Arlen Specter is crossing the aisle

[nittanyalum]

Unfortunately the current GOP climate doesn't make room for "moderates" and I think that's a bad step for the party. Steele basically chased him not just out of the GOP but into the Dems (vs. going Ind like Lieberman) by pretty much guaranteeing that the party wouldn't be giving him any support in his reelection since he voted for the stimulus bill. Specter's been a good Senator for the state, Pennsylvanians will be smart to reelect him, whatever party, for their own good.

[honeychile]

Spector has been a "RINO" for so long, this is probably a very sensible mood from where he sits. Plus, as was mentioned, he stood a huge chance of not being reelected. The polls released last Friday gave him only a one in three chance of making the Primary. With his health being the way it has been, he should be thinking very seriously about retirement.

And give the guy his due - he is the source of the JFK assassion "Magic Bullet" theory.

[Thetagirl218]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Spector has been a "RINO" for so long, this is probably a very sensible mood from where he sits.

This whole Spector thing doesn't surprise me one bit.... There are so many RINOs out there.....

John McCain was one for a LONG time! He may have gotten his party's nomination but he is still liberal a lot of time.

Charlie Crist....I am tired of these polls saying is the most popular governor....I don't know many people in Florida that like him....maybe they are polling Georgia?

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by Thetagirl218

John McCain was one for a LONG time! He may have gotten his party's nomination but he is still liberal a lot of time.

Actually if you look at McCain's voting record, he voted for a number of conservative issues and has been pretty conservative his entire Senate career. The "Maverick" label and idea that he was liberal are inaccurate.

[PhiGam]

This isn't news. He is still going to vote the same way on every issue, he just knew that he was going to have a lot of trouble getting the republican nomination next year if he stayed in the GOP. The only thing changing is the letter next to his name.

Between this and all of the hubbub over swine flu it seems like the news networks are really grasping at straws to come up with stories.

[TexasWSP]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Between this and all of the hubbub over swine flu it seems like the news networks are really grasping at straws to come up with stories.

........anything to keep the focus off of Obama and his administration.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

........anything to keep the focus off of Obama and his administration.

?? How does this take the focus off of his administration when this has an indirect affect on his administration particularly any bill that may need to become law?

If this works the way I think this works, then it pretty much covers what was reported in the OP.

[TexasWSP]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

?? How does this take the focus off of his administration when this has an indirect affect on his administration particularly any bill that may need to become law?

If this works the way I think this works, then it pretty much covers what was reported in the OP.

I was responding more to Swine Flu and the hubbub created over it and the news networks grasping at straws to find stories to cover.

Although I don't think this is really news to people who know about him.....I realize Arlen Specter officially becoming a Democrat has fairly important implications with the current administration.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by TexasWSP

I was responding more to Swine Flu and the hubbub created over it and the news networks grasping at straws to find stories to cover.

Although I don't think this is really news to people who know about him.....I realize Arlen Specter officially becoming a Democrat has fairly important implications with the current administration.

I guess that may be just where you are because here I am getting double doses of it.

BTW...I just came froma conference on the Hill and there is a lot of concern about what the Admin plans to do as far as putting a stop to it.

I mean hey...if you have people dying of something that you don't have a vaccine for, it's a pretty serious problem

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

This isn't news. He is still going to vote the same way on every issue, he just knew that he was going to have a lot of trouble getting the republican nomination next year if he stayed in the GOP. The only thing changing is the letter next to his name.

I don't think so. What it changes is the ability to stop a filibuster. While he often voted with the Dems, as long as he was a Republican in name, he couldn't be counted on for a cloture vote. As part of the Democratic Caucus now, presumably he will be expected to follow the party line on a cloture vote. If the Minnesota "race" ever ends, and if Al Franken remains the winner, then there is a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate. That's major, whether you think it's good major or bad major.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I don't think so. What it changes is the ability to stop a filibuster. While he often voted with the Dems, as long as he was a Republican in name, he couldn't be counted on for a cloture vote. As part of the Democratic Caucus now, presumably he will be expected to follow the party line on a cloture vote. If the Minnesota "race" ever ends, and if Al Franken remains the winner, then there is a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate. That's major, whether you think it's good major or bad major.

He's a moderate and will continue to vote the same way that he always has. If he agrees with the republicans on an issue then he will not vote for cloture. I like Specter because he refuses to vote along party lines and wish that we had 100 senators like him. If Specter sees an easier road to re-election as a republican in six years then expect him to switch again. This means absolutely nothing for a fillibuster, regardless of what the blowhards on TV would have you believe.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

This means absolutely nothing for a fillibuster, regardless of what the blowhards on TV would have you believe.

We'll see. But I tend to think that this will matter with cloture votes . . . and I haven't been listening to anyone -- blowhard or not -- on TV or radio about it.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Unfortunately the current GOP climate doesn't make room for "moderates" and I think that's a bad step for the party. Steele basically chased him not just out of the GOP but into the Dems (vs. going Ind like Lieberman) by pretty much guaranteeing that the party wouldn't be giving him any support in his reelection since he voted for the stimulus bill. Specter's been a good Senator for the state, Pennsylvanians will be smart to reelect him, whatever party, for their own good.

I would argue that anyone who voted for the stimulus bill is not a moderate and DEFINITELY not a conservative.

Moderates, in general, face a lot of problems in the American political system because they don't receive support from their own parties or any funding from lobbyists and interest groups. To make that problem exclusive to the GOP is very close-minded. The GOP's big problem is the public perception of the Bush presidency, not their lack of moderate representatives. I do think that power will begin to re-align in 2010 when people don't see a positive upswing in the economy (most forecasts are shifting that back to 2014). Americans want change that can happen in 2 years, not 20. This mindset is the same thing that damned the Bush administration (in my humble opinion) and it is this mindset that will do the same to the democrats (maybe not Obama though.)