Senator Arlen Specter Switches Party

[TheSenator]

I am first with this because of inside knowledge.

[uno]

Is your inside knowledge cable TV?

Very exciting stuff. When Franken finally gets in, the repubs are done.

[TheSenator]

Liberals will now have a filibusterer proof Senate majority with Arlen and Al Franken.


THe end of the Republicans is near.


Watch out for mass suicides.

[Snake Doctor]

If this is true, FUCKING AWESOME.

[Snake Doctor]

Looks like it's not bullshit
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...aYSVwD97RIK2O3

[Snake Doctor]

Serves Repubs right for threatening to challenge him in the primary because he's not towing the line. The line that got republican asses kicked all over the country for two elections in a row.

He who laughs last......

[Tom_PM]

Nope, it's real breaking news. Of course, the way tv labels everything these days as "breaking news", nobody could blame people for being sceptical.

[TheSenator]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

Looks like it's not bullshit
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...aYSVwD97RIK2O3

Check out the time stamp.....

I beat them out by like 8 minutes.

[cherrylula]

political drama!

[TheSenator]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-payer_health_care

Single-payer health care is now back on the table. Watch this pass fast.


Healthcare for everybody!

[Sarah_Jayne]

wow....and wiki already has the change ..lol

[TheSenator]

Filibuster Proof Senate


bye bye Republicans/Conservatives/So Called Independents

[JC Maldini]

Pendulum keeps swinging further right and further left...another great day for our 2 party no options system!!

On a positive note, I hope this continues to wake up my fellow Libertarians!!!! (all 10 of us ;)

[stickyfingerz]

They better work fast is all. I predict a big reversal next election.

[LiveDose]

I don't know why he was ever a Repub to begin with. This is his best hope for re-election.

It's actually good for the country. We will now have people to blame & thank for the next few years.

[cherrylula]

Originally Posted by JC Maldini

Pendulum keeps swinging further right and further left...another great day for our 2 party no options system!!

On a positive note, I hope this continues to wake up my fellow Libertarians!!!! (all 10 of us ;)

cheers!

[Penthouse Tony]

Originally Posted by LiveDose

I don't know why he was ever a Repub to begin with. This is his best hope for re-election.

It's actually good for the country. We will now have people to blame & thank for the next few years.

Yup I suspect he's doing this for re-election hopes as well.

[DaddyHalbucks]

You guys are nuts. One party government is very definitely NOT a good thing.

[JC Maldini]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

You guys are nuts. One party government is very definitely NOT a good thing.

100000% agreed...no matter what party is in charge...couldn't agree more

[TheSenator]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

You guys are nuts. One party government is very definitely NOT a good thing.

If I had to pick between hippie Liberals and the conservatives/neo con/scammers party.

I think I would go with the Libs.

[TheSenator]

[nation-x]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

You guys are nuts. One party government is very definitely NOT a good thing.

I am a partisan Democrat... and I completely agree with you for a change. I have no doubt that corruption will overcome the Democrats... just as every power party cycle.

[LiveDose]

It will only last for a short while as nation-x mentioned above. Neither party can be trusted with total control so just enjoy the ride.

Both parties always screw up these kinds of opportunities.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by TheSenator

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-payer_health_care

Single-payer health care is now back on the table. Watch this pass fast.


Healthcare for everybody!

Well that's not what we'll get, but we will have a government plan that the private insurers will have to compete with, plus guaranteed coverage for everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions.

FWIW, Specter was already in favor of health care reform, which is one of the reasons the conservatives have been busting his balls for so long.

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

You guys are nuts. One party government is very definitely NOT a good thing.

Well it's going to take quite awhile for a one party left leaning government to undo all the damage caused by the one party right wing government we had from 2000-2006, not to mention the overall conservative trend in both parties over the past 30 years.

Honestly it wouldn't be such a big deal if the minority party (read: republicans) didn't see it as their mission to use parliamentary tactics to try and obstruct everything the majority wants to do.
Normally a minority would be content to influence legislation in a measure commensurate with their numbers, instead, this minority isn't content unless it grinds the government to a complete halt.

That being the case, fuck them, they'll be shut out completely now and they deserve it.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by LiveDose

It will only last for a short while as nation-x mentioned above. Neither party can be trusted with total control so just enjoy the ride.

Both parties always screw up these kinds of opportunities.

Not really.

Dems had total control for decades after FDR's inaguration.

Also from Watergate until 1994.

The Presidency went back and forth at times, but Dems have had a stranglehold on congress for very long periods of time.

[uno]

Originally Posted by stickyfingerz

They better work fast is all. I predict a big reversal next election.

You also predicted Fred Thompson would win the presidency.

[nation-x]

Here is the Democrat take on 2010

Originally Posted by stickyfingerz

They better work fast is all. I predict a big reversal next election.

Originally Posted by DailyKos

Obviously, these rankings are a snapshot in time, and subject to change.

1. Kentucky-Bunning (R) incumbent. Yeah, he's an incumbent. That's the whole reason the race ranks where it does.

Bunning, if he is renominated, is this year's answer to Rick Santorum. And at the moment, it looks quite a lot like he will be renominated. The Republicans don't look set to primary him (although I'm sure they'd like to), since the strongest candidate in the pool, Secretary of State Trey Grayson, won't run for the seat unless Bunning doesn't run.

The Democrats have two strong candidates in the race, with Attorney General Jack Conway enjoying particularly strong polling numbers (currently he is polling ahead of Grayson).

A lot could change - Bunning could still retire, which would drop this race considerably. But right now, we feel that Democrats have a better chance of beating Bunning than taking any open seat.

2. Missouri-OPEN: Bond (R) Yes, this is a controversial selection, since everybody likes New Hampshire more than this race.

Missouri ranks second, however, for the following reasons. Democrats have an exceptional candidate with statewide name recognition (and a particularly famous last name), Robin Carnahan. Republicans have a controversial candidate with high name recognition (and high negatives), Roy Blunt. He also has a famous last name, as his son was a wildly unpopular Governor, and his wife and children are lobbyists (which will not go over well).

Blunt's first-quarter fundraising was pretty lame, and there are already concerns from within the GOP about his chances.

3. New Hampshire-OPEN: Gregg (R). The consensus number 1 or 2 pick is our Number 3. We agree that it's got a fairly good chance of flipping, with Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes in the Senate race already.

Hodes' Q1 fundraising wasn't stellar, but he's got a head start in that regard, and there isn't a lot of talent in the New Hampshire GOP to take him on at the moment. Defeated Senator John E. Sununu is one potential candidate, as is the man Hodes defeated in 2006, former Rep. Charlie Bass.

Both could be decent statewide candidates, and perhaps beat Hodes if the 2010 climate is favorable enough for Republicans, but given the recent Democratic trend in New Hampshire, the party ought to feel pretty good about this one.

4. Ohio-OPEN: Voinovich (R). Pennsylvania is a popular choice for the third position on many lists, given the fairly high probability that incumbent Repub Arlen Specter will lose a primary election to right-winger Pat Toomey, essentially gifting the seat to the Democrats.

We picked Ohio third for the moment since Specter is still standing, and there's at least a chance that he does survive the primary.

The Ohio race pits a couple of fairly strong Dems, Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner, against a fairly strong Republican, former Congressman, OMB Director and US Trade Representative Rob Portman. Portman's fundraising has been very good, but he has trailed fairly consistently in polling, and lacks the statewide base that Fisher and Brunner have.

5. Pennsylvania-Specter(R) incumbent. Will run as a Democrat. Preliminary polls show him with a 30 point lead over Tomey.

6. Connecticut-Dodd (D) incumbent. Dodd is actually weaker for the general election than Specter is. However, Dodd has the good fortune of not facing a primary challenge (at least not now).

7. North Carolina-Burr (R) incumbent. Democrats are actually very bullish on their chances of beating Burr, and with good reason; he's currently polling four points below North Carolina's popular Attorney General, Roy Cooper.

8. Colorado-Bennet (D) incumbent. Bennet isn't that widely known, nor is he wildly popular at the moment among those who have formed an opinion.

Fortunately for Bennet, his potential Republican opponents aren't faring so well in polling, either.

Bennet still has to get past a possible Democratic primary (House Speaker Andrew Romanoff is one potential candidate), and should have a fairly close election if he does. Still, he's got the better part of two years to raise his profile - and his favorables.

9. Florida-OPEN: Martinez (R). This is the lowest-ranked "competitive" open seat, due to the possibility that popular Republican Gov. Charlie Crist might enter the Senate race.

Crist would be a formidable candidate in the general election, and would make a pretty tough race for either Democratic candidate (Rep. Kendrick Meek and State Sen. Dan Gelber). As a moderate Republican, however, it's possible Crist could get a serious primary challenge, which would make things a lot more interesting.

If Crist doesn't enter the race, things look considerably easier for both Democrats. If he does, this race drops a few slots.

10. Louisiana-Vitter (R) incumbent. Diaper Dave's rather notorious involvement in the D.C. madam scandal affected his polling numbers rather adversely.

We don't know who's going to run against him, but it should be a moderately competitive race. This is certainly a likely Republican hold, but it's a viable race for the Democrats.

11. Nevada-Reid (D) incumbent. There was a time when Reid was the most endangered Democrat, but circumstances have changed. Former Rep. Jon Porter has gone to K Street, Rep. Dean Heller and former state Sen. Joe Heck are looking at Carson City and the Governor's mansion, and Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki is under indictment.

This leaves former Club For Growth darling Sharron Angle and imported Wall Street exec John "Chachi" Chachas as the chief pretenders. Not an inspiring pool for the GOP, for what would be a winnable race.

12. Arkansas-Lincoln (D) incumbent. Initially this did not look like it would be much of a race, as Lincoln is a two-term incumbent, and there isn't much talent in the Arkansas Republican Party, which didn't even field a challenge to junior Sen. Mark Pryor in 2008.

However, a couple of second-tier candidates are polling fairly well against Lincoln, indicating there might be genuine cause for concern here.

13. Illinois-Burris (D) incumbent. Roland Burris thinks Roland Burris is great news for Roland Burris, but no one else does. Fortunately, Roland Burris probably won't be the candidate next fall.

The Illinois GOP is at its lowest ebb at the moment, but they have one guy in the field who could make this quite a race, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk. This race will jump a few spots if and when Kirk does get in.

Other races to watch:

Alaska-Murkowski (R) incumbent. It would take an exceptional candidate and campaign to make this competitive.

Arizona-McCain (R) incumbent. McCain should be just fine unless someone manages to torpedo him in a Republican primary, which is perhaps not completely out of the realm of possibility.

California-Boxer (D) incumbent. The California GOP is in worse condition now than they've been in decades after Obama ran riot, electorally speaking, in California, picking up 61% of the vote. Still, no place to go but up, right?

Delaware-OPEN: Kaufman (D). This race would be one of the most competitive in the country, instantly, if Republican Rep. Mike Castle runs. At the moment, it's looking like he might, although no one knows, including Castle himself. Heck, he could retire altogether for all anyone knows (he's 70 years old).

We'll reevaluate this one if Castle runs, but without Castle, it should be a fairly easy Democratic hold.

Iowa-Grassley (R) incumbent. Grassley is apparently figuring on getting a primary challenge. Any Democrat would have a tough time beating him, but if he gets torpedoed in the primary, it's a whole new ballgame.

Kansas-OPEN: Brownback (R). No Sebelius and no Gov. Mark Parkinson in the race, and one of the toughest states for a Democrat in the entire country. It's an open seat, but...

New York-Gillibrand (D) incumbent. Maybe this seat's in real danger of flipping, but it looks pretty safe for now. If the GOP gets former New York Gov. George Pataki to run, this might be more competitive, but even then, it's a tough race for Republicans. After all, Pataki left office with approval ratings worse than Eliot Spitzer's when he left office.

North Dakota-Dorgan (D) incumbent. Take the Delaware comment and substitute Gov. John Hoeven for Rep. Mike Castle, and you've got a similar situation.

One big difference: Hoeven trails Dorgan, badly, in polling.

Oklahoma-Coburn (R) incumbent. He might retire, or do any number of bizarre things. It's Tom Coburn.

Texas-OPEN (sort of): Hutchison (R). This race would rank higher if it existed, but at the moment, it doesn't. We're waiting for a retirement from KayBee, which we may not get until she is elected Governor.

Wisconsin-Feingold (D) incumbent. He should be OK, but it's certainly possible for the GOP to throw a good scare into him. He's won three elections, but has maxed out (so far) at 55% of the vote.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by nation-x

Here is the Democrat take on 2010

The map favors the Dems again in 2010.

It would take a big screw up by President Obama or the democrats at large to create a voter backlash that would outweigh the demographic advantages the Dems have in 2010.

[TheSenator]

This is how we get government to work for us.

[collegeboobies]

hehe congrats dems

[Sly]

Another notch of power for the Democrats. I'm curious as to who they will blame when they can't get done what they want to get done?

One party with overwhelming power is not good... but if it's what the mob wants, it's what the mob wants.

Interesting days are ahead...

[GregE]

Originally Posted by DaddyHalbucks

You guys are nuts. One party government is very definitely NOT a good thing.

Yeah. Except when it's your party, right?

I grew up in the Philly area so I've seen a lot of media coverage of Specter over the years and he always seemed a lot smarter than your typical faux news approved republican.

[nation-x]

I think that the Democrats will make Torture Investigations the focus of 2010... after they pass Heath Care legislation. Anyone else think that they will use that stick to beat down more GOP hopefuls? Right now they are recording every pro-torture interview that these guys are giving and will hammer them with ads on it.

[LiveDose]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

Not really.

Dems had total control for decades after FDR's inaguration.

Also from Watergate until 1994.

The Presidency went back and forth at times, but Dems have had a stranglehold on congress for very long periods of time.

By total control I mean congress and the white house obviously. If we are just talking about congress then you are correct.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by GregE

Yeah. Except when it's your party, right?

I grew up in the Philly area so I've seen a lot of media coverage of Specter over the years and he always seemed a lot smarter than your typical faux news approved republican.

He's one of the last of a dying breed....a moderate republican.

Or actually now he's joining a growing group of moderate democrats.

Apparently there's no room for dissent or independent thought in the republican caucus.

[$5 submissions]

Any guesses on when universal healthcare will become a reality?

[kane]

Originally Posted by $5 submissions

Any guesses on when universal healthcare will become a reality?

I would guess we will see the first steps of this within the next 6 months. I doubt they will do it all at once. Instead they will probably put it in in phases. So phase 1 might be to make sure 100% of kids, elderly and sick people are covered. Then step 2 would be to make it available to anyone who wants it. Step 2 will include rules that will require businesses to still cover their employees.

So I think our universal health care will be less like that of countries where every person has the coverage and the government runs the system (IE France) and more a system where there is 100% coverage. the government provided coverage would only be available to people who are unemployed, sick, old, kids or cannot otherwise get coverage this way if you lose your job or something happens in your life where you have issues that are not covered the government coverage steps in and covers it.

So I say step 1 within about 6 months and step 2 getting started somewhere in the next 1 to 1 1/2 years depending on how well step 1 went.

[kane]

I wonder if this is beginning of a switching between extremes for this country. We have had the 2 party system forever and the power of each party waxes and wanes from time to time, but recently we have seen extreme shifts. We took a hard right turn under Bush and the republicans controlled the house, senate and white house. They got bloated, corrupt and fucked things up. So the voters tossed them out and pretty much voted in the exact opposite of them. So now in 6-10 years will we see the democrats doing the same thing and people going back to voting in the hardcore republicans?

[IllTestYourGirls]

Doesnt matter much. He will vote the way he always does. This isnt that big of a change.

The US is already bankrupt so Unv Health Insurance should be right around the corner.

Oh and what is Obamas withdrawal plan for Afghanistan? None... another endless, costly war. Yup, Unv Heath Insurance is right around the corner. To bad inflation isnt too far behind

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by $5 submissions

Any guesses on when universal healthcare will become a reality?

They'll pass the bill this year, although it won't be "universal" the way most people think.

It'll take a couple of years to implement probably. My guess is that it will be done in phases.

[Sausage]

Though now that its a hair away from being a 1 party system, isn't that a bad thing? Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat surely you don't want 1 party to have ultimate power.. thats not how democracy is supposed to work.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by Sausage

Though now that its a hair away from being a 1 party system, isn't that a bad thing? Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat surely you don't want 1 party to have ultimate power.. thats not how democracy is supposed to work.

America is a Republic. But yes a one party system is deadly.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by Sausage

Though now that its a hair away from being a 1 party system, isn't that a bad thing? Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat surely you don't want 1 party to have ultimate power.. thats not how democracy is supposed to work.

How is democracy supposed to work?
The people vote but those votes only count if one party doesn't get too many of them?

I'm sure conservatives are crying doom and gloom over this but TBH, it doesn't change much except the speed at which the Dems will be able to do things.
Republicans won't be able to throw as many procedural hurdles in the way to delay things. They already didn't have enough votes to flat out stop things.

With Franken being all but a sure thing from MN, all the dems needed was one defection to get past a filibuster anyways.....and on the biggest issue they'll take up this session, health care, they were going to use the reconciliation process so that a filibuster wouldn't have been possible anyways.

[Sly]

Originally Posted by Snake Doctor

How is democracy supposed to work?
The people vote but those votes only count if one party doesn't get too many of them?

I'm sure conservatives are crying doom and gloom over this but TBH, it doesn't change much except the speed at which the Dems will be able to do things.
Republicans won't be able to throw as many procedural hurdles in the way to delay things. They already didn't have enough votes to flat out stop things.

With Franken being all but a sure thing from MN, all the dems needed was one defection to get past a filibuster anyways.....and on the biggest issue they'll take up this session, health care, they were going to use the reconciliation process so that a filibuster wouldn't have been possible anyways.

In a two-party system, don't you find it a little bit odd that a candidate representing a particular party can switch parties just like that? Think of all of the people that voted Republican for him... they basically just got screwed. That's how it becomes less of a "democracy," in my opinion.

People can scream and shout all day long that they vote for individuals and not parties, but I don't believe that for one minute. People vote party line.

He isn't the first or the last to do this, I just find it odd.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by Sly

In a two-party system, don't you find it a little bit odd that a candidate representing a particular party can switch parties just like that? Think of all of the people that voted Republican for him... they basically just got screwed. That's how it becomes less of a "democracy," in my opinion.

People can scream and shout all day long that they vote for individuals and not parties, but I don't believe that for one minute. People vote party line.

He isn't the first or the last to do this, I just find it odd.

First off, it's not really a two party system. We have lots of parties, but only two of them have enough support to consistently elect candidates. The fact that people choose to vote for those two parties consistently is the result of democracy, not the result of some pre-constructed system. (our founding fathers didn't want ANY political parties)

I'm not screaming and shouting at all, but I will say that in Pennsylvania, people voted for the name Specter, and not for the party R.
The other Senator from that state is a Democrat, as is the governor, and Obama carried it by a very healthy margin in November.
So the idea that the people of Pennsylvania are getting screwed just doesn't hold water.

You're right that he's not the first or last to do it either. Because we do vote for people and not for parties, they are allowed to do this. Usually the impact isn't this significant, but still, the people of Pennsylvania voted for Arlen Specter and he gets to use his judgment to decide what's in the best interest of the people of Pennsylvania.

If republicans controlled the Senate 55-45 and he changed parties, it would be a non-newsworthy event outside of Pennsylvania. So it's not really what he did that has people's panties in a bunch, it's the effect it has on the overall makeup of the Senate.

[nation-x]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

Oh and what is Obamas withdrawal plan for Afghanistan?

You really don't know much about Obama's platform... it is obvious whenever you post about it... he never even once announced a withdrawal from Afghanistan... he has called for more troops there since the beginning because it is the war we should have been fighting from jump street instead of wasting time and resources in Iraq.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by nation-x

You really don't know much about Obama's platform... it is obvious whenever you post about it... he never even once announced a withdrawal from Afghanistan... he has called for more troops there since the beginning because it is the war we should have been fighting from jump street instead of wasting time and resources in Iraq.

I understand he wants more troops in Afghanistan. Bush wanted war with Iraq and the left was yelling "WHATS YOUR EXIT STRATEGY??!!!" "You cant got to war without an exit strategy!". Where as Obama can place more troops into Afghanistan and the question has yet to be answered.

[nation-x]

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls

I understand he wants more troops in Afghanistan. Bush wanted war with Iraq and the left was yelling "WHATS YOUR EXIT STRATEGY??!!!" "You cant got to war without an exit strategy!". Where as Obama can place more troops into Afghanistan and the question has yet to be answered.

I agree with you about the need for a clear exit strategy... however, Bush's neglect of the conflict there has left a super mess with the Taliban gaining strategic power in Pakistan now... it's a fucking bomb waiting to explode... literally. I think it's almost impossible to say what the strategy will be until they see some progress.

[IllTestYourGirls]

Originally Posted by nation-x

I agree with you about the need for a clear exit strategy... however, Bush's neglect of the conflict there has left a super mess with the Taliban gaining strategic power in Pakistan now... it's a fucking bomb waiting to explode... literally. I think it's almost impossible to say what the strategy will be until they see some progress.

Thats the response I expected. If he knows enough to add troops he needs to know enough how to "win".

[Snake Doctor]

Bwahahahaha,.....I see the nut jobs are now blaming Obama for the war in Afghanistan.

Priceless.