Am I the Only One Who Thinks the Specter Switch Won't Mean Shit?

[Truth2Tell]

I mean really. One more blue dog? One more Republicrat now in a safe seat?

After all, it's our own "centrists" blocking most of the substantive efforts at real change.

I'm sorry, but I give this news a big YAWN.

[tekisui]

1. Cloture.

It could be huge. Time will tell.

[Truth2Tell]

3. We still need every D to support cloture.

Yes, time will tell. I can't imagine Specter will vote for cloture any more or less than he otherwise would have. But we will see.

[tekisui]

8. Well, if he doesn't tow the Dem line, when needed,

he will be left without cash come next year. This a deal, and the Dems own him for the next year and a half, at least.

[Truth2Tell]

14. Since when are Dems who don't toe the line left without cash?

Shit. If only.

[marshall]

40. He could have been counted on for that anyway

The only effect it will have is on Specter personally.

[nichomachus]

51. Uh -- he could vote for cloture as a Republican

but he didn't. What makes anyone think he will do it just by changing the little letter after his name?

[Political Heretic]

53. There's no certainty he would vote for cloture.

If fact there's little certainty you could EVER get all 60 of our dems to vote in a party line.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Of course, you are more than entitled to your views...

I just keep thinking about that filibuster-proof majority!

[skooooo]

4. yeppers there...

It is a meaningful change with the current situation, imo.

[Truth2Tell]

6. Do you expect Specter to vote differently now

than he otherwise would have voted? On anything?

[Last Stand]

44. You can't change the stripes on an elephant. nt

[jberryhill]

62. Clinton Impeachment? Stimulus?

He's voted differently from the nutjobs quite a few times.

Surviving an R primary has been his toughest challenge, and the move is not surprising, even absent the current threat from the R's.

Like it or not, the fact that he's been a senator from PA for as long as he has demonstrates that he has support of the broader electorate of PA.

[Enrique]

5. I think he'll filibuster less than the other centrists

possibly EFCA is the only thing he'll filibuster.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. It can't hurt,

and that makes a difference.

I don't think Specter is a bad man, and it may be that he's found religion and returned to his roots - he started as a Democrat all those years ago. A couple of bouts with brain cancer can alter your perspective dramatically. I wish he had a different stance on labor, for instance, but he's pro-choice, which I like, and it will, at the very least, push us towards that filibuster-proof number, which is significant.

I am just naive enough, perhaps, to believe that Specter will do the right thing............................

[Truth2Tell]

12. I don't think he is a bad man either.

And yes, I think it could potentially hurt. It could hurt when the DCCC supports his reelection bid next time 'round rather than supporting a progressive Dem in that race. It could hurt when he potentially casts the deciding vote on issues within the Dem caucus. It could hurt if he ends up as a committee chair rather than a more progressive Dem.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

27. I'm from PA,

and I would bet anything that it will be several generations before any "progressive Dem" is ever elected from that lovely Commonwealth.

I think Specter, as I said, has had a "come to Jesus" moment and will now return to where he came from - a Jewish Democrat, son of immigrant parents - and his votes will reflect that. The leftward movement of the Republican party, not to mention his challenge from Toomey - who would have trounced him - was probably the final realization that he'd betrayed his original ideals. I think we'll see a more liberal Specter now.

And my inbred cynicism makes me think that his latest recurrence of cancer has given him far too potent a whiff of his own mortality, and his legacy, something he - I would bet - wants to be a honorable and respectable thing.

This is his chance, hitching his fading star to the Obama bandwagon. Smart man ....................

[dflprincess]

46. Now if he'd just admit his whole magic bullet story was a fabrication

I'd believe he'd seen the light.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. You are far from naive!

You are a clear-headed, sensible, intelligent poster!

I didn't know Specter started as a Democrat...

I too believe that he will do the right things...for us, for himself, and for the country.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

30. Well, thank you ...........

But I also have the feeling that the latest recurrence of his cancer might be playing a role in this switch. He might be sick - and I hope he's not - and wants to finish up his career on a winning side, doing the right thing. Aligning himself with the Democrats, and especially with President Obama, is his chance to burnish his record and do some good things.

He's the son of immigrant Jewish parents. I can't help but think that, at the end of his life, he's embracing things closer to home, and he'll surprise everyone - in the way we'd like.

Gee, I hope I'm right.

[TorchTheWitch]

69. the hell he will

The ONLY reason he's doing this is to have a chance in hell of keeping his seat. He's still a Repuke and will still vote just as he always has. We actually had a real chance of getting a REAL Dem into that seat, and it's likely now that that won't happen.

Fuck that selfish prick Specter and the goat he road in on.

[backscatter712]

9. It's a big net gain for us.

Granted, Spector will be a DINO pain in the ass, but we'll be able to negotiate with him, as opposed to trying to work with a stonewalling GOP.

[dflprincess]

10. I'm with you

and I wonder what promises Reid made to get him to do this.

[TahitiNut]

42. So am I. Besides being "PR" for the tabloid addicts, I don't see any significant gain.

He'll just join Ben Nelson & Co. in holding his vote hostage ... political 'centrist' blackmail.

[MzNov]

11. Technically, is he a purple dog?

I think he'll be on good behavior for a while, but Republicans will be Republicans. eventually he'll be a Lieberman. Maybe PA could come up with a sold true PROGRESSIVE Dem and we won't be spending 6 more years wondering.... a person can wish

[VenusRising]

15. Hi, MzNov!!

There is going to have to be an Independent to run against him in the primary. The Dems have promised him that he would have an uncontested primary.

[MzNov]

26. Hi VenusRising !!

We miss you at chez Truthseekers!

Great, I'm so glad that the Dems are going to take care of Mr. Single Bullet. Oh, I'm getting sooooo cynical in my old age.

[Patiod]

50. We just don't have anybody in the minors right now

To use the baseball analogy - we sort of had to trade, because PA Dems don't really have anyone in their farm team with statewide appeal, which is a big problem

People in Pittsburgh don't trust those of us from the East (especially from the Southeast), and they tend to believe, rightly or wrongly, that Philadelphia gets too much attention and too much money, and they tend to withhold their vote from Philadelphia-area politicians (Fast Eddie Rendell excepted)

We have two good folks in Alison Schwartz and (former Admiral) Joe Sestak, and both are "Philly area" and don't have the clout that Fast Eddie had. Joe Hoeffel is a gem, but he's been beat statewide before, and I'm guessing the party is reluctant to go there again.

[MzNov]

59. I grew up in PA and actually worked in politics there

many years ago. I was working on the Lynn Yeakel campaign against Specter, do you remember her? PA Dems could not get it together so she got creamed, but I must say that PA has come a lot farther to the left over the years. Unfortunately it's going to take quite a few more years to get something really progressive going. Hope I'm wrong tho.

[gcomeau]

16. Yes. Yes you are.

He's fairly obviously switching because he's doomed if he runs as a Republican in PA next election.

That means he now needs Democratic voter support.

Considering he just switched he's going to need to convince those voters he's worth supporting if he doesn't want to get ousted anyway, and since the whole point of this is to hang onto his seat it would be pretty stupid of him to just spend the next year and a half thumbing his nose at his new party that is now his only hope of accomplishing that, wouldn't it?

Do I expect him to have the most progressive voting record? No. But he'll get in line over the big high profile stuff or pay the price, and he knows it. And I'll sure as heck take that over the alternative.

[breakroomlive]

17. Specter!

Awesome! I fear for the party in 2010 though.

[tridim]

18. One man's "meh" is another's "Woohoo!"

Fortunately you're in the minority here.

Worst news ever! For Republicans.

[Occam Bandage]

19. He'll be a reliable vote on cloture. That's all I need. nt

[TahitiNut]

43. You and I ought to make a wager on that. A DU contribution?

Perhaps we should figure out the terms?

[BuyingThyme]

20. No, there're two others.

[LSK]

21. I think on some issues he will push us over the edge ...

.. and on other we will be banging our head over his vote.

However, he is no longer held hostage to the GOP party line. If he had stayed in the GOP he would have been forced to not vote with us on anything.

[stillcool]

22. Who knows? Doesn't sound too..

good to me, but I would assume the Dems got some kind of assurances that he would vote with them to pass major legislation, and all of the major things Obama wants..health care, energy, education...have to be done fast before unknown future events make passing this stuff untenable.

[ecstatic]

23. better for him to remain republican, right?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

24. About the same level as Conyers enforcing his subpoenas...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

25. tis impolite to yawn without covering.

[ohheckyeah]

28. Anything that drives the rightwingers crazy

is a good thing.

I think Specter has burned his bridges with the Republican Party and if he wants to be of any relevance whatsoever he is going to have to align with the Democrats. If he pisses the Dems off too much they will just run someone else against him. It seems to me the Democratic Party has the upper hand in this situation.

[Truth2Tell]

38. OK, good point about the right wingers.

[ohheckyeah]

64. Donna Brazille

says the Democrats owe Specter for switching. Why? He's already said there are some Democratic issues he will vote against. The Democratic Party should put on the pressure and if he doesn't play ball run someone against him.

[RaleighNCDUer]

29. Better a progressive than a blue dog,

and better a blue dog than a Republican.

Even incremental gains are, in the end, gains.

[laylah]

31. Not at all...

this chameleon has been around for many a year. NOT to be trusted.

[Fire1]

32. No, indeed. I KNOW it doesn't mean a damn thing!

He's already SAID "STILL 'NO' vote on card check AND 'NO' vote on cloture. Sorry, NO CHANGES, FOLKS! Just a politician looking out for self.

[MiniMe]

33. Personally, I think that Specter has been more and more uncomfortable about

toeing the republicon line. His primary opponent was certainly a consideration, but I welcome him. He can actually say what he truly thinks now.

[Salviati]

34. I think that the most important result is that the republican party is becoming more marginalized...

Driving out more moderates makes them seem shiller and more unhinged, which drives out more moderates...

Lather, rise, repeat...

[Marr]

35. No, you are not.

I agree with you. The real trouble has been coming from the corporate Democrats. I don't see how adding one more conservative Democrat is going to improve much of anything. We'll see how he votes, but frankly I'd be shocked if we see any actual change beyond a bit of rhetoric.

[Wednesdays]

36. It may very well be he will vote against us on many issues

But, how would it have been better if he voted against us as a Republican?

[cascadiance]

48. Simply because Pennsylvania residents will have a better choice in the next election...

... if he stays a Republican

[Sequoia]

37. But it's so much fun to watch the Repub melt-down.

[pnorman]

39. If nothing else, it might encourage other "traditional" Republicans to bolt.

As has been observed by many others here, that Party is rapidly becoming a regional one (Right.To.Workistan?). I don't believe that either of those Senators from Maine, feel very comfortable with that.

Say it: CLOTURE!

pnorman

[Truth2Tell]

41. I don't want Republicans to "bolt." I want them to lose. nt

[pnorman]

49. I'm with you on that.

But a Defection is a good Second Choice! The Reptilicans are NOW talking as though preventing the majority Party from achieving Cloture is a "sacred mission" --- a fight against "despotism". They were part of the closest this country had ever come to a One Party Government! Let them wail now!

EFCA? My recollection is that he was prepared to support it, but the RNC had strongarmed to pull back. EFCA is a major issue with me, and I think we might count on his vote now.

Specter was one of the "enablers" of Warren Commission cover up, and I still have some lingering negative thoughts about him. But that's nowhere near enough to influence my present opinion.

pnorman

[pnorman]

67. Specter was once a co-sponsor of the EFCA.

http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/04/15/pennsylvania-union-me... /

I believe he was strongarmed by the RNC to back away from it. Google hasn't given me any reason yet to be confident, but I believe that O'Bama could bring him along.

pnorman

[RufusTFirefly]

45. How nice for Lincoln, Landrieu, and Ben Nelson to have some company! n/t

[cascadiance]

47. I think someone should challenge him to change his vote on Free Choice Act...

See if now that he's a Democrat, he has the "freedom" to switch his choice to empower labor and the working class of America. It would be a perfect opportunity for him to help "justify" his move to the Democrats, if it offers him more "freedom" to work for most Americans rather than the narrow constituency of the Republican Party now.

If he DOESN'T switch his gears to support the Employee Free Choice Act, we then will know that this is a sham so that the corporatists can preserve someone like him in power rather than have him lose the next election against a *real* "new" (and progressive) Democrat.

We need to put pressure on him on issues like this and others he sided with the corporatist Republicans on, to see if he's still a corporate politician or if now being with the Democrats gives him more freedom to work more progressively. I'm hoping for the latter, but most of all I think its important for America to know NOW where he really stands!

[quiller4]

56. Despite what he said today, I expect change by fall.

Why else would he have had a 4+ hour meeting with Labor leaders yesterday. Hoffa came away from the meeting optimistic. Don't forget he has a lifetime 68% Labor voting record which is better than many including some liberal Dems.

[jberryhill]

63. Perhaps he will emerge from the other side of a "thought process" on it...

Dramatic changes do not necessarily indicate the kind of "stability" or "thoughtfulness" that he likes to project.

[mzmolly]

52. It could mean health care legislation would pass without going the reconciliation

route for one.

[Truth2Tell]

54. That would be a point in favor if it actually came to pass.

I'll watch and see.

[Generator]

55. It does make Fox news worth watching today

There were some side splitters coming at me. The irony doesn't get any better than this. And to hear them have to repeat the words "The Republican party has been hijacked by the far right." is worth it alone.

[WI_DEM]

57. are you kidding? on DU what is good news is really bad news to some.

[spanone]

58. anything that depletes the ranks of repulican'ts is alright by me

[Truth2Tell]

61. Anything? What if they all became Dems?

Our Party could rule forever.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

60. He's going to be more of a hinderance than a help.

I think he's a coward. The last thing progressives need is another moderate.
He assumes he'll be elected by the party faithfuls...I think not. He's just hurting the
chances of a good Dem candidate being elected.

[Truth2Tell]

65. Agreed. nt

[TimesSquareCowboy]

66. Momentum matters.

[Truth2Tell]

68. Is that like Joementum? nt

[Individualist]

70. No, you're not the only one.