Like South Carolina’s own Hugh Leatherman in reverse, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is switching his party affiliation from Republican to Communist … err, Democrat.
Specter’s announcement – which could come as soon as today – will give Democrats a filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats in the U.S. Senate (assuming comedian Al Franken wins the contested Minnesota Senate seat).
Amazing.
The RINO ass-rape of the Republican Party is now complete.
What motivated Specter’s decision?
Well, polls showed him losing a Republican primary in Pennsylvania, but there’s currently no viable Democrat in the running for the seat.
In other words – he did it to improve (substantially) his chances of getting reelected in 2010.
Update – Unknown as of yet is whether Specter’s jangly jowls will be joining him when he switches parties. Our guesses are “yes” and “yes.”
Update 2 – Well lookie-lookie – Specter had some choice words back when Senator James Jeffords bolted the GOP.
By Tim April 28, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Maybe if conservative leaders in SC had the balls to have put up a “Pat Toomey-like” strong primary challenge to Lindsey Graham in 2008, then Graham might have pulled a ‘Specter’ or a ‘Lieberman’ and we could have got him out of the GOP.
By Crooner April 28, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I understood that the PA rules would have prevented Specter from running as an independent ( like Leiberman did ) had he lost in the Republican primary. And it seems PA Republicans are hell bent on a more “conservative” candidate who has no chance of carrying the increasingly blue state.
By GGIH April 28, 2009 at 1:29 pm
The GOP better take what it can get, at this point.
By hammerheadSC April 28, 2009 at 1:36 pm
No GGIH, i dont want the GOP full of “what we can get”. People like Spector are the problem with the party. Frankly was an easier way of cleansing the party.
This will blow up in the Dems face, just watch. A fillerbuster proof congress will be short lived.
By henri April 28, 2009 at 1:54 pm
He’s always voted with the Dems. Good riddance!
By Bill Clinton April 28, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Face it fellas. Every one of those politicians who voted for the bank bailouts and the stimulus package is one of us – err I mean a Democrat deep down.
We call them closet Democrats-they are gay bashers and religious right wingers and they only come out and really shine when there are trillions of dollars of debt to create – but trust me we can count on them.
Excuse me… someone’s at the door- Lindsey, is that you?
By bonehead April 28, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Good riddance, Arlen Sphincter. We’re not losing anything on the right. Hopefully, Toomey can capitalize on this and beat his sorry butt.
By Pat Hendrix April 28, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Who asked him to switch? You can have him back.
By teho April 28, 2009 at 3:30 pm
The chickens are coming home to roost!
By roofus April 28, 2009 at 3:43 pm
This man will be 80 soon. Term limits people!
By Brandon April 28, 2009 at 3:43 pm
What a waste of Chemo.
By Exile April 28, 2009 at 3:46 pm
He’s 79 years old and has cancer. He should retire.
He always was an America Hating Liberal, so he should feel at home in the Democrap party.
Come on Cancer! Yay Cancer! You can do it!
By Pat Hendrix April 28, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Ah Exile, keeping it classy.
By GGIH April 28, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Brandon and Exile: You people are in serious need of a soul.
By Winder April 28, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Pretty tastless wishing someone’s cancer would kill them because they switched to a different party…
By lou April 28, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Isn’t it really to chair a committee and hold up proceedings?
Isn’t it the Judiciary committee he wants to chair? And isn’t that an important one right now??
Doesn’t anyone care about what is going on in DC?
And did anyone else notice DeMint looked like a big tent idiot on the tv?
By Not Comrade April 29, 2009 at 1:00 am
Republicans always wanted to see the northeastern moderates out the party. When a filibuster-proof Democratic majority rams their agenda down their throats, then they’ll get what they asked for.
I hope they’re ready.
By MR NASTY April 29, 2009 at 7:10 am
I HOPE HE HAS A RELAPSE IN THE COLON SO HE CAN GET IT UP THE ASS LIKE HE HAS GIVEN IT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.RUN THESE SCUMBAGS OUT OF OFFICE BEFORE ITS TOO LATE….HEAR ME LINDSEY????
By Gillon April 29, 2009 at 8:04 am
Ever wonder one reason why the Republicans have become the minority party after once having control of both houses of Congress and the White House in the last decade? You need only look at some of these mean-spirited comments. You can disagree without being disagreeable (or in these cases, despicable).
By Brandon April 29, 2009 at 10:08 am
Gillon,
Dead wrong (no pun intended). The reason the pendilum has swung is because too many Republicans are only interested in getting re-elected. After spending too much time in Washington (and Columbia) they get comfortable and will do what ever is needed to keep their seat.
By JimBeam April 29, 2009 at 3:02 pm
A smaller, purer GOP is a smaller, more irrelevant minority.
The fact that so many Republicans are cheering on Specter’s departure shows just how out-of-touch the Republican party has become.