While Democrats may crow about Specter's move, he is still a huge hawk when it comes to foreign policy, and has always been erratic on domestic (although always strongly pro-labor). Specter was honest about his ambitions, but the Dems could have won this in anyway.

1. Specter stays R & then loses to Grover Norquist in the far-right dominated Republican primary. Norquist is trounced by any moderate Democratic candidate.

2. Specter quits the R. without getting any guarantees about his seniority. He runs as a D or independent, and whether he wins or loses, whoever runs against Norquist still wins.

Specter is no guarantee of cloture, even when Franken is sworn in. There are any number of conservative Dem. senators who would not block a filibuster if Sen. Feckless Reid tries to form a block. As Will Rogers said, Democrats are no organized party.

BTW, Chris Matthews appeared furious tonight on Hardball over the Specter move. He chewed him out and warned voters to beware that some politicians think only of their own entrenched power without any noble political ideals.
Matthews had been mulling a D. senate run, but backed out a few months ago. He seemed genuinely angry about today's developments, but also said that he loved the give & take of TV and didn't want to be the stooge for a political party.

Specter bailed because he knew his butt was going to be handed to him in the next primary. It all about retaining power and nothing else.

The dems are the party of yes.

YES - Cap and Trade = $3600 per year energy cost increase for the average American
YES - Gas mileage tax on top of the gas tax we already pay
YES - desamate our counter terrorism efforts
YES - Apologize to the world
YES - Out of control spending
YES - New government programs
YES - Tax increases for small business
YES - More government control of our lives
YES - Private business take overs
YES - Military cut backs
YES - For tax cheats as long as your in the administration
YES - Just about any tax increase they can think of
YES - Socialism
YES - For any new crisis. Excuse to spend more money and take more control

36,000 people a year in the USA die from the flu.

Hopefully in 2010 we'll get back to a congress that says NO once in awhile.

Originally Posted by dklassen

Hopefully in 2010 we'll get back to a congress that says NO once in awhile.

With the Washington Post-ABC News poll showing only 21 pct identifying themselves as Republicans (down from 35 pct in 2003), that seems increasingly unlikely.
President Reagen's "Big Tent" concept is badly needed, unless you somehow believe that the GOP now represents a vast, silent majority that is waiting to reassert itself.

was being commented on here in this thread and started a separate one on him not knowing I could have done so here.

I won't repeat it here except to echo what many here are saying...vote the bums out. So far we the people have not done anything close for years.

We have degenerated to the haves.....those in position in Washington...and the have nots = we the people. As more of the entitlement crowd grows and become a larger percent of we the people.....the concept of representative government is on it's way to extinction.

I am so glad to have lived the era I did....and served my country when I did...also a concept on the way to extinction!!!!!!

BTK

Originally Posted by KayakerNC

With the Washington Post-ABC News poll showing only 21 pct identifying themselves as Republicans (down from 35 pct in 2003), that seems increasingly unlikely.
President Reagen's "Big Tent" concept is badly needed, unless you somehow believe that the GOP now represents a vast, silent majority that is waiting to reassert itself.

Your post makes the assumption that everyone is simply party oriented !!!

I dont care what party someone belongs to and the concept of that being important is a big part of our problems

I think the Dem's are going to have a rude awakening in 2010 and they know it. Thus the speed at which they are ramming things through.

Originally Posted by dklassen

I think the Dem's are going to have a rude awakening in 2010 and they know it. Thus the speed at which they are ramming things through.

Unfortunately, I see things the opposite. The Dems are acting like a new step-dad who uses his credit card to buy the affection of the step-kids. It works in the short term, but when the family's finances go up in smoke several years down the road, it's too late to do anything about it.

Likewise, I expect that the Dems will be able to tell people how much better off they are in 2010 than they were in 2008 - and people will be able to buy that line since on the surface things will look better. However, the monster of hyper-inflation and debilitating tax rates that will stifle the economy will still be lurking in the background. Only when they come to the surface will the people realize how bad things have become - but by then Pandora's box will have already been opened.

Hum... I'm not so sure. I think folks out there are getting pretty fed up with Congress and I think very few want to leave one party in total power to run ruff shod over the economy and other areas. I also don't think we are going to be in any better shape in 2010. The Republications have lots of ammo if they have the nads to use it.

Originally Posted by NJblue

Unfortunately, I see things the opposite. The Dems are acting like a new step-dad who uses his credit card to buy the affection of the step-kids. It works in the short term, but when the family's finances go up in smoke several years down the road, it's too late to do anything about it.

Likewise, I expect that the Dems will be able to tell people how much better off they are in 2010 than they were in 2008 - and people will be able to buy that line since on the surface things will look better. However, the monster of hyper-inflation and debilitating tax rates that will stifle the economy will still be lurking in the background. Only when they come to the surface will the people realize how bad things have become - but by then Pandora's box will have already been opened.

NJBLUE...I agree with quite a bit of what you say, but I am really conflicted on this !!

On one hand I see the polls who show that our President is so popular, then you see that those numbers do not carry over to the issues, certainly not the same level.

On a competely different level...I just read that Fox news (that network that all liberals seem to want to trash) beat the other cables news COMBINED in EVERY time slot which means that there is an audience that does not want to hear the constant drone of extreme liberalism.

It is hard to believe that the majority of this country wants MORE federal government, MORE taxes, MORE programs to give away, MORE politics (has been interesting to see this administrations total turning away from any even attempt at working together).

Having said all that, this President sure gets the press....I was struck during the Easter egg roll.....the networks played that up like it never ever happened before in the WH ! People seem to like him even as he cons us all with his glibness so I dont know. I dont care what party.....dem or rep...we just have to get to the middle and do it quick before it is too late !

Originally Posted by collie1228

Specter's desertion of his party will serve only to solidify political power in the person(s) those two giants, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. I am a Republican who was thoroughly disgusted with the direction of my party under Cheney-Bush, but never to the point of desertion. Good riddance to Specter, and I hope that the same political opponents who chased his butt out of the Pennsylvania Republican Party can chase him from the Senate. Obviously this is all about Arlen - he said he can't win as a Republican - obviously he just wants to remain a Senator. This has nothing to do with philosophy.

Good Post. As a Rupublican I guess I should be upset but I am not. If I was to pick a team to tackle a problem I could guarantee you I would NOT want Arlen on my side. This guy is only interested in his own Butt.

Originally Posted by Topper1

Great move for the Democrats. One more defection or a Franken win will ensure that things will finally be able to get done.

Who will be the next to defect??

Arlen Specter has left the sinking ship

Isn't that what rats do?

Yoda

The pendulum swings both ways, it just takes time to go from one side to the other.

The nation is no different than any household. Occasionally, a household will make decisions, buy things, go places, invite people over, and do things that some or all within the household later regrets, especially if it squanders a a goodly chunk of the family finances.

....and the pendulum has reached its left acme. How long it takes to get to "center" again will be best exemplified by the Spector reelection campaign and whether the same old folk - Spector, Kennedy, Reid, Pelosi, McCain, Frank, L. Smith, and all the othe3r members of the 10-15-20-30 year club - are still in office after 2010, 2012 and 2014.

If you want true "change," placing a new occupant in then government housing facility at 1600 PA Ave, DC is not the way. Replacing all of the old-line office-holders within the Hart, Dirksen, Russell, Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn Office Buildings located at the eastern end of Constitution Ave, DC is how to do it.