Specter: If You've Forgotten

As a politician, Arlen Specter didn't really enjoy much success until he rode Reagan's coat-tails to DC. And he might not be the formidable campaigner some think, though he does have a solid war chest. Funny how his early electoral history is missing from his wiki.

The full story of Specter's switch from Democrat to Republican in pdf. The year was 1965. He ran for Phila Mayor in 1967 and lost. He was supported by Americans for Democratic Action, which bills itself as the oldest independent liberal organization in American politics.

He got hammered in 1973, which killed his aspirations for the PA Governorship. While it's never easy knocking off an incumbent, I wouldn't be surprised to see him lose in the Democrat primary unless they agreed to clear a path for him.

In an upset victory over the Democratic Machine, Arlen Spector, the Republican nominee, tonight defeated the Democratic incumbent, James G. Crumlish, Jr., for District Attorney.

Mr. Specter, a registered Democrat, ran as a Republican after having failed in a bid for the Democratic nomination. He won the GOP primary.

Comments

[mark l.]

what a shame...
losing such a stalwart conservative from the chairmanship of the judiciary committee.

So, now that specter is a dem, which dems get bumped from their committee, or have their powers diluted to make room for Arlen? Somebody isn't going to be happy.

Hatch has to be the odds on favorite for the judiciary from the gop.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- So, now that specter is a dem, which dems get bumped from their committee, or have their powers diluted to make room for Arlen? Somebody isn't going to be happy. --"

Well, that's the really funny part. Since you need a new ongoing resolution to reallocate committee seats, for the time being Senator Specter gets to warm his buns right where he's at. And since I don't see the Dems interested in engaging in two of these seat shuffles in a row, I imagine we won't see a new ongoing resolution until Franken finishes up his court appeals.

So yeah, enjoy that.

[seekeronos]

So... with a Franken victory almost certain, and Snarlin' Arlen finally revealing himself for the turncoat fairweather "freind of the people" that he is....

60 Senate seats, all Dem.

Go-go Dem Hypermajority.

[mark l.]

you got an info on that?

not that I wouldn't take you at your word...

[mark l.]

"There are at least two important questions that still need to be answered. First, what will Specter's committee assignments be now that he's a Democrat. And second, who will replace him on his current committees now that he's switching over. He was, of course, ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and, for good measure, ranking member on subcommittees in the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Appropriations Committee. Those positions will now have to be handed down to other Republicas."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/what-does-specters-switch-mean-for-the-committees.php

"First, what will Specter's committee assignments be now that he's a Democrat."
see, according to lama, he keeps his committee assignments.

"And second, who will replace him on his current committees now that he's switching over."
gosh lama, these fools think he is going to be replaced...

go get em genius.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- not that I wouldn't take you at your word... --"

Believe me or don't. Doesn't bother me one way or another.

http://www.congressmatters.com/storyonly/2009/4/28/13438/1139/80/931

[mark l.]

read your sources, thoroughly...

http://www.congressmatters.com/storyonly/2009/4/28/12534/2073/81/930

IV. BRINGING A MATTER TO A VOTE

The Chairman shall entertain a non-debatable motion to bring a matter before the Committee to a vote. If there is objection to bring the matter to a vote without further debate, a roll call vote of the Committee shall be taken, and debate shall be terminated if the motion to bring the matter to a vote without further debate passes with ten votes in the affirmative, one of which must be cast by the minority.

from same link:
"Which of these fellas do you think will be ready to provide the necessary one vote from the minority to bring things to a vote in the committee on tough questions now?"

doesn't sound like your source is too keen on arlen holding the same power.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- Meanwhile, let me just suggest that it would be funny for a Democrat to block the new organizing resolution. It would absolutely destroy all sense of collegiality that may still exist in the Senate, but that collegiality may already be out the window with this switch. It'd certainly be good for a laugh, considering that the Republicans were considering blocking the organizing resolutions earlier this year. Let 'em sweat, and let Specter continue to occupy a Republican slot on the committee, while caucusing with Dems. --"

I disagree?

[southdakotaboy]

This just goes to show what a piece of scum Specter really is. He switches sides to which ever side he thinks will put/keep him in office.

That in short sums up who and What Democrats are. They don't care about the welfare of the people. They will say or do anything to get power and stay in power.

We are all going to learn what it is like to be treated as little better than cattle. Remeber the part from "Animal Farm" when the pigs sell off the big old plow horse when he can't work anymore.

It will be funny in a kind of grim gallows humor type when the lefties are running around after the next terrorist attack wondering what happened.

[IslamoLlama]

"-- This just goes to show what a piece of scum Specter really is. He switches sides to which ever side he thinks will put/keep him in office. --"

That depends. Is he representing his constituency? If I believed Specter's ebbs and flows in his political opinion were really just reflections of the shifting mood of his electorate, I wouldn't know what you are talking about.

The job of a Senator is as a representative, not a political purist. If Specter is a Democrat or a Republican, a Green or a Libertarian, or a Likud or a Labor, or a Nazi or a Communist, it's all just wallpaper until he votes.

Admittedly, as a Democrat, he'll be voting in procedural motions for things that benefit the Democrats over the Republicans. So, in that sense, I can see why you might be mad. But he was happy to vote for the stimulus and the budget when he had an R in front of his name. And he'll be voting against unionization with a D in front of his name.

If that's what the good people of Pennsylvania want, he's doing a bang up job. Of course, if it's not... then no party label in the world would make him a better Senator.

"-- It will be funny in a kind of grim gallows humor type when the lefties are running around after the next terrorist attack wondering what happened. --"

Assassinations, car crashes, and now a newfound enthusiasm for terrorist attacks? Really, you've got a morbid sense of imagination.

[southdakotaboy]

What makes people like IslamoLama and other lefties so evil is the happiness with which they embrace the destruction of our country and our childrens prospects of a better future.

They make any excuse to cove the lies and corruption of the politicians that put a D behind their name and are willing to spread any lie about conservatives.

They support the rights of terrorists over the welfare of our soldiers. They are willing to sellout our friends to radical islamic madmen in order to feel good about themselves.

Liberal politicians in congress do not have America's best intersts at heart and are only concerned with getting power and keeping no matter what harm they do to the average person.

The sad fact is that there are to many Democrats out there who hate this country asnd only care about looking good and getting things that they have not worked for or earned.

[nina]

Lefties are easy. Give them enough rope and they hang themselves. Just sit back and watch.

[southdakotaboy]

The problem is these worthless scumbags are going to ruin our childrens futures before they manage to hang themselves.

[mark l.]

"Lefties are easy. Give them enough rope and they hang themselves. Just sit back and watch."

I'm with nina. The further you push on the pendulum, the further it swings back.
Very glad to see a dem party in full power. Let's see...
the policy was attack bush/gop over job loss, the economy, the deficit, etc.
It worked out well.

now they get two years of high unemployment, record deficits, poor economy, along with ALL the credit. Thus far, they have bungled everything.

the current gop is still waaay to inept to win it back on their own. They need help, and only less than moderate dems can help them.

[southdakotaboy]

Mark the mistake you and many others are making is that you assume that the left will allow free and fair elections in the future. The left will be perfectly happy to rig the system, hell Carvil is bragging about how they will be in power for the next forty years.

They do not care about the welfare of this country. They will set up their utopian society and sit in their posh officec while the rest of us suffer the effects of their stupidity.

[mark l.]

1992 us elections:
gop candidate, up for reelection garners only 37% of popualr vote.
dems, 82 seat advantage in the house, 12 seat edge in the house.

It looked bad then, until two years later.

populism does well in presidential years, but not so good in years where people don't show up.

My greatest fear was that obama would sieze upon the momentum, and use his post to really get the troops rallied for the off year election. IF they had a plan to do so, they would have proceeded with it by now...

like everything else dem, big speeches, no plans.

Clinton did have a 9 pt advantage over Dole in 96, exceeding barry's 7 pt spread, only to see his party lose in 2000.

politics always change. It helps for the ruling party to be successful, and despite any manipulation they might seek to make, they invariably are held accountable for failings. The gop squandered the fiscal conservative tag, waay more than they pushed the social conservative agenda, and they lost.

dems have billed themselves as being able to get our economy going. There is still a very good chance that our gdp will be lower in the 2010 election, than when Bush left office. Not much to hang one's hat on...

[mark l.]

be patient...

this situation reminds me a lot of a scene from "Force 10 from Navarone"

robert shaw and harrison ford set out to blow up a dam, and when their explosives go off, they believe nothing has been accomplished, and become angry at the explosives expert, who later tells them, these things take time.

read dick morris' column:

http://thehill.com/dick-morris/obama-sows-seeds-of-demise-2009-04-28.html

dick is plaing the role of mallory-the explosive expert-and he is pointing to the cracks in the dam. The dems believe nothing will happen becuase the dam is still holding water. It will do so, until the dam crumbles. I'm seeing huge fissures in the dam as we speak.

"By Dick Morris
Posted: 04/28/09 05:45 PM [ET]
When the Obama administration crashes and burns, with approval ratings that fall through the floor, political scientists can trace its demise to its first hundred days. While Americans are careful not to consign a presidency they desperately need to succeed to the dustbin of history, the fact is that this president has moved — on issue after issue — in precisely the opposite direction of what the people want him to do.

Right now, Obama’s ratings must be pleasing to his eye. Voters like him and his wife immensely and approve of his activism in the face of the economic crisis. While polls show big doubts about what he is doing, the overwhelming sense is to let him have his way and pray that it works.

But beneath this superficial support, Obama’s specific policies run afoul of the very deeply felt convictions of American voters. For example, the most recent Rasmussen Poll asked voters if they wanted an economic system of complete free enterprise or preferred more government involvement in managing the economy. By 77-19, they voted against a government role, up seven points from last month.

And in the Fox News poll — the very same survey that gave Obama a 62 percent approval rating and reported that 68 percent of voters are “satisfied” with his first hundred days — voters, by 50-38, supported a smaller government that offered fewer services over a larger government that provided more.

By 42-8, the Fox News poll (conducted on April 22-23) found that voters felt Obama had expanded government rather than contracted it (42 percent said it was the same size) and, by 46-30, reported believing that big government was more of a danger to the nation than big business. (By 50-23, they said Obama felt big business was more dangerous.)

By 62-20, they said government spending, under Obama, was “out of control.”

patience.