit and - among other things - get Obama's alternative energy initiatives working to wean America off gas.

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That 60th vote is not a phone-in. If the radical left get too excited, the spectre of Specter will help cool their heels. In that sense Specter's one vote will help do what the whole of the GOP has failed to do: put country before ideology. Let's see if the Dems as a whole can avoid the same pit fall.

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Ok, so the GOP is dying out. Ok, now let's get the dems out and create new parties that truly reflect the people.

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I notice non of the few remaining bushites on here are out posting on the topic. Ah well, that's to be expected. After I and others have been on here pointing out that the Republican party has become meaningless and is tearing itself apart (especially after the moronic move to nominate Palin as VP, which sent shockwaves through the GOP itself), there's not much more they can say to counter it. I suppose one or two will come on here and simply attack Spectre's character.

Anyway, one more seat and the Dems can finally start fixing bush's mess without any filibusters and what not.

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skipthesong at 09:11 AM JST - 29th April Ok, so the GOP is dying out. Ok, now let's get the dems out and create new parties that truly reflect the people.

I for one would rather see more parties maybe 10....This way we would have a more Democratic nation. The more parties the less corruption....

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That 60th vote is not a phone-in. If the radical left get too excited, the spectre of Specter will help cool their heels. In that sense Specter's one vote will help do what the whole of the GOP has failed to do: put country before ideology.

I don't know.

Specter, 79 and seeking a sixth six-year term in 2010, conceded bluntly that his chances of winning a Republican primary election were bleak in his home state, Pennsylvania,

Seems to me he is putting his own self-interest in getting his butt re-elected above anything else. Typical cynical politician.

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skipthesong said:

Ok, so the GOP is dying out. Ok, now let's get the dems out and create new parties that truly reflect the people.

Dream on! Independents didn't do squat in the last election. By the way you said you were going to run for congress. How did that go for you?

The Democrats are on the rise - not on the decline.

What is this that the "radical left" wants that is so evil? I have not heard about it yet. I hear an awful lot of talk about the radical left and we are well aware of the things the conservatives want that I don't hear anybody supporting. But just what is in the radical left's agenda that is so bad? I don't consider myself the radical left. I am a free trader and very supportive of Business.

I think Arlen Specter will be a great fit to the Democratic Party. I would personally welcome him aboard if I had the chance. I recall that he was very against the impeachment of Bill Clinton and he raised a little hell because the Republicans went through with it. He also voted very interesting at the trial. He was the only one to famously cite Scots law to render a verdict of "not proven" on President Clinton's verdict. We may not get 60 votes to win many cloture votes and stop filibusters in their tracks with Franken's seat in the Senate still not secured. It is just an honor to have him in our party even though a guy like him will probably change very little in the way he votes; he is a man of principle. I have always liked him even if I did not agree with him. During the next election cycle I expect him to get a nice Chairmanship of a committee as a reward of his fine choice today.

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Clearly, developments like this are fascinating for posters here from countries where democracy is dead.

Funny though, when Zell Miller did this in 04 his very sanity was challenged by his critics.

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"push President Barack Obama's agenda through the Senate"

That's all we need.

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“You certainly haven't heard warm encouraging words about how [the GOP] views moderates,” said Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, one of the few remaining moderate republicans in the Senate.

I won't be surprised if Sen. Snowe doesn't also cross over to the light side.

To me, the gop seems to be in a big hole and they think the solution is a bigger shovel.

Taka

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Funny though, when Zell Miller did this in 04 his very sanity was challenged by his critics.

Perhaps Mr. Miller's critics challenged his sanity, not based upon his political defection, but his on-air proclamation of the desire to challenge to Chris Matthews to a duel. A duel. Seriously.

Or, perhaps Mr. Miller's critics just saw where the party he switched to was headed.

Taka

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6,000,000 jobs lost in America since the Democrat majority began making policy, Jan 07.

[http://www.gop.gov/accountability]

Specter was in danger of losing his, so he switched.

"PA-Sen: Specter Trails, and Badly, Against Toomey

by Jonathan Singer, Fri Apr 24, 2009 at 01:32:46 PM EST

This week Rasmussen Reports polled 490 likely Republican primary voters, and the numbers (which have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points) look decidedly bad for incumbent Senator Arlen Specter.

Arlen Specter: 30 percent Pat Toomey: 51 percent

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/4/24/12315/8575

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teleprompter: "Clearly, developments like this are fascinating for posters here from countries where democracy is dead."

I love you guys, seriously. When you can't argue something and are just plain miffed about it it all comes down to 'non-Americans posting' on a Japanese site about a US-related article. Everyone has the right to an opinion, my friend, and when you and a few others rave and rant about how non-Americans (or 'foreigners', as you guys oft say) have no right to a say it only makes 'non-American' view points more valid than the people who have to bring nationality up as their only defense.

"Specter was in danger of losing his, so he switched."

As I said, you guys would be able to do nothing but attack the man because you have nothing else to say (well, 'non-American' crap aside). The man switched, bottom line, and the Dems are stronger for it. May hurt, but you've got to swallow that.

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TokyoHustla: "Zell Miller was right - the freedom of America is the most correct way to live in the Bible."

Ah, well... you just undermined your own argument, my friend. If you want a religious state you're always going to remain among the lowly few who lose every time.

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The Good Donkey: "Dream on! Independents didn't do squat in the last election." Well, have you noticed that there are only two parties in charge. Believe me, if an independent came up from no where, the Dems and REpubs would team up and squash them.

Now, this move today proves my point. They just keep jumping back and forth and that both parties are really a mirror of the other. I can name several dems that went repub just to get elected. I think it is disgusting that any party, which will criticize the other, would allow for something like this. If I was a member of either party, I would rather be true to my call than accept a member from another party just to gain votes.

Besides, I am curious and I will accuse, but when I see something like this, I can only think of someone getting something in my pocket.

While you are practically having an orgasm over this, I get a bit scared that we are slowly moving to a one party system. How do you know they won't start moving in another direction?

So, as for your "By the way you said you were going to run for congress. How did that go for you?" I have yet to claim a residency in NY, still a resident of Chicago, but I don't think I am welcomed there and I can't claim Miami. So, I got a problem. Give me some time man.

If I go Dem, I lose out on my main people, the people of Miami, but I win on the Puerto Ricans but I don't think I'd do good in the Tex-Mex states. JB can tell you why on that one. If I go Repub, then I win my own kind, but lose out on the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans unless I suddenly become a Roman Catholic again! Its very difficult.

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Clearly, developments like this are fascinating for posters here from countries where democracy is dead.

Which is why you're posting here today?

Actually, American democracy is fascinating and what happens in your great country affects many way beyond its borders.

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Basically, I doubt Specter will be voting any differently, so the real change will be minimal and mostly image.

Its too bad we cannot judge these guys on their votes instead of their stripes. And its too bad we have so many pack animals among us with a vote of their own.

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Skip: If I go Dem, I lose out on my main people

Cut across party lines. Republilcans do not have to vote for Republicans.

I think it is disgusting that any party, which will criticize the other, would allow for something like this.

How can they prevent it? I do not think they can officially ban him can they? You yourself are chooseing a party at your whim.

Besides, I doubt Specter ever criticized Dems like one of the scumbags on the right, like Rush Limbaugh, and it would be unfair to lump him with that ignorant SOB when you only have two viable choices of party in America.

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you only have two viable choices of party in America."

And we have to change that. Otherwise, nothing changes. That is why I want to run someday.

Cut across party lines. Republilcans do not have to vote for Republicans." Likeitis: I was talking about the Cuban-Americans who are over 20. Besides, I never voted for the party, I have voted for the man/woman running.

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Its too bad we cannot judge these guys on their votes instead of their stripes. And its too bad we have so many pack animals among us with a vote of their own.

But up thread your compatriot buddha4brains seems to say you don't have developments like this in Canada,

Is there an Arlen Specter sort of figure in recent Canadian politics?

I'm not surprised by Specter's move. He is yet another argument for term limits in the Senate. Worst feature of the most recent presidential election was that the last 3 standing, so to speak (Clinton, McCain, Obama), all came out of the Senate and lacked the ideal and traditional, near prerequisite of gubernatorial experience.

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Anyone who says nothing changes with changes in the party filling the U.S. Congress seats or the Presidency clearly does not have a handle on the laws being passed and the laws being enforced as well as administrative law and its implementation. When we talk about government agencies and the ability of a president to affect administrative law we see major changes. We have already seen major changes in stem cell research, international diplomacy, science funding and many other areas and we have just past the 100th day mark. That is a mere 14 1/2 weeks and we have seen a flurry of changes. I can understand why many are fed up with left and right politics. I am not fed up. Why should I be? I was a liberal when "liberal" was a dirty word. I refused to hide from that label when almost everyone was saying bad things about liberals. I went to school (higher education) late in life. I took a lot of abuse in an environment where there was a plethora of conservatives. I held to my views. I have often been ridiculed as being unpatriotic. I did not care, I stuck to my beliefs. Now, when my party and my views are being accepted I am not suppose to celebrate. I am certainly not orgasmic. How childish to label me so. Actually I am have not even reached the level of being ecstatic in the real world but do not mind appearing so on here. So to all the Democratic haters and those who claim the liberal agenda is so evil, without ever being specific, I say:

Wooo!

Hooo!

I hear all this yakking about how there is no difference between the two parties but what I don't hear is what these same, so called independents, want to do, want to change or destroy and build. I'm not saying every independent is a wishy washy, flip flopper but some of the most vocal critics of our two parties are just blowin' in the wind. It is quite different to be moderate like Arlen Specter. He may take positions that vary from traditional right to left and he may take compromise positions on other issues but he is rather consistent. You can be consistent on an issue by always saying it requires a compromise solution. We have a major Labor issue that has been floating around as a bill. Specter consistently takes a compromise position between Labor and corporate issues. It will be very interesting where Specter's votes will be cast on this issue.

I like Olympia Snowe. Again I do not agree with her all the time but I believe she is sincere in her efforts to do what is best for America the majority of the time. If she remains a Republican I will still like her. It is a major advantage to the Republican if she stays: especially if they ever achieve a majority because of it in the Senate. If she switched parties the Republicans could never defeat her. Just like we can't defeat her now. There is a great deal of pressure on her to also switch parties. I don't expect her to. I will respect her if she does not switch. However, if she were to switch nobody could say it was because she needed the votes. Arlen Specter decided he wanted to remain in the Senate because he could do a better job then his Republican challenger. I don't see anything wrong with that. However I might criticize a Democrat switching. That is how I see it from my point of view. I am very committed to my beliefs and I want to see people who share them elected and I want to see more moderate leaders choose my party to give it power.

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And America is a democracy? it is a republic like ancient Rome and we now what hapened to that one.

“really relates to ... whether or not in the United States of America our people want the majority party to have whatever it wants, without restraint, without a check or balance.” is he talking about the Bush administration?

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GD: nice post. However, I completely dislike the words lib or conservative. Actually, there are things I think I am conservative about and then there are things I think I am liberal about. The same with right and left. All these names are for one thing and that is to group people together and get votes. Never mind going off on indies, I prefer that all elected officials, once elected, should shred their party's clothes and run as indies on when re-election time. How many politicians bend, wheel and deal to get things done? I want people voting for the person, not the party, but at the moment right now, that is how we are voting. I think that is wrong.

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The GOP should dis-band.

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The GOP should dis-band.

No, I'm not that surprised to see the int'l Left agreeing with American "liberals" that one party rule would be best.

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I suppose I, like every other non right-wing radical, are on the left for you.

But I'm not suggesting one party rule, old friend. I'm suggesting the less radical elements inside the GOP - and even within the Democrats should jump ship and form a new party. President Obama is a refreshing change, but your two party system is long stale....

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I still don't get why one party would welcome a jumper for anything other than votes and I don't see this as something better for the people other than being better for the jumper.

I can understand some here's disdain for the GOP after Bush, but we lived good under Regan and we didn't do so well under Carter. Bush's first few years weren't bad.

I'm really scared of one party having too much power. Perhaps if Pelosi or Fienstine, and most of all Barney Frank weren't there, maybe I'd think differently.

I wonder what kind of back room dealing went on.

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Madeverts - "I suppose I, like every other non right-wing radical, are on the left for you."

lol :-)

"I'm suggesting the less radical elements inside the GOP - and even within the Democrats should jump ship and form a new party."

I agree. I would go as far as to suggest that all extremist GOP elements who think Sarah Pallin', Rush Limpbough or Newt Gingrich are the future of the Grand Old Party form their own little chin-stroking clique and move aside.

Otherwise the GOP will remain a washed-up, out of touch faction symbolizing the ever-dimming light of complete and utter political failure in America.

Oh, and teleprompter, I know it's news to you, but myself and other 'foreigners' are, in fact, entitled to post our views about American politics on this website.

Have a nice day. :-)

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Republican Sen Arlen Specter??? I think better to write, EX-Republican Sen Arlen Specter, Thank GOD!!!Finally someone with the guts and brains to stand up to these idiot fools like Newt Gingrich and co.!!! Maybe now, the US govt. will be able to get something done, and get it done right!

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That's why a majority of Americans voted for Barack Obama.

They couldn't take any more Bush-led failures.

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Add this one to the growing list that is the George W. Bush/Karl Rove legacy to the Republican Party.

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I voted for Obama because I supported Obama. George Bush played little to no part in my decision-making process since he wasn't in the election.

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Specter’s decision gives Democrats and their allies at least 59 Senate seats. One vacancy remains from the state of Minnesota, where Democrat Al Franken holds a narrow lead in a race being disputed in court.

It's a crazy world we live in when Al Franken holds the keys. Hopefully he won't give up writing if he gets elected.

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teleprompter - "Bush was not eligible for a third term."

A seemingly smart comeback - his party was and got whumped. :-)

Clearly, the implosion of the GOP in the last election is still haunting you.

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Teleprompter: Bush was not eligible for a third term.

No, but nobody wanted to take the risk of many of those from the Admin Bush led continuing under another Republican leader. Face it, even if Bush himself were not eligible, his stink was still quite active.

Moderator: All readers, back on topic please. The subject is Arlen Specter.

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Specter himself says the move to the shrieky right is the main reason he's defected and anybody in the centre should be happy he'll be in the Democrat party to challenge elements of the radical left.

Oh. That's good to know. I was under the foolish impression that the news [http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31639] of his admission that a privately-hired pollster told him he could not win re-election as a repub or an independent might have meant we had yet another careerist lizard warming itself indefinitely in the reptile house that used to be the Senate.

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Oh come on, he did it for the votes and the dems welcomed him for the votes, just like the repubs did for Bloomy and Arny

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"I've looked at the polls. I can't win as a Republican, I can't win as an independent. The only way I have a shot is to be a Democrat."

Arlen Specter in a private meeting with Mel Martinez

Further evidence that George Washington was right... as if we needed anymore of it.

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The GOP should dis-band.

No, I'm not that surprised to see the int'l Left agreeing with American "liberals" that one party rule would be best.

What a sad post.

No where did Madverts say he is for one-party rule in the U.S. and as an American liberal, living in America, I have never, not once, ever, heard a liberal claim that a one party system in the U.S. would be best. He just stated the republican party, which has, by his estimation (I'm speculating here), has completely and utterly lost it's way and is now an asylum being run by the inmates.

If the republicans disbanded, those leaving with active brain cells and no fox "analyst" contract would just form another party and be the new opposition to the Democratic party.

Trying to accuse someone of something they clearly didn't state just shows how sad and bitter the poster is regarding his lack of significance in his own country.

Madverts, What you need to understand is that some Americans, much like people all over the world, have nothing personally, that they can hang their hat on. For Americans in that situation, they tend to fall back on the U.S.'s domination of WW2 and subsequent political and economic dominance as their source of pride, having nothing, personally, they can fall back upon. The neo-conservatives within that group have now even lost that. In there eyes, America elected a non-American Islamic darkie. Hence the freak-outs and sad posts about the "American-obsessed 'foreigners'" (forgetting this site is based in Japan). They have no longer have anything to hang their hat on and are lashing out. If anything, they deserve our pity.

Taka

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313: "the republican party... has completely and utterly lost its way"

The Republican Party does not embrace true conservatism, and that is why they lost this past election.

"neo-conservatives"

As opposed to neo-Democrats?

Sarge

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Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, compared Arlen Specter to Benedict Arnold, a traitor during the American Revolution. "You're either with us or against us," a totalitarian formulation, drove Arlen, a moderate, out of the Republican Party.

While his chances of winning the Republican primary were poor, his opponent's chances of winning in the general election are worse. Montergomery and Bucks Counties, high growth suburbs of Philadelphia and the most vibrant part of Pennsylvania's economy, are blue.

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Arlen Specter was a Democrat until 1965 when he turned turncoat and defected to the GOP.

He is now simply returning to the party he chose to be part of in the first place.

Which makes RNC Chairman Michael Steele's comment look pretty clueless.

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He is a 79 year old man who wants to stay in power. The Democrats are the flavor of the moment so he can, take the rose colored glasses off for a moment.

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Sailwind, from a purely political point of view, Specter's move was one of sheer brilliance. :-)

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Ironically my home state of Pennsylvania appears poised to follow my adopted state of California where the GOP puts up candidates who can't win in the general election. Arnold Schwarzenegger only became governor because the special election bypassed the primary process.

It's not clear that Arlen Specter can win reelection as a Democrat. What he has is a strong, bipartisan base of support in Philadelphia, where he started his career as the DA. I used to ride my bike by his house as a kid, there was always a police car out front. Other Democrats will no doubt challenge him.

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Betzee, what was with the police car out the front? Was Arlen continually being arrested, or was his Dad a policeman? :-)

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Betzee, what was with the police car out the front? Was Arlen continually being arrested, or was his Dad a policeman?

I expect his foes will get to the bottom of it!

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"Not long after Specter met privately with Republican senators to explain his decision, the party’s leader, Sen Mitch McConnell, said Specter’s move posed a “threat to the country.” The issue, he said, “really relates to ... whether or not in the United States of America our people want the majority party to have whatever it wants, without restraint, without a check or balance.”

This is a totally ridiculous claim, especially coming from a senior member of a party that only a few short years ago, had - to use his own words - "whatever it wants, without restraint, without a check or balance.”

While lashing out at the other guy, he has effectively clobbered himself. :-)

If the GOP ever wants to become a relevant party again, they are going to have to wheel out some better informed individuals that come out with better lines than this.

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Sailwind, from a purely political point of view, Specter's move was one of sheer brilliance. :-)

You guys are hilarious. Truly entertaining. I want to thank sushi, smithinjapan and likeitis. Man do I enjoy seeing my country through the eyes of a foreigner trying to make sense of the Great Experiment.

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Betzee, what was with the police car out the front? Was Arlen continually being arrested, or was his Dad a policeman?

He was Jewish and Republican, in a blue state.

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Teleprompter - "Man do I enjoy seeing my country through the eyes of a foreigner trying to make sense of the Great Experiment."

There's that deep fear of "foreigners" again, even though most of those same "foreigners" have called it right about U.S. politics way more times that you have.

That's funny. :-)

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He was Jewish and Republican, in a blue state.

He was the city DA (District Attorney), the police were there to protect him from retribution from the bad guys he was prosecuting. Duh.....

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Teleprompter, have you always had a deep-seated fear of "foreigners"?

It's in times of crisis like this when getting an outside-the-fishbowl view may actually be beneficial for lawmakers like Specter.

But you really need to open-minded and honest to accept that.

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Sushi - "There's that deep fear of "foreigners" again"

I didn't detect any fear in telepromter's post - only amusement.

I wouldn't be surprised if Specter switches parties one more time before he retires heh heh

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"(I) just stated the republican party, which has, by his estimation (I'm speculating here), has completely and utterly lost it's way and is now an asylum being run by the inmates."

Well, you specilate far better than the missus, Taka :)

"If the republicans disbanded, those leaving with active brain cells and no fox "analyst" contract would just form another party and be the new opposition to the Democratic party."

I thought Mr Obama would have done this in the run up to the democratic nomination in light of the national support he basked in, and had a good chance of winning, had the super-delegates not turned against Mrs Clinton as they did.

"Trying to accuse someone of something they clearly didn't state just shows how sad and bitter the poster is regarding his lack of significance in his own country."

Well, we're kinda used to it's behaviour, are we not? I think a small dose of patriotism is OK, but when it turns demented - and when you add total and utter blind partisanship into the mix you get the kind of frothing we're seeing from our friends on the far right.

"If anything, they deserve our pity."

I've been attempting this for some time, albiet un-sucessfully. I'll try harder.

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Sushi - The Republicans have held the White House 20 out of the last 28 years. I would say that's relevant.

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The Dems can have him! Yeah!

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If someone other than an American understands our system and knows anything about Arlen Specter I welcome their comments. There are so many Americans that do not understand our system that it is a welcome sight to hear a variety of comments from a variety of viewpoints.

I am the foreigner, I live in America and I am posting on a Japanese site.

I do not want a one party system.

Please do not believe the lies that liberals want a one party system. I am just happy for this one victory. I will also be happy if Franken is seated. But I am not so disillusioned that I believe for a minute that the Republican party is finished. There are very many people in the United States that are conservatives or that have a few to many (that is "to not "too" - I am not dissing them at this particular moment) conservative views. People like Newt Gingrich are still very powerful and will remain so for the time being. If both Specter and Franken get in will not mean the demise of the Republican party. As Mark Twain once said, "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

There will be no "bullet proof" majority in the U.S. Senate either. It will come down to issue by issue votes of cloture. Specter will probably side with the Democrats on the Health Care proposals that have been discussed recently. Specter may be able to influence deeper tax cuts like the ones that were originally proposed by Obama for the stimulus package. I am very hopeful that if our economy returns to a sound state soon we can begin the work of budget deficit reduction that may one day lead to balanced budgets again. Of course there is no such thing as a balanced budget. It will always be a surplus or a deficit.

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Bad day for Republicans = Good day for America.

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With the defection of Specter and no doubt more to come I think it would be a great public service for all of us to suggest a name for a reborn Republican party since it is near dead now. Please take this seriously as its important that the remaining 5 to 10 republicans in the USA have something that truly reflects their priorities. Here are ten that I would like them to consider:

) The Palenistas 2) The Cracker Party 3) The Jesus Horses Party 4) The Gay tappers (in honor of the talented Senator Craig) 5) Guns but no butter party 6) The NO party party 7) The bible thumpers 8) The biggest losers (already taken unfortunately) 9) The failure-on party 10) The Obama party (might get some votes from a few confused voters)

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“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,” Mr. Specter said in a statement.

(Funny that the MSM, you know, with their liberal bias and all, failed to widely mention that many Pennsylvanians changed their registration, when explaining why Sen. Specter switched. I would think being an elected representative of the people of Penn., the majority of whom voted Democratic, would make that kind of significant reason as to why one might change parties.)

I think this is far more indicative of why Sen. Specter chose sanity over lunacy than the idea that he was worried about re-election. Being a certifiable nut-job may work in republican primaries, but it hasn't played on the national stage for the last 2 election cycles and I doubt it will the next one either.

Taka

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Mark her words:

"Very exciting, very exciting for the American people, because now we can get things done without explaining process..."

Nancy Pelosi to CNN's Candy Crowley

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Heh, the implosion of the GOP just get's funnier with each high-pitched Denial....

*After Arlen Specter bolted the GOP Tuesday, Republicans like party chair Michael Steele attacked him as a "leftist" with a history of "left-wing" stands.

That was yesterday.

Twenty-four hours later, his former colleagues in the Senate GOP are rushing to embrace Specter's past in a new campaign designed to highlight the consistency of his Republican record.

"In light of Senator Specter's changing political party, we felt it was our civic duty to adequately inform Pennsylvania Democrat primary voters about their new Senator's record and his close relationship with our former President George W. Bush," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson said in a Wednesday announcement.*

Foist he's a leftist, the next minute he's got the same DNA as George W Bush.

Un-believable.

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Hey Madverts

In light of Senator Specter's changing political party, we felt it was our civic duty to adequately inform Pennsylvania Democrat primary voters about their new Senator's record and his close relationship with our former President George W. Bush,"

Wasn't that the same tactic the Democrats used in tying McCain as nothing more than a Bush clone. Worked pretty well for them and Obama dont'cha think. They're just taking a page from the Democrats on that one, they learned from the best!

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Madverts,

Great post and as close to perfect of an example of how utterly leaderless the gop is right now.

They have zero ideas and think that party leadership is determined by who can scream the loudest on fox.

Taka

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Hey Sailwind,

That's not a very good retort buddy. Within 24 hours of each other, you have GOP party chairman Mr Steele denouncing him as a hated "leftist" and a history of "left-wing" stands, and other members of the same damned party feeling the need to compare him to ex-President Bush.

Now, either you're going to tell me Bush is a leftist, Steele is an ass, or that Amber Wilson is an ass....

Or alternatively, you can come clean and admit the GOP is up poopie creek without a paddle, and the American politics needs to mature up a little.

As to your references to Senator McCain, all I can say once again is that had he run a presidential bid that didn't amount to a hate campaign, then he might not only have been elected, but Obama's campaign might have stood out as silly comparing Bush to McCain, despite all those time McCain voted with W....

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Within 24 hours of each other, you have GOP party chairman Mr Steele denouncing [Specter] as a hated "leftist" and a history of "left-wing" stands...

Prior to Steele's appointment, one can almost imagine the decision-makers at the GOP party headquarters searching the party rolls with the directive: "Find OUR magic Negro."

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Thanks, Taka.

Hopefully the radical "news" network fox will get side-lined much in the same way radicalism has side-lined the GOP.

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Prior to Steele's appointment, one can almost imagine the decision-makers at the GOP party headquarters searching the party rolls with the directive: "Find OUR magic Negro."

Prior to his appointment as head of the RNC by the Republican Party former Maryland Lt Gov Michael Steele had other political ambitions, ones that apparently terrified some pretty high up in the Democrat Party:

"Two opposition researchers working for Sen. Charles Schumer at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee obtained copies of a confidential credit report on Maryland’s Republican lieutenant governor, prompting calls for their prosecution."

Moderator: All readers back on topic please. The subject is Arlen Specter, not Michael Steele.

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Madverts: Fox news has been prove to be the only unbiased nes network in the USA, probably the world. Specter must be having some kind of beakdown and needs re-education, NOW!!!

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Hey Taka, Adverts

The good Senator was a big Bush supporter for all those years, glad though he saw the light to now to switch with your approval of course. Those evil 'republicans' are just showing how happy he was with GWB when it suited him.

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Taka. Adverts

Forgot to add he changed parties as reported by A.P not Fox news, at least that were I read it from.

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"glad though he saw the light to now to switch with your approval of course"

Hey, he didn't need my approval. I think he's reasons for switching are both selfish and moral. Let's face it, nobody with a brain is going to cough-up a coherent argument to deny the GOP's slippery slide to the far-right....and of course obscurity.

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I find it truly sad that everyone here is rejoicing in the Republicans loss. Yes, by all means, lets give one party all the power, allow them to pass their socialist agenda without question or compromise. Who cares if it destroys the economy. As long as they have a D by their name, they could be a rapist or a murderer, and they would still be better then even Mother Teresa provided she had an R by her name.

This seems to be the prevailing attitude among alot of the idiots posting here. Yes Madverts, Taka, you both know I'm talking to you, and you are far from the only idiots rejoicing in this. When Obama raises taxes to pay for his health care system, no doubt you'll be happy to pay the extra right. When he changes the laws to punish the entrepreneurs and the innovators, you'll be fine because you are neither.

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No republicans complained when rove announced his one party rule plans a few years ago. No they all cheered. Now the GOP is cratering and all the wingers can come up with is we need two parties, wow, thats effective.

The current GOP stands for nothing of consequence. Its not for balanced budgets as bush and reagan proved, its not for business as bush moved the US to near depression, its not for the environment as the coal industry owns the republicans, its not for the middle class as its robbed them to pay the rich and let 60 million people go without health insurance, its not for innovation as the US has fallen behind badly in the last eight years, its not leadership on the world stage as bush as a sad joke internationally, I guess all you can say is that it is for failure. That is what the GOP is all about. And that is why Spector has left the party.

After the depression the republicans were out of power for decades, much deserved. The same thing is happening now. Failure has consequences, much as the RWM tries to spin the failures all away. Democratic leadership will lead America back to greatness, as it has done before to fix massive failures by the republicans.

Its always been easy to make fun of the goofy republicans, now they have taken over the job themselves as they cant apparently do anything else.

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"Yes Madverts, Taka, you both know I'm talking to you, and you are far from the only idiots rejoicing in this."

I'm sorry bud, but when your only recourse is to call people idiots, you know you shouldn't be posting.

The fact that the GOP is in this state is their very own doing, not just by the osterich-like head in the sand Denial tactics, but by the shrieking down of all opponents to their policies that we saw over the last eight years.

Hell, I'll even go a step further and suggest that if you actually bothered to read people's posts before calling them idiots, you'd see that neither Taka, nor myself are advocating a one party system. I've already stated that the non-radical elements within the GOP and within the Democrats should form a new party to end the two party stalemate.

"When he changes the laws to punish the entrepreneurs and the innovators, you'll be fine because you are neither."

Taka is an ex-serviceman that served his country with pride, and I'm a non-American entrepreneur. Sorry we don't fit your mould....

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I've been wondering about Specter for awhile. He often seemed to take too many sensible moral stands, something inconsistent with the GOP agenda in the past 8 years. He's very moderate, so his party choice is really just a decision on which support institution he prefers.

Also, while I'm delighted to see the 60 seat majority for the Dems, part of that is because its a very mixed majority. There are many conservative Democrats in the Senate so nothing too insane will be passed, (like say PATRIOT Act or anything else pretending the Constitution is a document of convenience.) All this means is that good bills won't be blocked for no reason but to block them, and appointments can happen without irresponsible deadlocks for ideological reasons.

I do think it is funny, the GOP's response to filibusters was to try to destroy the Congress balance of power by pushing non-constitutional laws, while the Dems... just... found a majority. Imagine that. Really sums up the differences between the parties right now.

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If Specter was anything other than a political opportunist and hack, and had any genuine principles or convictions (other than a pathological need to be in a position of power), he would run as an independent.

But complain about one party going "too far to the right" and leave it for a party that's gone waaaaaay to the left? He's a power-addicted hack.

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Great to see all the bitter responses. Nothing warms my heart more that to see all the right people pissed off.

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"Mitch McConnell said Specter’s move posed a “threat to the country.” The issue, he said, “really relates to ... whether or not in the United States of America our people want the majority party to have whatever it wants, without restraint, without a check or balance.”

Oh, please, Mitch, you melodramatic jackass. You weren't whining about this in 2004 when the Republican Party was on the verge of a filibuster-proof Senate majority.

The issue of whether or not the People accept this has already been answered in that "damned piece of paper" called the US Constitution.

Mr. McConnell should try to find the testicular fortitude to do the job for which he was elected, namely representing the real constituents that put him in office, the People, rather than being a tool for the PACs in Washington who are currently crapping huge bricks of disbelief at how 8 years of “You’re either with us or against us” has managed to predictably come back to bite the GOP in the behinds.

As lordomni and others have suggested, it's becoming more and more apparent that the Republican Party and its supporters are unable or unwilling to follow the rules and laws of the land when things don’t always go their way. Funny that the flag-waving Patriots of the GOP can’t seem to obey the very clubhouse rules they constantly brandish as a badge of honor whenever they face criticism. You’d think, as “Real Americans™,” they’d be able to keep their sniveling to a minimum in perfectly legal situations like this.

For the posters here who still can’t wrap their brain around why Specter defected, or why McCain has constantly toyed with idea of becoming an Independent, read through conservative Republican Olympia Snowe’s take on why the Republican party has essentially been chasing Specter and other GOP moderates away. It’s startling precise insight from one of your own.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/opinion/29snowe.html?_r=2

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zurcronium - The current GOP stands for nothing of consequence.

I disagree with you on what the GOP stands for. After their recent loss, they are going back to their roots, and yes standing for precisely what you say they dont. Limited government. How long will they have to stand for this, before you agree that is what in fact they support?

Actually, not that I think about it, I wonder, what do you think the Democrats stand for? I'm just curious here. I mean to me, they stand for massive inflation, record breaking deficits, raising taxes and turning the country socialist. Oh, and of course can't forget their incompetent foreign policy.

lordomni - I do think it is funny, the GOP's response to filibusters was to try to destroy the Congress balance of power by pushing non-constitutional laws, while the Dems... just... found a majority. Imagine that. Really sums up the differences between the parties right now.

Er, what they suggested a few years ago was not unconstitutional. While you probably don't care, I'll take a moment to enlighten you. Essentially the congress runs on rules, rules that govern how it operates. The members of congress can vote on those rules, and make changes to them. These rules can be changed with a simple majority of members, as happened recently in the House when Speaker Pelosi rewrote the house rules to stifle Republican dissent. What the Senate considered doing was changing the rules so that a simple majority of Senators could force confirmation. Again, not unconstitutional. It would have merely involved rewriting very longstanding Senate regulations. Something that in the end, they decided against doing.

Taka - I'm sorry bud, but when your only recourse is to call people idiots, you know you shouldn't be posting.

Hmm, pretty sure I said more then that you were idiots. If that had been all I had to say, then perhaps you could make a case. In your above posts though, you essentially were rejoicing over the Republicans having a hard time, and essentially longing for a one party communist system. Idiotic is the only way I can describe that kind of attitude. Personally, whether a person is Republican or Democrat, if they support the things I believe in, I'm willing to vote for them. You on the other hand seem essentially tied to the D by a persons name.

I said this in my above post as well, but I'll go ahead and repeat it here. There is an obvious double standard in how Democrats and Republicans are viewed. If a person was a rapist or a murderer, if they're a Democrat, somehow it would be ok, but if they were Mother Teresa, and had an R by their name, somehow they are evil. I find this kind of attitude very troubling. You aren't the only ones like this either. One of my co-workers is like this. It drives me crazy to talk politics with him simply because he is so hypocritical about this.

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Molenir,

”Essentially the congress runs on rules, rules that govern how it operates . . . “

Precisely. So why do you supposed so many Republicans are now crying foul about those very same rules that now give the Democrats the legal right and ability to stop any Republican filibuster attempts? These are rules that have managed to served the GOP pretty well in the recent past, with nary a peep of outrage or dire warnings of the coming collapse of America from its membership, I might add.

You shouldn’t overlook the fact that Democrats held a 60-vote majority from 1974 to 1979, and managed to not “destroy the country” then either. You're freaking out for no reason other than to hear yourself freaking out, as far as I can see.

” . . . essentially longing for a one party communist system.”

You talk about idiotic? THAT kind of wild exaggeration is idiotic.

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For the posters here who still can’t wrap their brain around why Specter defected,

So he can get his butt re-elected, not to hard to wrap ones brain around that concept.

Now if he would've switched say 2 years ago when he wasn't running for re-election, then you might have a real case. As it is, and even Senator Snowe's OP-ED stated it, that he did this for his own political survival.

Senator Specter indicated that his decision was based on the political situation in Pennsylvania, where he faced a tough primary battle.

From your link. I admire Olympia Snowe, she is correct the party does need to get back to it's roots. Bobby Jindal said that also (and of course got villified by the usuals here).

It was also re-assuring from her viewpoint to hear these words.

It is for this reason that we should heed the words of President Ronald Reagan, who urged, “We should emphasize the things that unite us and make these the only ‘litmus test’ of what constitutes a Republican: our belief in restraining government spending, pro-growth policies, tax reduction, sound national defense, and maximum individual liberty.”

I've never left that position and ever. As far as Senator Specter, in my opinion if you really believe he had a real 'change of heart' and did this out of his vaulted principles instead of his own self-interest in staying in a pretty cushy job on the taxpayers dime, I've got some land in Florida I'd love to sell you.

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For the posters here who still can’t wrap their brain around why Specter defected,

C'mon, he's 79. Popular wisdom as current as last November held that anyone that old and still in politics is a disaster waiting to happen.

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LFRAgain - You talk about idiotic? THAT kind of wild exaggeration is idiotic.

Did you read any of their posts above? Seriously, go back and look. Read how they were basically dancing around laughing, claiming that the Republican party is just a regional party, and how its all downhill from there. How do you read those kind of statements? To me, thats suggesting they want a one party system. Perhaps I'm wrong. But speaking for myself, I don't want to see either party have the Presidency as well as a super-majority in both houses of congress. I simply don't see it as being good for Democracy, or for America.

Regarding the Democratic Majorities 30 years ago. America was much different back then. It wasn't nearly as polarized as it is today.

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"left Democrats one seat shy of a 60-vote supermajority"

If Americans are so fed up with the Republicans, why don't the Democrats have at least a 60-vote supermajority already?

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If Americans are so fed up with the Republicans, why don't the Democrats have at least a 60-vote supermajority already?

If you take a color-coded map of the US that indicates scholastic achievement, you'll find that it closely resembles party affiliation -- with the less-educated tending to vote more conservative as well as believing that there's an invisible being in the sky who will suspend the laws of Nature and physics for their benefit.

Between the very intelligent and the very dumb areas of the nation, there lies quite a significant gray area. Many of these folks have received the lesson of their lives, thanks mainly to George W. Bush. The dumb ones will never learn -- fitting that definition perfectly. This is the main reason for the lack of the instantaneous super-majority. Some people are just slow learners.

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Between the very intelligent and the very dumb areas of the nation

You are talking about the very people that the Democratic party depends on. The unwashed masses that the Dems claim to speak for. And yet somehow its only the very intelligent who are liberal, and the very dumb who are conservative?

In point of fact, many of the smart people you just claimed, are conservative. Many of the dumb people you just disavowed are liberal. There are un-educated, and over educated people on both sides. While its true that the college professor types tend to be heavily liberal, its also true that the CEO types tend o be heavily conservative. In both cases though, there are exceptions.

This said, I think you're doing a people big disservice by sorting them into "dumb" and "Smart" and basing that on party affiliation. I think people who have more education then others, aren't necessarily any smarter, just more determined, or more fortunate in their situations, or choice of parents. Some of the smartest people are those who finished High School, and went into business for themselves.

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über

Sailwind,

As it is, and even Senator Snowe's OP-ED stated it, that he did this for his own political survival.

Yes, but that's not all Snowe said, and you know that. Which just goes to show what I've been saying for years about the GOP: You folks can't take criticism and are reluctant to admit even to the tiniest degree that perhaps you might be wrong and need to change the way you do business.

Granted, in your case, you have always been consistent in your views of what’s wrong with the GOP, namely its straying from a reputation as a fiscally conservative party, and I wouldn’t fault you at all for any of the problems that I think are crippling the current incarnation of the GOP.

But losing fiscal discipline isn’t even a fraction of what’s wrong with this party right now. The GOP could suddenly become fiscal gurus overnight, and having not changed any other thing, would still be anathema to anyone with a moderate viewpoint, based on a host of other issues that make up the bulk of the Republican platform. Gun control, abortion, religion, education, poverty – pick an issue, and I’ll tell you why and how the Republicans who champion them can be insufferable.

Just looking through this thread, you can see that your political views with regard to the GOP don’t sum up the majority of GOP supporters here, or even half. When it comes to defending themselves, Republicans, particularly the far-right leaning Republicans, a la the Helter-Skelters and RomeoRamens of JT, selectively choose to hear only what they want to. Sure, everyone is guilty of this in varying degrees, but when you’re arguing a point in a forum where information is literally at one's fingertip, it's kind of silly to pretend that Specter jumping ship to help his reelection chances is ALL that there was to it, particularly when fellow Republicans who’ve more than earned their stripes serving the nation, like Senator Snowe, explain why reelection is clearly not the only issue behind the exodus of moderate Republicans from a party that is becoming more associated with inflexibility and fanaticism than with the sort of compromising spirit that is necessary for a healthy democracy. Only in compromise can a government of the people serve the greatest number of citizens, rather than just the people holding a Republican or Democratic Party membership card. The Republican Party is showing day-by-day that is has no interest in compromise, it has no interest in consensus; victory for the Party at all costs is the motto of the GOP today.

My grandmother, born in 1900, had been a Republican from the mid-50s until the day she died at 91. Reagan was her hero and sound fiscal policy was what the Republican Party was most notable – and indeed respected – for. And it was enough. She and I would go round and round for hours discussing the issue of wealth and poverty in America, and while we rarely ever agreed with one another, we were always able to at least appreciate one another’s viewpoint and respected each other for believing what we each did – respect being the key word here.

Today’s Republican Party? I haven’t the slightest idea what the hell it is. But it’s certainly nothing like my grandmother’s GOP, and quite frankly seems to have become a repository for totalitarian-bent a-holes with control and anger management issues. Moderate Republicans are leaving the GOP because of the broad support über-asshats like Rush Limbaugh receive when he says, “Specter’s leaving? Take McCain with you.” It’s that kind of intractable obnoxiousness that’s gutting the party just as much Specter’s desire to be reelected. Party before the People: That’s the modern day Republican Party.

Today, if you disagree with the GOP, you’re a “lefty,” a “commie,” an “idiot,” a “traitor.” Yeah, really great for the raising the level of discourse in the body politic, ‘cause we all know how name-calling makes everything better. It gets tiring, after a while, listening to the same vitriol day-in and day-out.

As for Specter’s sincerity in claiming any sort of epiphany with regard to which party best reflects his values, I’m not going to presume to speak on his behalf. His congressional record speaks fairly well for him with regard to his consistency in being a moderate, as far as I know, and he’s tended to avoid the absolutist scorched-earth approach that has come to characterize the more extreme elements in both parties. Which, to me, makes him a good politician.

Specter’s not in office to push agendas for small cliques; He’s there to serve the entirety of the American body politic – just as all Senators take an oath to do. As it stands, there’s no room for him in a Republican Party that is openly hostile to him for refusing to take the extreme road. So he left. What other alternative did he have? What alternative do any moderates in the GOP have if they don’t tow the new party line that hails Limbaugh as “brilliant” or likens Sarah Palin to the Second Coming?

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If you take a color-coded map of the US that indicates scholastic achievement, you'll find that it closely resembles party affiliation -- with the less-educated tending to vote more conservative as well as believing that there's an invisible being in the sky who will suspend the laws of Nature and physics for their benefit.

Not this pathetic,self-serving canard again.

Even The Economist fell for it.

Here is their retraction:

"Clueless in St James's"

"Last week we published a list that purported to show the IQs of states voting for George Bush and Al Gore in 2000. Alas, we were the victim of a hoax: no such data exists. By way of apology, here are two very crude ratings of states' intelligence—and how they voted. "

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2692859

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molenir,

you are obviously not paying attention to anything other than the fox fake news network. If you want to understand what the demos are about read. Or listen to Obama anytime, he says it over and over again. Hey, and when obama starts a stupid war based on lies you can critique his foreign policy. One that costs $3 trillion in wasted taxpayer money. You wingers never did find those pesky WMD did you.

sarge,

you are so consistently wrong. Its amazing. You are bush must be related, but he went awol and I guess you did not. Your point about 60 demo senators is so clueless, actually it sounds like you want all 100 to be democrats. That may happen if the republicans keep on as they are doing. Maybe Utah will be the last state to hold out.

Fact is the republicans have been targeting Spector for years, even in his last election they tried to throw him out. If you dont vote the party line, idiotic wars and busted budgets included, you are not allowed to stay in the party. He should of done this years ago. More will follow for sure as the republicans are a dying party. White angry gun clinging retired old men are all that is left. The ones that listen to Limbaugh.

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Many of the dumb people you just disavowed are liberal.

Impossible. Senator Specter is able to carry more than one thought in his head at the same time, and see different sides of an issue. It's no wonder he's leaving the conservative party.

teleprompter would do well to recall the words of John Stuart Mill: "Not all conservatives are dumb, but most dumb people are conservative."

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If it were really about an ideological clarification - reached, we are supposed to believe, at the ripe old age of 79 - why didn't Specter simply declare himself independent, like Lieberman did?

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teleprompter would do well to recall the words of John Stuart Mill: "Not all conservatives are dumb, but most dumb people are conservative."

You have the quote wrong. :)

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/John_Stuart_Mill/

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LFRAgain - Today, if you disagree with the GOP, you’re a “lefty,” a “commie,” an “idiot,” a “traitor.” Yeah, really great for the raising the level of discourse in the body politic, ‘cause we all know how name-calling makes everything better. It gets tiring, after a while, listening to the same vitriol day-in and day-out.

Good post by the way. However in response, I'd just like to say, that while what you're saying is true, its very one sided. If you are a member of the GOP, then you are a racist, and bigot, a hater, and many other derogatory terms, that in reality don't apply. For example, if you are against reverse discrimination, you are called a racist. When in reality, you are merely against discrimination. That is not racist except in certain twisted liberal minds. The point being that theres more then enough blame to go around for the vitriol and partisanship currently in America today. However you will also find that there are many reasonable, rational people who are likewise on both sides.

zucronium - Hey, and when obama starts a stupid war based on lies you can critique his foreign policy. One that costs $3 trillion in wasted taxpayer money. You wingers never did find those pesky WMD did you.

Check your numbers. 800 billion, not 3 trillion. And just for the record. Obama is a sitting president. I'm gonna criticize anyone in power for incompetence. I did with Clinton, Bush, and now that Obama is in power, I'm going to criticize him as well. And since Obama's administration, with regards to foreign policy, has demonstrated nothing but incompetence, his having thus far not started a war while worthy of applause, is simply not good enough.

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Impossible. Senator Specter is able to carry more than one thought in his head at the same time, and see different sides of an issue. It's no wonder he's leaving the conservative party.

Oh, wait so before he was a scumbag worthy of disdain, but change that little R by his name to a D, and all of a sudden he is a great man, a model citizen. Sorry, I know you dems are all double standard on everyone, but some of use, can think beyond party affiliation, and see the actual motivation.

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At least Spectre was honest about his reasons for defecting. They had nothing to do with ethics or principles. He simply wanted to keep his cushy government job for a few more years, and going to the Democrats was the easiest way to do so.

It's rare and refreshing to see such honesty in a politician.

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Oh, wait so before he was a scumbag worthy of disdain...

I never said that about Senator Specter, or any other US Senator.

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Do I need to quote some of your previous posts back to you? Your statements about Republicans pretty much speak for themselves, even if you perhaps didn't use those precise words. Now that he has a D by his name though, all of a sudden wow, great guy, wonderful! As I said, double standard. Very hypocritical.

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I welcome Sen Specter and his moderate voice to our diverse caucus

the truth hurts. and yet the future of the US is going to be even more diverse. face it, the GOP is history.

Specter saw the writing on the wall, obviously he's no dumba$$.

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"the GOP is history"

Yes, the United States is going to be ruled by the Democrats forever.

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telepromter,

I know its my job to constantly try to educate the winger reactionary types on this board so you question about spector running as an independent, it has to do with the way the primary system works in Penn. For Leiberman, it was no problem to run as an independent once he lost in the demo primary.

Molenir, you can critique all you want but if its so blindly one sided as you post clearly display then you will be schooled like all the other true believers in the lost republican party. BTW, Stigliz, nobel winner in economics, estimates the iraq failure total costs at $3 trillion. Check you facts.

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"Yes, the United States is going to be ruled by the Democrats forever."

in political terms, 8 years can sure feel like an eternity. but in reality it will probably end up being more like 12 or 16. wow, 2 eternities. doh! that really is forever.

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the wingnut radio jocks are calling for mccain to leave the republican party as well now. He may, but I doubt he will go democrat, it will probably be as an independent.

Wow, the republican party is cratering big time. Its less popular now than scientology. And more cult like than scientology too it seems.

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Wow, the republican party is cratering big time.

I hear they're in line for a merger with Fiat.

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The internal civil war within the Republican party will certainly lead to more defections. With the Republican party trying to find it's core values blood will soon spill into the streets.

Funny this all started after the Republicans were blown out of the water last election. Then fuel was added to the fire when they selected Steele as their new leader. Then Rush and Steele went after each other....Wow this is so nice to see......

The neo-cons vs the Conservatives vs the religious right vs the fiscal conservatives vs the neo-Nazis' vs the ultra Conservatives..... Who will win and how many will create a new party.....

All those guns and all that bad blood. All it will take is a few drinks and BANGO the party gets bloody!LOL

Wonder who will be the first to start shooting?

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Wow, the republican party is cratering big time.

April 28 2009 " For just the second time in more than five years of daily or weekly tracking, Republicans now lead Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot. "

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/ congressional_ballot/generic_congressional_ballot

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joebigs, think the palin selection is what is tore the repubs to shreds, besides insuring they would lose in the presidential election.

teleprompter, as usual do not know what you are indicting with a generic ballot, sounds like what the republicans used in florida in 2000, but the last poll from abc news shows that only 21 percent of americans call themselves republicans now, the lowest in 25 years. And it will go lower still in due course. You may be the last guy around to turn the lights off in the republican party in a few years.

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but the last poll from abc news shows that only 21 percent of americans call themselves republicans now, the lowest in 25 years.

Quoting ABC is like quoting WH 'spokesperson' Dilbert Gibbs, they both work for the president. They The hated FOX network gets more viewers than the 3 lamestream media channels combined.

What does the CBC say?

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"the palin selection is what tore the repubs to shreds"

Heck, the Palin selection is what galvanized the Republicans. Thanks to the tanking economy and Tina Fey making a lot of people think Palin was an idiot, the Democrats pulled it out.

"You may be the last guy to turn off the lights in the republican party"

The economy was ( and still is ) tanking. The Republicans had nominated a 72 year old non-conservative. Tina Fey was making people think his veep was an idiot. And they still only got just over half the popular vote.

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These party lines do a republic like the U.S no justice. Neither party is worth a flu ridden drop of swine spit and the moderates in both parties are blasted on a daily basis for not being liberal enough for democrats or conservative enough for republicans. So long as the sheep in Washington remain slaves to their parties there will be no progress but the slow progression into mediocrity, poltical correctness, and the destruction of the constituion on which the nation is based.

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Senator Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party appears to be paying off with a poll on Monday showing him ahead in his 2010 re-election race in Pennsylvania. Last week Specter, 79, abandoned the Republican Party to run for re-election as a Democrat. A Quinnipiac University poll found Specter would defeat a conservative Republican who is in the race, Pat Toomey, if the election were held today by 53 percent to 33 percent.

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He is the image of Lieberman. Neither could get re-elected without changing from one party to another. Both looking out for their own personal agenda.

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Specter switched parties because he is selfish, he wants to be in power forever. He has cancer and probably won't even survive another term. There needs to be term limits so these dinosaurs can find honest work.If Tom Ridge decides to run Specter will have a tough time beating him. Sarge, never count out the Republicans.

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