Republican Senator Switches To Democrat

[metta]

Veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter disclosed plans Tuesday to switch parties, bringing Democrats closer to the 60-vote supermajority they need to push Barack Obama's agenda through the Senate.

"This is a painful decision," said Specter at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. "I know that I'm disappointing a lot of my friends and colleagues...the disappointment runs in both directions."

Specter would give Democrats and their allies at least 59 Senate seats. One vacancy remains from the state of Minnesota, where Democrat Al Franken holds a narrow lead in a race being disputed in courts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30456741/

 

[chatolandia]

Does that mean that he is bipartisan?

or is he hetero-partisan?


Maybe it's just a phase

 

[eddielee]

They were going ape shit on FOX news about the switch.

ps excuse my language.

 

[JasunStrikesBack]

Something tells me he won't be the last.

As the Republicans get more and more ape shit, the more sane ones aren't going to want to be seen as from the Party of Limbaugh, Beck, Bachman and Palin.

There was a Washington Post Poll released today that said only 21% of people call themselves Republicans anymore. That's pretty harsh.

 

[G-Lexington]

Thus ensuring the fact that he'll be eating alone in the Congress cafeteria.

Lex

 

[rareboy]

As the Republicans get more and more ape shit, the more sane ones aren't going to want to be seen as from the Party of Limbaugh, Beck, Bachman and Palin.

You got it.

The Republicants shot themselves in the ass when they embraced the populist and extremist hysteria of the guys mentioned. Including Palin.

If they ditch the shrill and partisan tone; if they extract themselves from the morass of hyperconservatism, there's some chance they may continue as a credible party. If they keep fronting their agenda on Fox news the way they have been, they just look like clowns. Dangerous clowns.

 

[thewiz]

As a recovering Republican who also went to the Democratic party, I have to applaud Senator Specter.

I am old enough to remember when the Republican party (Richard Nixon of all people) formed the EPA and we made great strides in cleaning up the environment. The Republican party also pushed through needed Welfare Reform with Democratic President William Jefferson Clinton to break the cycle of dependency.

But then the uberconservatives took over and I got almost, literally, sick of the venom that they would boil from themselves. Unless you walk lock-step with them and are anti-abortion, anti everything else -- there is no place in the party for you.

When I came out, that pretty much sealed the deal; while gays were everywhere in the government from the White House to RNC headquarters -- officially it was an abomination to the Limbaugh's and Palin's of that have since become the party.

I saw first-hand in Michigan what the Republican party stood for -- no taxes for anything; dismantle anything resembling a safety net; throw the mentally ill onto the street and let them fend for themselves; privatize our parks and anything else regardless of whether anyone other than the rich can enjoy it; eliminate all government services including police, fire, streets, roads; cut taxes at all costs so that it can speed the demise of any services from government; scream and shrill at anyone who disagrees with any of the actions and deride them as anti-patriotic....

I suspect there are many others that are repulsed by the thought of Rush Limbaugh speaking for the party; add to that the Sean Hannity's and ....excuse me while I vomit!

 

[Ranchman]

Something tells me he won't be the last.

As the Republicans get more and more ape shit, the more sane ones aren't going to want to be seen as from the Party of Limbaugh, Beck, Bachman and Palin.

There was a Washington Post Poll released today that said only 21% of people call themselves Republicans anymore. That's pretty harsh.

I saw that poll - the Republicans are just out of step with the progressive and pragmatic mood of the country.

And I can think of two senators who may be heading to the Democratic Party sooner than later - think northeastern New England...