Specter Won't Switch Parties

[Keystone Phil]

I don't really believe it but this is good news for now.

[Keystone Phil]

And Ed Rendell would never lie or mislead us!

Haha, well, he really doesn't have a reason to lie about this. He could have always danced around the issue.

Or he wants it to come as a "real surprise" to Republicans when Specter does switch...

[Keystone Phil]

And Ed Rendell would never lie or mislead us!

Haha, well, he really doesn't have a reason to lie about this. He could have always danced around the issue.

Or he wants it to come as a "real surprise" to Republicans when Specter does switch...

Specter may have told him to shut his trap and kill off the rumors while he thinks about it. The more rumors that Specter's going to switch parties the more and more it hurts him the Republican base (if he does end up running in that primary).

Specter may be arrogant but he's not stupid. He's not worried about the Republican electorate as much. He's probably falling for the AFL-CIO's promise to get thousands of Dems to switch for him in the primary (which I discussed in the PA 2010 thread on the other board).

[Keystone Phil]

Well, that's dumb of Specter. If he stays as a Republican, he's obviously going to lose.

Sometimes you just have to make your stand and let history redeem you.

History will redeem him...coming from a guy that strongly opposed the Stimulus (and Specter's vote for it is why he is so unpopular now/why Toomey is running), admits that he doesn't like Specter that much anymore because of it, etc.

[Keystone Phil]

History will redeem him...coming from a guy that strongly opposed the Stimulus (and Specter's vote for it is why he is so unpopular now/why Toomey is running), admits that he doesn't like Specter that much anymore because of it, etc.

No mere man is without flaws, and Arlen Specter has many flaws.  His stimulus vote was damaging to the reputation and morale of moderate Republicans everywhere - but I refuse to sacrifice any more good soldiers to the bonfire of partisan purity. 

... Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I was not a Jew.  Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I was not a trade unionist.  Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was not a Catholic.  Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up.

Oh, what a martyr.  Again, stop using the same old talking points, Don. This isn't about partisan purity. 66% of PA Republicans don't lie.

Anyway, Specter's son is also saying his Dad won't switch - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20082.html

[Keystone Phil]

Imagine if they didn't show up to vote for Pat in the general election.... te-he-he-he.

And you blast Toomey for "helping" the Dems? This is a sad joke now, Don.

And spare me the lectures about capable and governing GOP, Don. You were all about the GOP of 2001 - 2007. You called us a capable party. You adored people like Bush and Frist when they were just as socially conservative as the people you bash now. They pushed the marriage amendment but that was ok with you because you got to blame someone else for it and still call Bush and Frist "centrists." What a joke. You defend people that don't care about you, Don. They don't care about your party. They spit in your face. Chafee did it, others have done it and Specter will find more ways to do it yet you cry about how some of us have had enough.  Wake the hell up.

[Keystone Phil]

Phil, to the extent you are doing so, and maybe you are not, equating Specter to Chafee as functionally co-extensive is really not very accurate in my opinion. Specter plays team politics in a way Chafee never did. Sure he bolts from time to time. But in many critical votes he does not.  This appears to me to likely end up as an exchange of a half loaf for an empty pantry, if the plan to depose Specter succeeds.

But they both spit in the face of this party and even people like Don and he refuses to acknowledge it. Some of us have had enough for years now and here comes Don making the guy out to be a martyr.

I guarantee Don would be singing a very different tune if he was a PA Republican.

[Keystone Phil]

Phil, to the extent you are doing so, and maybe you are not, equating Specter to Chafee as functionally co-extensive is really not very accurate in my opinion. Specter plays team politics in a way Chafee never did. Sure he bolts from time to time. But in many critical votes he does not.  This appears to me to likely end up as an exchange of a half loaf for an empty pantry, if the plan to depose Specter succeeds.

Please just play along with Phil and pretend he's a liberal. It's easier.

Thanks, troll.

not to mention the ward leaders and their organizing machines.  ain't no Independent organizational leaders..

Well, he's likely going to vote against Card Check now since he keeps saying he'll be the deciding vote. He probably thinks he has a good chance at the nomination now.

That being said, if he loses and wants to run as an Independent, you're right about him struggling to get on the ballot. He has connections but without a party pulling for you, it's nearly impossible to get the 67,000 signatures to get on the ballot here.

[Keystone Phil]

Why would he vote for the EFCA? Unions are pretty much the only large group still supporting the guy...

You mean why would he vote against it?

Well, he's insisting that he's going to be the deciding vote and he's saying he will not switch/will run as a Republican so you'd think that, unless he's senile, he has to vote against it. No way to you brag about being the deciding vote and then do something to piss off the members of the party that you're trying to win over. Unless he's getting very cocky and thinks the unions will get him all of those people to switch parties for him in the primary. Oh, how hilarious would that be...

[Keystone Phil]

Yeah, I wanted to post stories about him lobbying State Senators to change our primary system but realized it was just a waste. It's not going to happen here.

I'm not sure what other State Senators (besides Eich and Folmer who are basically twins/best pals from the 2006 victories) are publicly for Toomey yet, by the way.