Specter Won't Switch Parties

[Rowan]

Ed Rendell told RNN-TV, a regional cable news channel in the Northeast, that he has in fact tried to talk GOP Senator Arlen Specter into switching to the Democrats -- oh, and so have some other important people, who Rendell probably shouldn't have mentioned.

"We've tried," said Rendell. "Myself, Senator Casey, Vice President Biden have tried to talk him into it, but he's bound and determined to stay a Republican."

When asked for comment by RNN-TV, Specter's office pointed them to an interview he gave recently where he said he was "prepared to run as a Republican," and did not directly confirm or deny that Specter has been approached by Joe Biden, Ed Rendell or Bob Casey about switching parties




http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/rendell-ive-tried-to-get-specter-to-switch----and-so-has-joe-biden.php?ref=fp1

[Holmes]

What are these people trying to do? They'd have a better shot at convincing him to vote for the EFCA and they know better, cause either way, he's probably out in 2010.

[Keystone Phil]

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

[Meeker]

And Ed Rendell would never lie or mislead us!

[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...

[Meeker]

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).

[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).

[Lief 🗽]

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

[justfollowingtheelections]

God I'm tired of Specter

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Not surprising to me. I don't think he will switch.

[Lunar]

I don't think most of y'all seem to understand how meaningless this sort of statement is.  Specter doesn't want rumors to be circling until he's made the decision 100%.

[Meeker]

I don't think most of y'all seem to understand how meaningless this sort of statement is.  Specter doesn't want rumors do be circling until he's made the decision 100%.

^^^

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

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.

[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.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

He may side with the Dems sometimes (ok, a fair amount of the time), but he's still more of a Republican than a Democrat.

[CARLHAYDEN]

He may side with the Dems sometimes (ok, a fair amount of the time), but he's still more of a Republican than a Democrat.

Not when it counts.

His 2008 ACU rating was 42!

He's one of only three Republicans in the Senate with less than 50.

Guess which three Republican Senators voted for H.R. 1?

[Speed of Sound]

This is what the 2008 cycle lacked: A Pennsylvania election. I just love these things!


If I know Ed as well as I think I do, there is not a single thing to his words. I must agree with Lunar here, Im still on 'wait and see' mode.

Either way, he aint gettin' my first ever senate vote.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

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.

[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

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Oh, what a martyr.

He may end up being a martyr.  Your friend Pat has made lots of those recently.  We could start a museum - "The Museum of the once-great capable-of-governing Republican Party" with statues of Barry Goldwater and other people who eventually were considered too liberal to be in today's GOP.

66% of PA Republicans don't lie.

You mean there are 34% left that support Specter?  Hmm... thats actually a hopeful sign.  Imagine if they didn't show up to vote for Pat in the general election.... te-he-he-he.

[Rob]

"We've tried," said Rendell. "Myself, Senator Casey, Vice President Biden have tried to talk him into it, but he's bound and determined to stay a Republican."

This rat is going down with the ship.

[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.

[Torie]

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.

[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.

[Marokai Backbeat]

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.