Listening to Republicans and conservatives try their best to convince themselves that yes, dropping down to 40 seats in the Senate is totally a plus for them. None of them actually believe this, but its cute nonetheless.
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April 29th, 2009
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Meh. While I don’t think it’s a *good* thing, I don’t think it has any real importance. If you can’t count on a person’s vote on core, fundamental issues, what value does that person have to the party anyway?
If you can’t count on a person’s vote on core, fundamental issues, what value does that person have to the party anyway?
In this particular instance, the value of keeping Sen. Specter in the GOP was keeping his vote from becoming something the Democrats could count on.
It’s arithmetic!
That’s the point. He voted with the Democrats on some fundamental issues. So what was lost, the chance that he’ll vote with Republicans on some less important matters?
Meh.
Specter is toast in the next primary election, where he will have to run against real Democrats and convince the most passionate part of the Democratic electorate that he didn’t really mean to be a Republican for all those years. As political problems go, having him until then as a tepid Democrat beats having the GOP’s problem with numbers. Now that he’s a “Democrat” (LOL) Specter may be in line for a little more arm twisting from his “new” party bosses, at least enough to be the 60th vote.
That’s a nice committee seat you have there, Arlen. Would you like to keep it?
What’s even funnier to me is that Republicans think they can both exile moderates and be a majority again. I’m sure the flying unicorns will be happy to carry them to the promised land.
Hey, it’s even better for them if they drop below 40 seats because then all that “obstruct everything” pressure is off, and they can focus on presenting well-thought out policy alternatives.
[/sarcasm]
Missin the point. Specter was practically a Dem anyways. And he’s already said they (dems) can’t count on him to break the fillibuster. So……….big deal. This just made it official. Now you just guys have a conservative democrat. Enjoy.
Buzz Killington: “That’s the point. He voted with the Democrats on some fundamental issues. So what was lost, the chance that he’ll vote with Republicans on some less important matters?
Meh.”
So instead of voting with the Republicans 60% of the time, he will vote with the Democrats 60% of the time. A net swing of 20%.
I’ll take that for the next two years.
The only bad news here for the Democrats is, Specter was nearly guaranteed to lose in 2010 regardless and the Democrats could have gotten a solid progressive to replace him instead of a faux-moderate.
Thats right Yo Mama! those grapes are far too sour! Thank Athiesmo you had the insight to point that out to us!
“The only bad news here for the Democrats is, Specter was nearly guaranteed to lose in 2010 regardless and the Democrats could have gotten a solid progressive to replace him instead of a faux-moderate.”
Stowbridge – this is my big problem with the switch, not that Specter is switching, but that the PA state party has basically said bugger off to any possible primary challenger. Now as Atrios observed, I don’t think the state party can prevent someone from running a primary challenge, but it doesn’t have to give them any $. I am really hoping to see a netroots sponsored primary challenger here. The party is supposed to be more than an incumbency protection racket.
yo mama: Now you just guys have a conservative Democrat.
Is he a “liberal RINO” or a “conservative Democrat”? I wish you people would make up your fuckin’ minds.
And “you just guys”? Still hung over from last night?
I live in Pennsylvania and the Democratic Party here needs new faces and new blood. I can’t think of any circumstances under which my family and I are going to support Arlen Specter no matter how much “Fast Eddy” Rendell and other Democrats embrace him. If he couldn’t win the Republican primary then that’s the way the prune wrinkles. Specter needs to find something else to do with the rest of his life. The Senate and House are filled with enough ersatz Democrats already.
“…was practially a Dem anyway.”
I don’t get it. The above quote implies that Specter is a liberal Republican, but then you go on to say that he is a conservative democrat. Which is it?