Saturday, May 09, 2009
Senator Specter, meet your new friends
Nobody likes a turncoat, not even MoveOn, which generally does not know from loyalty and betrayal.
One of the nation’s largest liberal advocacy organizations, MoveOn.org , is resisting efforts to clear the Democratic primary field for Republican-turned-Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter.
The political arm of MoveOn flexed its muscle Friday by releasing the results of an online poll that showed the vast majority of the group’s roughly 170,000 members in Pennsylvania — 85 percent — would consider supporting a Democratic challenger against Specter.
So, Arlen Specter has swapped out Pat Toomey and the Club for Growth for MoveOn.org. With all respect to the Club for Growth, I'm fairly sure that is a bad trade notwithstanding MoveOn's poor results at the ballot box. MoveOn's dollars can fund a lot of ads with a lot of video clips of Arlen Specter saying awfully Republican things.
You can almost hear the laughter from the Senate Republican Conference. One hopes that this will deter the senators from Maine from following Senator Specter's example.
9 Comments:
By 
Unknown, at
Sat May 09, 09:36:00 AM:
The full court press to get the Maine Sisters to declare their true allegiance will soon overcome any trepidation on their part.
Benedict Arlen would whither in a campaign against Ed Rendell.
By 
, at
Sat May 09, 09:51:00 AM:
My hopes are Dude Specter will vote more like a Republican now after being treated like an evil Republican by TeamObama/Moveon. hen he's gone, good riddance. Colin Powell, same for you. Dump on YOUR perfect Republical candidate, liberal John McCain and vote/support for the most liberal of all socialist Democrats, because of skin color. Take your racism with you to the racist side of the political landscape. Thanks for your military service good riddance to you as well.
By Brian, at
Sat May 09, 11:40:00 AM:
TH, you've had quite a few of these posts. Will you admit you're wrong if it turns out that Specter gets re-elected?
By JPMcT, at
Sat May 09, 12:45:00 PM:
Yeah...I suspect Specter will get re-elected the same way Franken got elected.
I suspect THAT was what Specter really wants out of the Democratic Party...a full tilt, organized election fraud!
...and they do it so well...
By , at
Sat May 09, 12:46:00 PM:
One hopes those senators from Maine leave the Republican party,and lets get rid of Orin Hatch while we are at it
By Escort81, at
Sat May 09, 01:16:00 PM:
Brian -
In fairness to TH, I've initiated most of the Specter posts. I live in PA and have voted for Specter at least once in the past.
To your question, if he wins in November 2010, I will post the day after he wins (presumably election day, unless there is a recount) in begruding admiration of him.
It is not so much Specter's political beliefs that bother me, but his lack of honesty (saying a few weeks before the switch that he was going to stay in the Republican party), and honor (retirement at age 79 would have been the more honorable choice, as compared to the naked opportunism of switching parties because he knew he would loose to Toomey in the primary).
By Georg Felis, at
Sat May 09, 01:37:00 PM:
Sen. Specter is not meeting new friends (as in the title). *No* Senator has friends in the Senate, only business associates who have not stabbed you in the back yet. There's a reason why the Senate is called "The Hundred Kings".
By The Conservative Wahoo, at
Sat May 09, 04:21:00 PM:
Joe Sestak is one of the most ruthless, ambitious, energetic and talented men I've ever worked with. If he runs against Specter, he'll simply wear him out. As I told my brother who lives in Sestak's district....I'd never work for the man (Specter either, for that matter), but I'd probably not mind him as my elected official.
By Escort81, at
Sat May 09, 06:47:00 PM:
Wahoo - you worked with Sestak in the Navy? I live in PA in the district next to Sestak's.
What is interesting is that Sestak would normally be a relatively centrist candidate, but he may have to run to the base of the Democratic party in Philadelphia County and the inner ring suburbs, and go somewhat to Specter's left. Alternatively, he could paint himself as the "true PA Democrat" and Specter as an old man struggling for one more go 'round.
By the way, I hope your stomach is feeling better.
