Sen. Arlen Specter is now a Democrat

[monsoon]

The very politically significant news has come out that Sen. Arlen Specter a long time high profile GOPer has switched parties and is now a Democrat in the US Senate. This has immediate political consequences in the Senate and Democratic control of the US Congress. Reid has apparently confirmed that Specter has joined the Democratic caucus.

Once Al Franken makes it in they will have a super majority. This is significant because not only can they pass any legislation into law that they want without the Republicans.

Rush must be blowing hot gases out of all orifices at the moment.

[cityboi]

this is huge! for the democrats. If Al is seated, President Obama's agenda will definitely pass through congress. Everything from healthcare, energy and the economy.

Maybe Rush will go jump off a bridge. Sean Hannity and Bill Oreilly can follow him.

[sean]

specter seems like he is conservative with regard to fiscal policies, but liberal with regard to social policies.... at least thats my uninformed take. who was the last senator to change affiliation?

[monsoon]

Well the one that comes to mind was Lieberman. However that was a touchy feelie one where he went from Democrat to Independent Democrat. This was because he failed to gain the Democratic nomination in 2006 and the rubes in Conn. fell for it and he won the general election. He still caucuses with the Democratcs in the congress.

He has mostly been silenced these days. He hooked his wagon to the wing nut express and it has since derailed.

----------------------

Prior to Lieberman I am not aware that many high profile senators have done this while sitting in office. One that comes to mind is Strom Thrumond who was originally elected as a Democrat to the US Senate. He ended of course as a member of the GOP.

[erdogs]

Richard Shelby switched from Democrat to Republican in 1994.

[Gard]

Bloomberg went from Democrat to Republican to Independent, but he is high profile only because of his media empire and nothing more really. His only political experience that I'm aware of is being mayor of NYC.

[Lowerdeck]

Jim Jeffords of Vermont going from Rep to Ind (EDIT:) in 2001

[monsoon]

I would say this is a devastating to the GOP given that it happens on the heels of them losing a special election in upstate NY state in GOP territory for the house seat that was vacated by the person who took Hillary's Senate seat.

The only GOP moderates left are Susan Collins and Olympia Snow, the two senators from Maine. I wonder how long they will last in this party.

[Charlotteman]

The very politically significant news has come out that Sen. Arlen Specter a long time high profile GOPer has switched parties and is now a Democrat in the US Senate.

[cpeakesqr]

The man wants to keep his seat. At any cost. Period.

I'm not even sure I would want such an unscrupulous polecat like Arlen in my party. Who could ever trust him with sensitive party strategies? In the judicial hearings of Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork in the 1980s, Arlen voted "no" against his party (the Reps). He was then labeled "Benedict Arlen" by his party. The man is a hack.

note: In case anyone forgot, Specter is the infamous author of the "Magic Bullet Theory"........he came up with all the B.S. about bullets going all over the place to kill JFK and injure Gov. Connelly.

[dimebag1980]

I'm glad to see this. Every remaining GOP member should step back right now and take a good, long look at their party and where it's headed. I did this last year and haven't looked back. I am currently unaffiliated with any party and have been since last year, but these days my views lean more and more AWAY from the GOP. I don't know how anyone could want to be associated with Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, or any of those extremist blowhards to be honest.

[Charlotteman]

Olympia Snow and Susan Collins, both of Maine, are now the only two moderate Republicans left in the US Senate. I saw a quote of Snow's tonite where she mentioned the same extremist forces in the party that Specter talked about.

Will she be the next to jump ship, or is she literally being pushed off? This is looking like one of Stalin's Great Purges. Ideological purity over everything else.

[kayman]

Arlen Spector is a career politico, nothing more, nothing less. He made this move for purely career reasons, so I just see him a Democrat by name. I don't even think having 60 Democrats in the Senate these days are relevent since a number of them are still socially conservative and view a number of typical Democratic ideas as "too liberal". IMHO, until the current establishment gets with the program and stop being a political obstructionist for partisan reason, I'm don't care what's behind their name because they are still views as a problem.