Arlen Specter Quits The Republican Party; Joins The Democrats

  Today Arlen Specter changed parties from Republican to Democrat, claiming that he feels more like a Democrat. Finally admitting to himself what Republicans have known for awhile; he isn’t a Republican. This technically gives the Democrats their much wanted 60 vote majority in the senate– filibuster proof. I said technically, but in reality nothing changes in the Senate in the short term.

  With Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and John McCain (on certain issues) the president has had his sixty vote majority all along. This just makes it official. It is kind of a moral victory.

  The only hope to stop the president from implementing all of his radical far left agenda items still lies in the same hands that is has since he was elected– with the Blue Dog Democrats. The House of Representatives is our one hope and it has been all along. We need to hope that the conservatives in the house along with the Blue Dog Democrats can hold firm to their positions and not give in. Every single Republican can oppose a bill in the house and it can still pass, that is why it is the Blue Dog Democrats who now hold the key to stopping cap and trade, health-care reform, and amnesty for illegal aliens; plus whatever other far left agenda items the president may spring on us. It will be interesting, and vital, that the Blue Dogs do not succumb to party pressure.

  But where this switch could have an effect is in the future; and it is the future for which Arlen Specter changed parties– the 2010 election. Because Arlen Specter is was a RINO he was in trouble with the voters in his state. He was going to be facing a tough primary bid and probably would have lost in the primary. This is why he switched parties.

  This clears the way for him in the 2010 election. Or does it? I am not sure. Will he face a Democrat opponent in the primary and if so will Democrat voters support him over a lifetime Democrat? I think in the end name recognition will carry the day.

 In the 2004 election after narrowly escaping a primary opponent he won re-election easily with support of Independents and some Democrats. I would guess that the Democrats would hold true in a general election and he may lose some Independents but not enough, clearing the way for his re-election.

  With the Republicans desperately needing to pick up seats in both the house and Senate Arlen Specter’s seat was one they were hoping to pick up (considering he was not really a Republican in the first place). This move could have put this seat out of play.

  Of course it is way too early to tell but for now at least it is status quo in the Senate.