Michelle Malkin » Arlen Specter makes it official; Flashback: Specter’s denial

Arlen Specter makes it official; Flashback: Specter’s denial

By Michelle Malkin • April 28, 2009 12:00 PM

Well, it appears that the head of the Turncoat Caucus is finally making it official. Arlen Specter, we have just 10 words for you:

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, according to sources informed on the decision.

Specter’s decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next Senator from Minnesota. (Former Sen. Norm Coleman is appealing Franken’s victory in the state Supreme Court.)

“I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary,” said Specter in a statement. “I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.”

“Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.”

The readers at Human Events give Specter a nice send-off.

***

The Hill reminds us of the value of Specter’s word: Worthless:

In a March 17th interview with The Hill, Specter said he absolutely would not switch parties:

[Democrats] are trying very hard for the 60th vote. Got to give them credit for trying. But the answer is no.

I’m not going to discuss private talks I had with other people who may or may not be considered influential. But since those three people are in the public domain, I think it is appropriative to respond to those questions.

I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system. That’s the basis of politics in America. I’m afraid we are becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party with so little representation of the northeast or in the middle atlantic. I think as a governmental matter, it is very important to have a check and balance. That’s a very important principle in the operation of our government. In the constitution on Separation of powers.

Specter says today he won’t change his opposition to Big Labor’s Card Check bill.

Snort.

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#689448

On April 28th, 2009 at 8:29 pm, Jeff2161 said:

But no one can forget Lynn Swann…

As a Steelers fan myself…with Terrible towel…No question, he was great.
#689452

On April 28th, 2009 at 8:34 pm, bjc said:

*Specter, in his statement today, said he wasn’t going to let his 29 years in the Senate be put at risk by allowing we the PEOPLE to make a decision about his future in the GOP primary; That says it all about this rat bastard of a politician; 29 years!; politics over principles!; people should have no voice in the process!.
*He is the poster boy for “Dead Man Walking”(figuratively speaking, of course), so the GOP needs to line ‘em up
and primary them out(McCain, Snowe, Brownback, Grahamnesty, et al!)
#689486

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:10 pm, cngerms said:

HAHA! By way of the Tea Parties and Rush’s Operation Chaos, we have “narfled the garthog” from Pennsylvania. Makes me very happy to recall I attended the Lancaster, PA Tea Party. Who might we compel to switch next? Snowe, Graham, McCain, Collins, Lugar?? Batter up!!!
#689500

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:19 pm, lonewolf said:

Semantics, nothing changed.
#689511

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:29 pm, CC said:

Michelle, or someone, please explain to me as I haven’t seen it anywhere: is this hypocrite a democrat NOW, as of today, or will he have to wait until next year’s election to run as a dem?

Surely by next year, there will be other senate races that perhaps by then the GOP can win?

If this creep is a democrat as of today, how can this happen? Where is the law against switching parties on a whim in the middle of incumbency? This leaves the door open for massive duplicity. Run as one thing to get the votes, then tank that side by switching.

Please someone answer my question – is he a dem as of the time of announcement?
#689513

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:31 pm, bjc said:

*Wow, 360+ comments so far; Specter must be so proud to rank right up there
with homosexual marriage and its’ related perverse deviant sexual behavior, and, oh yes, abortion!; Like a moth to a flame, he’s on fire!
#689514

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:31 pm, Sean said:

Good riddens Arlin Spector of death. Take John McCain and Olympia Snow with you. It is time to go RINO hunting. I was done with this turn coat after he let the Liar and Chief off the hook in the 90’s.
#689534

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:44 pm, happyscrapper said:

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:29 pm, CC said:

Sphincter is a dem as of NOW. Those who supported him, contributed to his campaign, voted for him…well, he said, “screw you”. No, there is no law against that sort of turncoat activity. Interesting, though, that when another senator changed from R to I, it was Sphincter who wanted to introduce a bill making it illegal to do so. Yes it was.
#689542

On April 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm, Living in the PSRK said:

He has been treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in 2005 and in 2008. He was born in 1930, so he is, um, 79 years old.

We can hope that he will be called “home” soon. And they bury him with several gallons of SPF 1,000,000.
#689556

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:10 pm, BlameAmericaLast said:

He has been treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, in 2005 and in 2008. He was born in 1930, so he is, um, 79 years old.

He also had a brain tumor. Maybe it’s coming back because he’s delusional.
#689557

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:11 pm, Living in the PSRK said:

chapoutier said:

Totally unrelated…what IS Mike Steele up to these days?

Writing me emails asking for money:

Dear PSRK,
I hope Arlen Specter’s party change outrages you. It should for two reasons:
First–Specter claimed it was philosophical–and pointed his finger of blame at Republicans all over America for his defection to the Democrats. He told us all to go jump in the lake today.

I’m sorry, but I don’t believe a word he said.

Arlen Specter committed a purely political and self-serving act today. He simply believes he has a better chance of saving his political hide and his job as a Democrat. He loves the title of Senator more than he loves the party–and the principles–that elected him and nurtured him.

Second–and more importantly–Arlen Specter handed Barack Obama and his band of radical leftists nearly absolute power in the United States Senate. In leaving the Republican Party–and joining the Democrats–he absolutely undercut Republicans’ efforts to slow down Obama’s radical agenda through the threat of filibuster.

Facing defeat in Pennsylvania’s 2010 Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record, and an end to his 30 year career in the U.S. Senate, he has peddled his services–and his vote–to the leftist Obama Democrats who aim to remake America with their leftist plan.
As recently as April 9th, Senator Specter said he would run in the Pennsylvania primary next year as a Republican. Why the sudden change of heart? Clearly, this was an act based on political expediency by a craven politician desperate to keep his Washington power base–not the act of a statesman.

His defection to the Democrat Party puts the Democrats in an almost unstoppable position to pass Obama’s destructive agenda of income redistribution, health care nationalization, and a massive expansion of entitlements.
Arlen Specter has put his loyalty to his own political career above his duty to his state and nation.

You and I have a choice. Some will use Specter’s defection as an excuse to fold the tent and give up. I believe that you are not one of those people. When Benedict Arnold defected to the British, George Washington didn’t fold the tent and give up either.

He grit his teeth more determined than ever to succeed. That’s what I’m asking you to do today.

Join me in this fight by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 right now to build our army of supporters and defeat Democrat candidates like Arlen Specter in next year’s elections.

Stand with me. I need your support today.

Sincerely,

Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee
P.S. PSRK, we need to respond to Senator Specter’s decision to join President Obama’s efforts to change America into a European Welfare State. Please help our Party move forward by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to give our Republican leaders & candidates the political muscle they need to resist the Obama-Pelosi-Specter agenda. Thank you.

Too bad I got no money ’cause I got no job. Go ask Obamessiah for money, Mikey. Ain’t gettin’ none here, Toots.
#689559

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:14 pm, Ignatius Reilly said:

On April 28th, 2009 at 5:28 pm, WarEagle82 said:

I have never understood the praises heaped upon Karl Rove. I don’t see genius in the man. He is motivated and opportunistic but hardly a genius. Essentially Rove DESTROYED the GOP to win two elections. If Rove is the architect of ANYTHING he is the architect of the current mess the GOP is mired in. I wish Rove would go away. He is NOT the future of the party. He is an opportunist who doesn’t care about the havoc he wreaked to get his guy elected.

What ~you~ said!

And, of course, he wanted to turn us into the open borders party to redeem things with a big influx of natural Dem voters. Rove is a shrewd political technician without principles.
#689563

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:18 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

We can hope that he will be called “home” soon. And they bury him with several gallons of SPF 1,000,000.

And drive a stake through his little heart–that is what they do to vampires according to the movies.
#689566

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:21 pm, Living in the PSRK said:

Have hope, vast right wing conspiracy. Have hope.

Rebbitzin Esther Jungries gives Israelis a truly hopeful message on the occasion of Israeli Memorial Day… God, not obamessiah, is in control!
#689567

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:22 pm, Living in the PSRK said:

And drive a stake through his little heart–that is what they do to vampires according to the movies.

Yeah, and that, too!
#689568

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:23 pm, Living in the PSRK said:

But don’t waste no garlic on the smelly old dude.

I need that for my chicken noodle soup.
#689574

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:30 pm, emjem24 said:

Living in the PSRK said:

Too bad I got no money ’cause I got no job. Go ask Obamessiah for money, Mikey. Ain’t gettin’ none here, Toots.

You too, huh? I just delete the emails (if my spam filter doesn’t get ‘em first). Unemployed here as well in VA. Perhaps, Obummer will “stimulate” federal job growth for military spouses like myself and follow through with Bush’s promise to ease the path for military spouses to seek federal employment. Not that I think it will be any easier under this joker. I’ve tried for years to get into the federal system while the personal favors, who ya know system of getting hired is alive and well in each place my husband has been posted.

In 3 months, VA will be nothing but a distant memory. We’re moving to CO where we lived before and I’m not expecting any better but at least I know what I’m dealing with. VA likes to think that they support the military but all they do is use them as a ready, accessible source of revenue. I hope I never have to see the East Coast again. I guess never say never.

I don’t see either party making life easier for people like me either. Mikey can kiss off… he’s already shown his true colors as far as I’m concerned.
#689577

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:32 pm, simcoe said:

CNN reported:

“As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party,” Specter said.

Therein is exactly today’s problem with elected officials—it’s not their own philosophy they are supposed to espouse, it’s the political philosophy of those who voted them into office. Those to whom they gave their word and all those promises that got them elected.

So now we know his word means nothing. Maybe he belongs on the other side of the isle.

“I’m putting principle at the top of the list,” he added.

Changed to a Democrat because he wants to be principled?

What’s wrong with that picture?
#689596

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:49 pm, jangar said:

Hey old fart…take John with you.
#689597

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:51 pm, Living in the PSRK said:

Heya emjem…

Sorry to hear of your lack of taxable income. Mine is more by choice. My fiance offered to fund my bad habits if I came back to The PSRK from Colorado Springs.

Well, me being more into gardening, cooking and cleaning than getting my butt out of bed at 5:30am morning, ya know. It’s all good. And the weather is better here in PSRK. Much better.

I harvested our first strawberries last week. Tomatoes have flowers, so should have some in May. Other stuff (bok choy, spinach, lettuce, carrots, beets, etc) probably start being edible at the end of May. He is REALLY looking forward to homemade pickles.

Yeah, I know how to keep mah man happy. Pickles, homemade bread, hummus and stew. He is *so* thrilled.

*shhhhh – don’t tell him though. he thinks he got the better end of this deal.
#689599

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:54 pm, Send_Me said:

Hey, “conservatives”, is this enough to convince you to not vote for the “lesser of two evils” again?
#689610

On April 28th, 2009 at 11:18 pm, jangar said:

On April 28th, 2009 at 10:54 pm, Send_Me said:
Hey, “conservatives”, is this enough to convince you to not vote for the “lesser of two evils” again?

With all the crap that’s rolled out of the beltway, it just may mobilize the electorate to load the deck in the next 2 cycles and put ‘em all on the run.
#689611

On April 28th, 2009 at 11:21 pm, love2rumba said:

Hey, “conservatives”, is this enough to convince you to not vote for the “lesser of two evils” again?

Sendme,If the pain of a failed but well-meaning strategy is painful enough, the answer is YES.
#689617

On April 28th, 2009 at 11:31 pm, Send_Me said:

It’s a shame the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913.
#689618

On April 28th, 2009 at 11:37 pm, Send_Me said:

On April 28th, 2009 at 11:18 pm, jangar said:
With all the crap that’s rolled out of the beltway, it just may mobilize the electorate to load the deck in the next 2 cycles and put ‘em all on the run.

Considering that Congress had a 15% (give or take) approval rating going into the last election, I doubt it.
#689619

On April 28th, 2009 at 11:42 pm, Politicalguano said:

Spector is officially joining SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), also known as the democRAT party. That 747 flyby of NYC is just a little taste of what Number One, BO, has in store for us – in this case terror. With GM and Chrysler extortion, with Bush administration revenge. Spector, who is a liar, a sleeze bag, is a major reason why democRATS are in power, and Bush made a terrible decision to support the douchebag. Spector is so bad, he is Number 2 in every way.
#689623

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:00 am, jrgdds said:

That 747 flyby of NYC is just a little taste of what Number One, BO, has in store for us

LMAO!
#689627

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:17 am, Doctor Hook said:

Sphincter
#689628

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:19 am, jrgdds said:

That 747 flyby of NYC is just a little taste of what Number One, BO, has in store for us-in this case terror.

Oh My God. Its True.
#689629

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:20 am, sbw999 said:

Specter says he left because the Repub party has become too conservative. Wrong..the Repub party has moved away from its conservative roots, and that’s why we are where we are at the present time. We are now near the point of disenfranchisement of half the Country, as the lunatics have taken over the asylum. We are in trouble if the mid term elections do not turn this around.
#689630

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:22 am, Flyoverman said:

In 2010, an 80 year old man who has had 2 different cancers, thinks he can switch parties and get relected.

The smart money is not going to be on him. Sad legacy, but he’s a big boy and made the decision.
#689634

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:26 am, Bogtrotter said:

I am a registered Independant and have little use for either party…. especially these days. But I hope people in PA recognize what this says about Sen Dirtbags charecter. I hope his new friends realize that he cannot be trusted at all. Even by the almost total lack of principles as the standard to be found in D.C. he falls way, WAY short.
#689648

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:55 am, Ragspierre said:

“As the Republican Party has moved farther and farther to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party,” Specter said.

As has been pointed out by several, that is nothing but a self-serving lie.

Sphincter quit for one and only one reason; political survival…to prolong his unnatural life.

He had polling data from his own pollster indicating that he could not beat a conservative challenger.

He had polling data that said he could not win as an independent.

His only choice than was to honorably slip into quiet political oblivion, or…

cynically sell out.

We see what he did. What a shameful admission as to who he is.
#689659

On April 29th, 2009 at 1:20 am, vatodio said:

Separating a termite infested wood from the log pile is actually a good thing..

Republican party still has few more infected dead woods in their pile: McCain, Graham, Snow and Collins.

Clearing all the dead woods from the party would make them a narrow minded, small tent party in the short run.
Media will pile on the party’s miseries.
Democrats will certainly have immediate political advantage.

I hope they understand that this is the punishment for their out-of-control behavior when they were in power.

In stead of moving to the left of the center, they should return back to the conservative principles.

If they try to one up the Democrats with fiscally irresponsible governance, they will fail miserably.
Democrats have mastered the art of hypnotizing the dependent classes: the minorities, immigrants, unions.
No way in hell the Republicans can win back any of these permanently dependent class.
#689665

On April 29th, 2009 at 2:15 am, Ignatius Reilly said:

And you listen to the talking heads in the MSM and they are all like, “The extreme right has taken over the GOP and just made it intolerable for ‘moderates’ like Specter with their taunts of ‘RINO,’ etc.”

Well, DUH! We’d be a bunch of dopes if we ~didn’t~ recognize the RINOs. What else would you call an opportunistic, serial party-switcher like Specter? He’s looking pretty frail, though, and I’ll be glad to see the POS gone from the scene.
#689690

On April 29th, 2009 at 5:00 am, fuseman said:

obviously the republican party could help themselves a great deal by taking premptive action against the rinos. lincoln chaffee was very liberal in his actions and still he got funding from the republican party for his losing relection and then he changed to “independent”. gov girlyman in mexifornia acts in everyway like a dimocrat yet nowhwhere is any republican trying to expose his hypocrisy. if republicans really want to show some substance to their beliefs, they need to define and enforce their belief with clear action.
#689856

On April 29th, 2009 at 10:07 am, Weary Citizen said:

WarEagle, I completely agree. I too left the Republican party (although I have yet to figure out how to change that on the voter roles). The compassionate conservatives ruined the party IMO. Big gov’t. Fiscal irresponisbilty. And the BIG one, support of shamnesty. That was the final straw for me. I also believe immigration numbers need to be reduced drastically and based on the value to America, not the immigrants themselves. I could care less about gay marriage and abortion issues (sorry, but I do believe a dogmatic anti abortion platfrom drives away voters who would otherwise support conservative candidates). Which has always made me wonder what are the issues of so-called “far right wing” as defined by the press? Anyway, I agree with most of the Constitution Party platform and as of now are my party of choice (regardless of the misplaced “moonbat” name calling from some posters here).
#689868

On April 29th, 2009 at 10:16 am, cheapseat said:

conservatives haven’t moved much in 35 years, except to the left. the problem is democrats are so far left now that they perceive republicans and conservatives as right wing extremists. what part of socialist/communist doctrine has this congress and this administration not embraced? in 100 days we have nationalized many of the largest banks in the u.s., we have nationalized the biggest insurer in the u.s., we have nationalized the 2 largest mortgage brokers in the u.s., we have nationalized 2/3 of the auto industry and redistributed it from the owners to the workers, and now we are on to nationalizing the healthcare/health insurance industry, as well as the energy/coal industry. damn barry, you have outdone hugo chavez, fidel, and putin combined in just 3 months. so just exactly how does being a debtholder of gm authorize you to give away 55% of the common stock of gm to the uaw? it must be good to be the king. are you going to take marital rights of your serfs?
#690023

On April 29th, 2009 at 12:22 pm, CC said:

Happyscrapper: Thanks for the answer to my question.

I should have used the word “treachery” instead of “duplicity”.
#692026

On May 1st, 2009 at 12:04 am, BOB said:

Are Sphincter’s party switch and Souter’s retirement related?

Preventing a filibuster of the sleaziest Chicago thug ACORN member to the SCOTUS.