Arlen Specter a Democrat?
I suppose I am of two minds about the party-switch of Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party. On the one hand it gives the Democrats a filibuster-proof and cloture-proof majority. On the other hand it gives the Democrats a filibuster-proof and cloture-proof majority. That’s right. The solution is the problem. After all, this is the party that won Congress in 2006 by not being the party that started the war. Then, after the sterling performance of the Pelosi-Reid Congress, they were able to win again by not being the Republicans. Wasn’t too hard. The Republicans had destroyed the economy and kept a senseless and idiotic war going. Even these boobs couldn’t mess up being dealt a hand like that.
Now the moment of truth has arrived for the Democratic Party and the collection of clowns who fancy themselves political activists but are little more than “flaks for hacks”. Because there’s no more excuses for the Democratic Party. Republicans no longer have the power to stop them. So it boils down to this: What happens in the next three years is what the Democratic Party stands for. Not what it says it stands for, but what it does when it has the power to do whatever it wants. It can do whatever it wants. What it does not do it did not want to do–and that will be more revealing than anything.
What will the professional apologists do to con the people next time? Will they still be out there telling the public to vote the straight Democratic ticket when the party puts up its usual collection of shopworn hacks? Of course they will. Will they demand excellence from their candidates? Of course not. They demand nothing. Do they realize they lose all their integrity in the eyes of the public when they shamelessly flak like this? Apparently not.
As a former teacher, I learned early on that students will rise to the level of our expectations. So it is with politicians. The only trouble is that the Democratic activists have absolutely no expectations for their politicians. And that’s exactly what they receive–nothing.
Well, Democratic activists, the jig is up. Your bozos have to put up or you should shut up. Arlen Specter has created a moment of truth for you. No longer can you rely on that old standby: Those evil Republicans are stopping our good Democrats from doing what’s right. You’re going to have to learn how to be more creative apologists now.
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Stefan Kosikowski comments:
I love it… PUT up or GET out, shutting up isn’t good enough. Not seizing the future is certain failure; true security includes health, robust education opportunities, full employment, safe neighborhoods, and quality nutrition for all.
Bob Johns comments:
The best of all worlds for me would be that Specter performs only one function.If an opportunity to vote for a single payer health care measure is in the offing, that The “Spec” serves his purpose, and votes in favor of it. Then if he would kindly pass away, giving Sestak or another deserving progressive room to run for the seat he now occupies.Over the years, my Union would advise us to support Arlen I knew he just propped up his “creds” by voting labor.I could never bring myself to pull the handle for him. At the last meeting we were asked to send many letters to him and, then tie up his switchboard in favor of “Employee Free Choice Act”. I chose this occasion to stand and announce, that “I’ve never trusted him, still don’t, and never voted for him and I still won’t”.He is, and always has been, unworthy!
James Patrick comments:
I just had to put out my feelings about the Specter switch-over.
One: Just because Specter has changed the R that follows his name to a D, we shouldn’t expect him to vote with the Democrats and we shouldn’t count on him to give us a filibuster-proof majority. He never voted constantly with the Republicans and that’s one of the reasons why he had to switch, because the Republicans were so mad at him that he knew he wouldn’t be able to win the primary next time around.
Two: If he did win the primary, based upon data that came out last week, it would be impossible for him to win the election. Ever since last fall, “Republican” has become the kiss of death for political figures.
Three: To me, it seems even less likely that he would have become a Democrat based on his voting record, which is almost 50/50. He would, in the perfect world, run as an independent, I think.
Four: It is almost impossible for independent to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania. Just getting on the ballot, mind you, not actually winning the election.
In conclusion, I feel that Specter has done some soul-searching, discovered that he could not win as an independent or a Republican and so has decided to join the Democrats just to save his own skin. I will be glad to welcome this new edition to the Democratic party, but I will be watching him in the future.
James.
(PS. If we take Specter, they have to take Joe LIEberman.)