BREAKING NEWS: Arlen Specter Leaving GOP for Democrats

Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter has announced that he is leaving the GOP to become a Democrat, and will run as a Democrat in his upcoming re-election bid in 2010. CNN has reported that constituents who were visiting Specter on an unrelated matter in his Washington, D.C. office burst into applause when he told them about his decision.  (What does that say about the state of the GOP??)

I wonder if this is why Chris Matthews decided not to run for that seat. Maybe Matthews has a little inside info he was keeping to himself? And, if so, was it a conflict for him not to report it as news???

And poor Al Franken. This can only mean the GOP will really throw their resources into keeping him out of the Senate, because if (when? fingers crossed!) he gets seated, the Dems will have reached the magic filibuster-proof number of 60!

I guess I can forgive Specter now for being a little rude to me on that Amtrak train last year when I said hello and told him my parents live in his state.

Comments

[Frank Schellenberg]

Well, after the initial "Ha! Ha! Ha!" sensation, I began to wonder if this really is so great.

I did expect to see Specter cut & run, since the Repubs are clearly hijacked by mad wingnuts. However, I expected the Independent (i.e. Lieberman) route - what does this say about Democrats that someone with beliefs like Specter can "fit in"?

And, since the move is clearly motivated to retain a senate seat he otherwise couldn't keep, not a heartfelt conversion to new beliefs, what does it say that Democrats embrace such a naked power play? Will he really vote progressive on green energy? Universal health care? Defense cutbacks?

I think not - I expect more of the same, only associated with a -D instead of an -R below the talking head shots on TV. That is not necessarily something to be happy about.