"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.
"When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.
"Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, 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.
"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary."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.
"When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.
"Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, 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.
"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary."
Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), April 28, 2009
Great statement, but Kos is cynical:
This move is about political survival, and nothing more. Specter's overriding concern is staying in the Senate, and he'll bend whatever conviction is necessary to make that happen. And since it was clear he wasn't going to survive a primary challenge, well, he did what he needed to do. I wouldn't be surprised, if the Dems pick up a good primary challenger to Specter, for the incumbent to suddenly re-find religion on EFCA.
Still, it's one more vote for control. That'll still affect cloture on an issue by issue basis, but now Specter will be looking for potential opposition over his left shoulder rather than his right. So welcome aboard, Senator Specter. You're one of us now, and we expect you to vote accordingly.
Another way this gets us closer to 60: without a new Senate organizing resolution, Specter keeps his committee seats--seats which come out of the GOP's share. And the Democrats could put a big condition on that re-organizing resolution: seating Senator Franken.
Specter referred to Reagan's big tent, and while he doesn't explicitly say that the big tent is Obama's now his action says so loudly. This is one more toll of the bell for the Jim Leach version of the GOP, as the moderates abandon the regional remnant of the Party of Lincoln to the likes of Huckabee and Palin and Limbaugh, who will no doubt argue that this defection PROVES that the way to win is by being even MORE conservative. (Whether or not it's metaphysically possible to get more conservative than neo-con and neo-Confederate is another question.)
The Iowa angle here: Chuck Grassley is now the last survivor of the Republican Class of 1980, which gave us giants like Jeremiah Denton, Paula Hawkins, and of course Dan Quayle. This doesn't boost Grassley's seniority at all; as I noted recently Grassley outranked Specter by a notch based on House service. Back home, last of the class is just one more small facet of the 52 consecutive years in office card that Bob Krause, or some other Dem, can play next year. Laugh if you will, but remember that the `58 Studebaker worked for Greg Ganske (I suggest an Edsel myself).
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