Full disclosure before I start. "Benedict Arlen" is not something I came up with - it is pretty good, and appeared in many sources this morning.
Democrats are howling over their coup in getting Arlen Spector (ex-R-PA) to defect to the Democrat Party. Many Republicans are crying over the continuing downward spiral of their party.
Here's my take on this, for what little it is worth ...
Good ridance. Spector spit in the face of the party that gave him a Senate seat for 28 years. Always known as a moderate, if not downright liberal, Republican, he is one of the RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). In spite of this, he had repeatedly said to the media he would not change parties, up to about three weeks ago. What changed?
Spector stated that he spent the last several months visiting with the people he represents, and their stories and needs convinced him to change to a Dem. Bullshit ...
Spector made his decision after meeting with the Pennsylvania state Republican Party leadership, and found out they were not going to endorse him in his next reelection bid. Conservative Republican Pat Toomey was going to challenge Spector in the Republican primary, and apparently the PA GOP was going to throw in behind him. The PA GOP was infuriated with Spector for voting for Obama's stimulus bill, against all reason.
So Spector changed parties for one reason, and one reason only - to save his political skin. The only way he can be reelected is as a Democrat. The only problem is that the people of PA may very well see this defection for what it is, and decide that this man cannot be trusted. His reelection is by no means a given.
Spector is a gift for Obama. If that maniac Franken manages to steal the Minnesota seat, the Dems will have a fillibuster proof 60 seats in the Senate, meaning that Republicans cannot stop any legislature or any appointments put forth by the Dems.
I see Spector as a gift for Republicans, though not in the conventional sense. With the Dems in complete control of Washington, they will be responsible for everything that happens. They will not be able to blame "Republican obstructionism", or lack of "Republican bipartisan cooperation" for anything. When their policies and agenda crash and burn, there will be no way to hide or push blame on someone else.
2 comments:
No, no, they're not worried about blame. I just saw R. Emmanuel say so to Katie (Ugly Haircut) Couric in her fascinating in-depth interview with the slimy, condescending -- I'm sorry, what's his actual title, King In Training or something? Assistant to the King? What-ev-er.
They're not worried about blame, bec. they're not about that. Let's just see when they start -- but if they can't blame the Republicans, then who?
Apparently, as part of the Democrat deal to get Specter to come over, Harry Reid (D-NV) promised him he would keep all of his seniority, and slide into the ascension line for comittee chairmanships.
This has pissed off some Democrat Senators, who Specter will now cut in line in front of for choice committee chair slots, such as the Appropriations Committee.
I've even heard some internet rumblings that Specter may not even get the Democrat nomination for his PA Senate seat in the upcoming election.
So, the Dems may have rented themselves a Senate seat for a year and a half, in order to force their agenda through without any possibility of interference from Republicans.
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