Wednesday
Apr292009
Specter’s Spectacle
By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service
Senator Arlen Specter
Photo by Michael RuhlSenator Arlen Specter (Penn.) says that he left the Republican Party because they had stuck their nose into party affairs to the point of breeding extremism. Ironically the Democrats are doing the exact same thing to their newest member. Micromanaging from the highest level doesn’t seem to be exclusive to the Republicans.
Yesterday Specter walked away from the party he has been with for nearly four decades, because he felt they were ignoring moderate voice. Specter announced his decision to defect to the Democratic Party, only the twenty-first time that a Senator has done such a thing since 1890.
President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have both said they will fully support Specter in his 2010 election, but Congressman Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) was not sure that the party establishment should be backing Specter in this way.
“If decisions and candidates are being chosen in Washington, you may just reemphasize that divisive barrier that’s between the parties,” Sestak said. “I think we cannot afford to have a decision that is so important to Pennsylvanians be decided by the party establishment,” and that the voters should be the ones to choose their candidate.
Sestak is rumored to be considering running for the Pennsylvania Senate seat, and would come up against Specter in the Democratic primary. When asked directly, Sestak said he had not decided yet whether or not he would run. Another contender, Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-Penn.) said today that she would not run for the seat.
The republican response has ranged from anger to confusion. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steel likened Specter to Benedict Arnold.
“Clearly, this was an act based on political expediency by a craven politician desperate to keep his Washington power base - not the act of a statesman,” Steel said. “Arlen Specter handed Barack Obama and his band of radical leftists nearly absolute power in the United States Senate.”
Specter responded, “I have not represented the Republican Party, I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.” He was referencing the fact that in the past months there has been an exodus from the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, where over 100,000 individuals changed their party registration from Republican to Democrat.
Specter is defending his position as being one of riding with the tides of his constituency, instead of bowing to the will of a national political party. Critics see it as a survival move of a desperate politician.
Speaking today with President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden, Specter said that staying in the Senate would allow him to carry forward important initiatives for his constituents, speaking specifically about expanding medical research.
Specter would prove to be the 60 Democrat in the Senate, provided that comedian Al Franken prevails in his court case for the Minnesota Senate. Sixty votes, called a supermajority, is enough to override a Republican filibuster. Specter said previously, though, that he was not going to simply back the Democrats automatically, and President Obama acknowledged that, saying, “I don’t expect Arlen to be a rubber stamp.” According to Obama, he and Specter agree in the areas of health care, education, medical research
Senator Arlen Specter
Photo by Michael Ruhl
Yesterday Specter walked away from the party he has been with for nearly four decades, because he felt they were ignoring moderate voice. Specter announced his decision to defect to the Democratic Party, only the twenty-first time that a Senator has done such a thing since 1890.
President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) have both said they will fully support Specter in his 2010 election, but Congressman Joe Sestak (D-Penn.) was not sure that the party establishment should be backing Specter in this way.
“If decisions and candidates are being chosen in Washington, you may just reemphasize that divisive barrier that’s between the parties,” Sestak said. “I think we cannot afford to have a decision that is so important to Pennsylvanians be decided by the party establishment,” and that the voters should be the ones to choose their candidate.
Sestak is rumored to be considering running for the Pennsylvania Senate seat, and would come up against Specter in the Democratic primary. When asked directly, Sestak said he had not decided yet whether or not he would run. Another contender, Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-Penn.) said today that she would not run for the seat.
The republican response has ranged from anger to confusion. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steel likened Specter to Benedict Arnold.
“Clearly, this was an act based on political expediency by a craven politician desperate to keep his Washington power base - not the act of a statesman,” Steel said. “Arlen Specter handed Barack Obama and his band of radical leftists nearly absolute power in the United States Senate.”
Specter responded, “I have not represented the Republican Party, I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.” He was referencing the fact that in the past months there has been an exodus from the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, where over 100,000 individuals changed their party registration from Republican to Democrat.
Specter is defending his position as being one of riding with the tides of his constituency, instead of bowing to the will of a national political party. Critics see it as a survival move of a desperate politician.
Speaking today with President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden, Specter said that staying in the Senate would allow him to carry forward important initiatives for his constituents, speaking specifically about expanding medical research.
Specter would prove to be the 60 Democrat in the Senate, provided that comedian Al Franken prevails in his court case for the Minnesota Senate. Sixty votes, called a supermajority, is enough to override a Republican filibuster. Specter said previously, though, that he was not going to simply back the Democrats automatically, and President Obama acknowledged that, saying, “I don’t expect Arlen to be a rubber stamp.” According to Obama, he and Specter agree in the areas of health care, education, medical research
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2010, 60 votes, Al Franken, Allyson Schwartz, Arlen Specter, Arlen Spector, Barack Obama, Benedict Arnold, Cloture, Congress, Congressman, Deleware, Democrat Republican, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, Michael Ruhl, Minnesota, Nevada, Patrick Leahy, Pennsylvania, Representative, Ruhl, Supreme Court, Ted Kaufman, breaking, breaking news, democrat, divided government, ed rendell, filibuster, harry reid, john cornyn, judicial, judiciary, majority leader, michael, michael t ruhl, michaeltruhl, news, president, republican, rubber stamp, senate, senator, sixty votes, supermajority, texas, united government, vermont, vice president, washington in Congress, Frontpage 2, News/Commentary
2010, 60 votes, Al Franken, Allyson Schwartz, Arlen Specter, Arlen Spector, Barack Obama, Benedict Arnold, Cloture, Congress, Congressman, Deleware, Democrat Republican, Joe Biden, Joe Sestak, Michael Ruhl, Minnesota, Nevada, Patrick Leahy, Pennsylvania, Representative, Ruhl, Supreme Court, Ted Kaufman, breaking, breaking news, democrat, divided government, ed rendell, filibuster, harry reid, john cornyn, judicial, judiciary, majority leader, michael, michael t ruhl, michaeltruhl, news, president, republican, rubber stamp, senate, senator, sixty votes, supermajority, texas, united government, vermont, vice president, washington in Congress, Frontpage 2, News/Commentary
Reader Comments (4)
The story should have read not provided Franken is declared the winner to when.
It is naive, immature and intellectually dishonest to believe the Coleman would ever be declared the victor when after 6 months more votes were counted for Franken.
I would direct you to the statements President Barack Obama made about Arlen Specter not being a "rubber stamp". In saying that, I represent the position that the party leadership feels confident in Franken winning, because Arlen Specter could not in this situation be that 60th vote unless Al Franken wins. Arlen Specter has spoken to similar effect. Many inside Congress are assuming a Franken victory.
As a journalist, my job is to wait to see what the court says.
This cynical, self-serving move had absolutely nothing to do with values, policy, or any high-minded thinking of any kind- though President Obama surely would like for you to think that.
Everybody knows he did it because he was down 21% in the polls leading-up to the GOP primary for his seat- and Joey Pluggs made a deal with him, he already admitted as such. The sad truth is that this hack has spent three decades in the Senate, while accomplishing little.
And Barack and him have a lot in common- as unprincipled political opportunists, I’m sure they’ll get along just great.
Just a little over a month ago, the Senator said in an interview that he wouldn’t switch parties due to the importance of checks and balances.
And back in 2001, Sen. Arlen Specter, then a Republican, proposed a rule forbidding party switches… he was upset when Vt Sen. Jim Jeffords’ left the GOP to become an independent.
Who knows what the truth is with this guy, you’ll never get it from him.
With all due respect, Senator- don’t let the door hit your butt on the way out. Nobody on our side’s going to miss you.
A political opportunist in the Senate? I'm shocked!
Look, I'm a Republican, too, but take no joy from the fact that we now have little presence in the northeast and very little is left of our moderate wing. If we can't win elections, we can't accomplish anything -- and to win elections, a Party has to reach out to all elements of the coalition, not just those who are ideologically "pure."