Specter to switch parties

[Keystone Phil]

Specter is not switching to the Democrat Party, he is returning to it.  Remember, after he lost won his 1965 race for District Attorney as a Democrat, he switched to Republican.

Wrong

He wasn't getting the backing of the local Dems so he had to leave. He won the GOP backing and "stuck with us" until today.

he still ran as a registered Democrat.

By the way, I confirmed that this is true - he ran as a Dem but had our nomination and switched after he won.

[Keystone Phil]

Specter's own words: “I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.”


Translation: I have slighted and flat out betrayed my loyal Republican constituents over 29 years one time too many and they won't put up with it any longer. I must therefore leave the party, retire from politics or end my career with a humiliating primary defeat. If the economy tanks more like I think it will this is going to be fun...

flat out betrayed? Seems more like the party betrayed him to me.

Pretty much my take, too.  I recall Virgil Goode, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Richard Shelby and several others switching from the Democratic to the Republican party some years ago.  With them, as with Specter, it was almost certainly based on a fear of losing re-election in addition tosincere concerns about the ideological drift of the respective party.

When those Democrats switched, many liberals called them traitors and said "good riddance to bad rubbish".  Now, a lot of Republicans are saying the same thing about Specter.  Politics as usual.

As a Democrat, I guess I am glad to have another vote in the Senate.  As a human being, I just wish Arlen would retire so he could enjoy the time he has left and spend it with his family.

Yeah, Specter was so concerned about the ideological shift of the party that he was kissing up to the conservative groups. He was so concerned about it that he had to be saved by Bush and Santorum in 2004.

Arlen Specter was a Democrat before. He was never really a Republican. He didn't give a damn about this party and he has stuck it to us time after time. He didn't care which direction this party went as long as the powers that be saw to it that they defended him. 2004 is the perfect example.

It's all about Arlen, folks. Why can't you realize that?

[Keystone Phil]

Switching parties to survive politically is the pinnacle of being a loser. Sorry Arlen.

I could see that as a viable definition, but what would you say to Richard Shelby, Strom Thurmond, Phil Gramm, etc?  (Even Gramm would've gone down if he'd stayed a Dem into the 90s.)

If you want to switch, do it the Gramm way - switch, resign and run in the special. It's an honorable way of doing things.