Arlen Specter switches to Democrats.

[MoJo]

Sen. Arlen Specter announced today he's switching parties to enhance his chances of reelection. Pres. O has welcomed him with open arms. Hopefully his constituents will toss him out on his ear.

[frazzled]

How would anyone notice the difference at this point?

[tfrazier]

As far as gun control issues go, at least if he wins again he will be a pro gun owner vote on the democrat side. His stands on other issues really fit better with that party. Republicans are probably thinking, "bad timing, but good riddance!"

As far as trying to figure out what an individual's core values are, it doesn't matter to me which party they belong to, any more. So many on both sides have tried to be "centrists" that you can't tell the difference except on an issue by issue basis.

Specter's defection doesn't change much. Hell still band up with the democrats on being fiscally irresponsible, vote in favor of destroying the definition of marriage, etc, etc. Hopefully he'll stick to voting against gun control.

And I'm praying he'll get trounced by a conservative in 2010...just doesn't look likely considering his constituency.

[TheArmedFarmer]

Specter wouldn't even be in the senate if the republicans hadn't campaigned for him so strongly in 2004. He just barely managed to win against his much more conservative opponent, Pat Toomey. George W Bush's last-minute endorsement of Specter is likely to have finally pushed him into a win.

So, thanks W and other republicans for giving us Specter.

[nitrogen]

Specter seems like a decent fellow, at least on the gun issue.

Don't know much about him on the other issues, other than the bailout, which plenty of "good" folks also supported.

Hopefully he remembers his pro-gun history in his "new home"

[74novaman]

He's been voting with the Dems for years. At least now he's "come out of the closet".

Wonder what cushy new Committe Chair or funding contribution he's going to get for switching sides.

[stevie_d_64]

Personnaly, and no offence to anyone...

There is a lot more to this than his position on our right to keep and bear arms...He has proven this on the budget, the stimulus package vote, he is pro choice and not very fiscally conservative to be in this political party...

He will also run on the democrat party ticket un-opposed...This will signal to the GOP that they had better get their act together to nullify this move by Specter and the democrat party...

[Bob Landry]

He's a typical Liberal. He swings with the political winds, whatever it takes to keep that power. He wasn't much of a conservative when he was supposedly on our side, so I say good riddance. The first time I ever heard the guy open his mouth, I said, " Who's side is he on?" Like most Liberals, I don't see a lot of integrity and I don't see much of a man..I don't think we lost very much.

[stroo]

He actually was a Democrat before he decided he could get elected to the Senate as a Republican during the Reagan era. So he is just making official what he basically always was.

[TheArmedFarmer]

He actually was a Democrat before he decided he could get elected to the Senate as a Republican during the Reagan era.

Then why did the Republican establishment, including GWB, campaign so strongly for him in the primary? There was a true and popular conservative running against him. What gives? I'm honestly flabbergasted. This just isn't adding up right for me.

[tfrazier]

That's exactly why the Republicrats got my resignation from their party a year ago. I'm fed up with all the blurred lines, mixed morals, and values being tossed out the window for the sake of a sure win or "the lesser evil".

You can't tell most of them apart from the Democrats any more, and neither bunch is going to get my money besides what they forcibly take in taxes.

"Would that you were either cold or hot..." as the Good Book says.

[lws380]

Classic example of why term limits are needed for Senate and House. For all parties!

[Abraham]

The HBO series "Deadwood" tagged politicians perfectly: They are THE slickest criminals.

Of course, how can anyone blame them? We allow these greedy swine a career of feeding at the public trough and promote themselves as our aristocracy.

There no longer exists any of the roman general Cinninatus types in our congress.

Whatever they do in their interest should surprise no one...

[TheArmedFarmer]

We were probably better off back before 1913, when Senators were chosen by our state legislatures. Back then, there's no way that people like Hillary Clinton would have been seated in the Senate. Maybe it's time to talk about the repeal of the 17th amendment to the Constitution.

[TruckingDeals]

Nothing has changed. He always voted like a stupid liberal.

What a bunch of losers, the people of the state of Pennsylvania, to be represented by both Murtha and Sphincter.

God help us.