Specter's Flawed Rationale For Vote

There are two basic concepts behind Specter's rationale for voting to pass the current bloated stimulus package.

I am supporting the economic stimulus package for one simple reason: The country cannot afford not to take action.

Keep the above in mind if you ever discover your home on fire. If throwing gasoline on it is all you've got ... well, at least you can feel good about "taking action." 

The second rationale is that it's the only bill that can be passed.

The moderates' compromise, which faces a cloture vote today, is the only bill with a reasonable chance of passage in the Senate.

Really? So a bill which everyone has admitted contains pork and a large amount of unnecessary spending is the only one that can be passed? And if the Republicans - well, if two or three more of them, including you - actually showed some backbone and continued to make their case, the Democrats would allow the economy to burn down, rather than passing an appropriate piece of legislation?

Assuming that's even true, that's the group you want to climb in bed with? As has been more and more true over the years, Specter continues to be a disgrace in the Senate. Hopefully he'll have the sense to retire rather than face an embarrassing loss next time up. There won't be a George Bush to save you next time. And you turned on him like a light switch after he helped you.

Bleh!

Comments

[Neo]

Specter and Biden are both brain surgery victims.

[mark l.]

I keep hearing 'tax cuts'.

In previous selling of tax cuts, there was always a little table that would provide the shift in rates and brackets.
Is there any now?

I don't even know if these are just rebates(one-time tax cuts). OK, let's assume that the tax cuts are everything that has been promised, but not explained. If they comprise 42% of this pending bill, the obama admin hasn't even tried to sell almost half their plan.

It isn't failing becuase the gop is parsing it, it's failing becuase the democrats aren't even bothering to explain it. C'mom arlen...give me something, other than 'the country cannot afford not to take action'.

(nice double negative, no confusion at all)

[Jumbo]

If the GOP is to survive, they must destroy our economy. The GOP cannot be the party of ideas - because they have none. The GOP cannot be the party of America - because they represent the most conservative 'christian taliban' faction of their party. If Obama wanted to put 'coutry first' he would tell the GOP to pound sand, and when they win another election (Yeah, right!) then they can tell people what is on their minds. Let's be clear: When the GOP wins, America loses. Where will your loyalty stand: Party over country?

[mark l.]

"If the GOP is to survive, they must destroy our economy."

let me guess, the only way for the gop to destroy the economy is to attack obama, therefore if they attack obama, they want to destroy the country.

the pottery barn is back in effect, but the dems are the only ones walking in the store.

karl rove should get on unemployment- if the dems got whiff of it, they would end unemployment altogether.

[SacTownMan]

"If Obama wanted to put 'coutry first'"

Is "coutry" another one of his big socialist contributors that he has to pay back for buying his way into the White House?

Trolls, too stupid to spell in the first place and even more stupid to not use spell check!

[Jumbo]

You see how it goes? Still just making fun - not working to put the country back on track. So what if somebody mis-spelled something. Does that change the intent of the thought? No it doesn't. But again, if I had NOTHING to offer America except failure, I guess I would be grasping at straws too. Call me stupid for mis-spelling a word? That's your strategy? That's it? Your GOP doesn't like you. They don't like anybody. You folks are too much. God love you, don't ask me why.

[templar knight]

Jumbo misspelled his own name. It's Dumbo, not Jumbo, Dumbo. Get it straight. And how can a party be be a faction of a party?

Sorry for that tough question, Dumbo, but that's what you said.

[mark]

I'm a Pennsylvanian and I guarantee you Specter will never retire. He is such a political creature and his ego is so enormous he will never willingly leave office. He will have to be carried out of the senate feet first. He likely will never be seriously challenged for his seat either.

[alanstorm]

"If Obama wanted to put 'coutry first'" - if he actually wanted to, we wouldn't be discussing this bill at all.

"But again, if I had NOTHING to offer America except failure, I guess I would be grasping at straws too." - The most concise explanation of the Democrat's plan that I've heard yet.

[seekeronos]

"--- The GOP cannot be the party of America - because they represent the most conservative 'christian taliban' faction of their party. ---"

Yup, it makes no sense whatsoever.

But ya gotta ask, TK:

Since when have liberal democrats ever been known to say anything sensible?

And last I heard, touching on the "taliban" charge...

... The mainstream GOP membership (or the Constitutionalists or the Libertarians) really isn't calling for anything as unconstitutional such as the introduction of a Christian theocracy.

The overwhelming majority of US-Christians actually reject the idea of replacing the Republic or the Constitution with anything else; the only person who can replace the government with a theocracy (much less have the ability to do so) will be Jesus Christ Himself, when He returns to bring all things in subjection to Himself.

Until we receive that Perfect and Just government, we are more than happy to work with the best form of Man's government yet devised: a Republic, founded upon a legal and fixed Constitution, framed by largely God-fearing men, using Biblical principles alongside those taken from those ancient antecedents of our government, namely the Roman Republic, and English Common Law.

[seekeronos]

And touching on that barnacle of a politician who saps the structure of our Ship of State by nefariously sucking away at its foundations.... namely, the "honourable" Arlen Spectre...

... it is sad to say that he is but one of over 400 other near-criminals and would be "representatives" who truly are "politicians" existing to feed their own bellies as well as their egos, as opposed to that rare creature who truly does put Country First in his service:

We have a dearth of mere "politicians". Where are our STATESMEN? Of all the rascally rapscallions and sundry parasites in the halls of Congress, I can scarcely think of any who would come close, save for the Hon. DR. Ron Raul of TX-14.

[seekeronos]

Erm, minor edit: "dearth" should have been "superabundance".

We have a superabundance of worthless, mere politicians.

[13yankeebravo]

Jumbo, does your teacher in your homeroom know your on the internet again?

[mark l.]

how bout 'plethora'?

[Jack]

This latest in a long line of Specter betrayals can partly be blamed on GWB, who helped Specter beat his conservative challenger for the Senate the last time Specter was up for reelection.

Thx, GeeDub.

[mark]

Specter didn't need GWB's help or cover to win again. Toomey stood no more chance of unseating him than did Russell of unseating Murtha. You have to understand something about Pennsylvania: it is entirely controlled from Philadelphia and to a lesser extent Pittsburgh. It's a huge place and while the people of PA are largely religious conservatives (the Bible belt starts somewhere below Binghamton, NY) city politicians have had an unbreakable grip on the levers of power for decades. It is truly one of the worst governed states in the nation, from its DOT to its taxes to its state-owned liquor monopoly. Senator-for-life Specter may as well be a democrat, it's hard to tell the difference. It's worth recalling that he launched his career as counsel to the Warren Commission where he promulgated the "single-bullet theory" that allowed the group to tie up all the loose ends of the ballistic evidence. Specter's entire ignominious career has been of a piece with that bit of legerdemain.