Now I've Seen Everything.

[darsynia]

Arlen Specter is switching teams, ya'all.

Quote for the link-phobic:

Reporting from Washington -- Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania announced today that he is switching parties and plans to seek reelection next year as a Democrat, in the meantime likely handing the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

Specter's switch could hand the Democrats a 60-seat advantage in the Senate, provided that Democrat Al Franken of Minnesota prevails in his court fight for a long-contested Senate seat there. However, Specter said today that he will not become an "automatic" 60th vote to close debates in the Senate. LATimes.com

It'll be interesting to see the fallout from this. I voted for him, mostly because he came to my college and did a Q&A and I was very impressed with his answers, which weren't ducking, weren't party line regurgitation, and he seemed pretty intelligent and caring about the people. Of course, he was elected to public office a year after I was born, so that could be practice, as well. I honestly don't know how I feel about this (except for finding it very interesting that Pennsylvania as a state tends to vote candidate, rather than party, and many found it odd that we voted for a Democrat president (Kerry, in 2004) and a Republican senator (Specter, in 2004).

Some 'local' news to add to this is the fact that Pat Toomey, who ran against Specter in 2004 in the Republican primary (and nearly won) had announced his candidacy late last week for the Republican senate nomination.

Comments

[darsynia.livejournal.com]

I agree with your whole comment, heh. I think in the end, he didn't want to go independent because we've proved PA is chock-full of democrats and he wants to take advantage of that. Given that he was a dem before 1966 (during the time he was an intern working on the Warren Commission)--something I forgot I knew, one of those back-of-the-mind trivia things that suddenly became somewhat relevant--it makes a bit more sense.

Some of the articles cite a poll where Toomey was ahead of him by nearly 22 points in the primary, *shudder*.

I'd just LOVE to know how much of this was timed to be announced so close to the final decision on the Minnesota election (which was half a year ago; is this some sort of record, do you think?) to sort of... 1-2 punch the concept of a 60 seat majority? I can't decide whether it was kind or cruel to do it now rather than waiting until the possible hoopla about Coleman losing died down.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

I think in the end, he didn't want to go independent because we've proved PA is chock-full of democrats and he wants to take advantage of that.

I think that's probably it, yeah. He knows damn well that he's survived by being the republican democrats didn't mind so much, so going independent would only open up the field for an actual dem candidate, who he'd probably lose to.

Among his not-so-sterling qualities is his being a consumate politician. As in, he's got power and he really doesn't want to give it up, even if I think he probably should. Better to go graceful, you know? I'm not sure this is.

I did know about the switch from Dem to Republican, but if you look at the parties at that time and what he's done over the years, it makes something like sense. He's willing to deal socially, he'll put realities above ideology, he's a fucking misogynist, sometimes, he's fiscally conservative but sane about it and aware of the word, and he's willing to deal to get things done. Those aren't all democratic notions, of course, but he'll find more of those with the current dems than the republicans.

Has the Minnesota decision been officially announced? My guess is that whatever deal finally was approved went through last night. Because he'd been denying this pretty vociferously for weeks now. He got something he wanted, finally, and didn't feel like kicking around.

I am also cynical that we'll get a Minn. decision. That one feels like purgatory, at this point. There will be no Minnesota senator!