Arlen Specter jumps the fence
Apr 28, 2009 14:05:43 GMT -5
Post by Tommy on Apr 28, 2009 14:05:43 GMT -5
www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hVAg7QyrTm2nYvTqU0oYvgxkpP6A
Senator Arlen Specter switches to Democratic party
2 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Senior Republican Senator Arlen Specter announced Tuesday that he was becoming a Democrat, boosting President Barack Obama's ability to drive his audacious agenda through the US Congress.
"I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," the senator from Pennsylvania said on his campaign website. "I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary."
The decision will give Obama's Democratic allies the 60 Senate votes needed to break any Republican efforts to use a delaying tactic called a filibuster, provided Democrat Al Franken wins the long-delayed Minnesota Senate race.
Franken's foe, incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, is appealing a court decision that effectively decided the race in favor of the Democrat.
Specter, one of a handful of swing-vote Senate Republicans who sometimes break ranks to support Democrats on contentious issues, faced a tough primary challenge in the 2010 race from conservative Pat Toomey.
"I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania," he said.
Specter, who faced conservative anger over his vote in favor of Obama's nearly 800-billion-dollar economic stimulus package, denied that he would rubber-stamp Democratic legislation.
"My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans," said Specter, who was first elected in 1980.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid praised Specter -- the fifth most senior Republican before the shift -- as "a man of honor and integrity and a fine public servant" and welcomed him with open arms.
"I welcome Senator Specter and his moderate voice to our diverse caucus, and to continuing our open and honest debate about the best way to make life better for the American people," Reid said in a statement.
But Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele denounced the decision and said the party would strive to beat him if he becomes the Democratic standard-bearer in the Pennsylvania senate race.
Specter "didn't leave the GOP based on principles of any kind. He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record," he said.
Recent polls showed that Specter, 79, was losing to Toomey and would fare better as a Democrat.
Early in his legal career, Specter served on the Warren Commission that investigated John F. Kennedy's assassination and was behind the controversial "single bullet theory" -- a key underpinning of the panel's finding that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole gunman.
During then-president Bill Clinton's 1999 Senate impeachment trial, Specter tried to vote "not proved," citing a precedent in Scottish law, but ended up joining the president's Democratic backers in declaring Clinton "not guilty."
2 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Senior Republican Senator Arlen Specter announced Tuesday that he was becoming a Democrat, boosting President Barack Obama's ability to drive his audacious agenda through the US Congress.
"I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," the senator from Pennsylvania said on his campaign website. "I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary."
The decision will give Obama's Democratic allies the 60 Senate votes needed to break any Republican efforts to use a delaying tactic called a filibuster, provided Democrat Al Franken wins the long-delayed Minnesota Senate race.
Franken's foe, incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, is appealing a court decision that effectively decided the race in favor of the Democrat.
Specter, one of a handful of swing-vote Senate Republicans who sometimes break ranks to support Democrats on contentious issues, faced a tough primary challenge in the 2010 race from conservative Pat Toomey.
"I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania," he said.
Specter, who faced conservative anger over his vote in favor of Obama's nearly 800-billion-dollar economic stimulus package, denied that he would rubber-stamp Democratic legislation.
"My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans," said Specter, who was first elected in 1980.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid praised Specter -- the fifth most senior Republican before the shift -- as "a man of honor and integrity and a fine public servant" and welcomed him with open arms.
"I welcome Senator Specter and his moderate voice to our diverse caucus, and to continuing our open and honest debate about the best way to make life better for the American people," Reid said in a statement.
But Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele denounced the decision and said the party would strive to beat him if he becomes the Democratic standard-bearer in the Pennsylvania senate race.
Specter "didn't leave the GOP based on principles of any kind. He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record," he said.
Recent polls showed that Specter, 79, was losing to Toomey and would fare better as a Democrat.
Early in his legal career, Specter served on the Warren Commission that investigated John F. Kennedy's assassination and was behind the controversial "single bullet theory" -- a key underpinning of the panel's finding that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole gunman.
During then-president Bill Clinton's 1999 Senate impeachment trial, Specter tried to vote "not proved," citing a precedent in Scottish law, but ended up joining the president's Democratic backers in declaring Clinton "not guilty."
