Sen. Arlen Specter (R/D/Who Cares-Pa.) will announce(d) that he’s going to run on the Democrat ticket in 2010 which leaves the Republican nomination open to Pat Toomey. You must give credit to Specter for one thing and one thing only. He’s not pulling this crap right after he is elected.
That said, this is decision based on his continued quest for power. He must have seen the polls or something. The last time Specter went up against Toomey, Specter got the nomination by a narrow 2 percent, and recent polls did not look good for the incumbent. From Jake Tapper at ABC News…
In a Quinnipiac poll last month among registered Pennsylvania Republicans, Specter trailed Toomey 27-41 percent. That poll showed that Specter had a 29 percent favorability rating among Republicans, compared with 60 percent among Democrats.
Uhh, yeah. What would you do?
UPDATE VIDEO (Jim): Here’s Specter in his own words. But allow me to sum it up. Who do the people of Pennsylvania think they are? How dare they? This has nothing to do with a principled stance. He was getting clobbered by the good Republican people of Pennsylvania. This is all about saving a job that he, like all other Senators, believe is theirs.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=345ErwNrzHs
We now return you back to Steve. The article continues…
The precariousness of Specter’s political position — a Republican in a Democratic-leaning state — was on display earlier this year when he was one of three GOP senators to back President Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan. That vote was strongly condemned by conservative Republicans and Toomey used that vote as the launching pad for his candidacy.
The GOP moved to the right? Are you kidding? To invoke Reagan just ticks me off since Reagan left the Democrat party because the party left him. Nice try senator, I’m not buying. That stimulus porkapoluza that you voted for has nothing in common with conservative principles.
Standing question that Specter better step up and answer. Sen. Specter, can you provide specific examples where the GOP moved to the right?
More at Michelle Malkin’s place, Volokh Conspiracy (noting future Obama judicial nominations), Campaign Spot, and Hot Air (no change on card check).
Damn, Wikipedia trolls are fast – but they got it wrong of course. They list him as a Democrat starting in 2009, but it will not be official until he runs in 2010 (in office 2011), at least that is how I read it.
Update: I did remember hearing that Specter ruled out switching parties earlier this year.
He [Specter] said in an interview with The Hill that the role of the Republican Party in Washington is too vital for him to switch to the Democratic side.
“I’m staying a Republican because I think I have a more important role to play there,” he said. “I think the United States very desperately needs a two-party system. … And I’m afraid that we’re becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party.”
At the same time, Specter said he is open to the possibility of running as an Independent with the understanding that he would caucus with Republicans, just as Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) did with Democrats in 2006.
Though he left that option on the table, he suggested it would be a last resort.
Last resort huh? What a liar. “I’m staying a Republican because I think I have a more important role to play there”?
It’s all about him and the power. No convictions at all.
