Wikipedia photo of Arlen Specter
The Washington Post has reported that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is changing his political party affiliation from Republican to Democratic. This will give the Senate a 60 seat filibuster proof Congress once Minnesota's new Senator Al Franken is sworn in.
Chris Cillizza of The Fix reports that Specter has confirmed that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat.
Pennsylvania tends to vote Democratic more often than Republican and Specter faced a tough primary at home in 2010.
Specter told the Washington Post, "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."
Earlier this year, Specter, along with fellow Republican moderate Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, broke ranks with their Republican colleagues and voted for the Obama sponsored stimulus package.
For more articles on this issue: Arlen Specter, example that global warming should not just be a liberal cause
Comments
Whoo! 59 seats, motherfrakkers! Now if we can just get Norm Coleman to admit he lost...
Or did he already? If so, this is even better news! :-)
This sort of makes up for Senator Shelby switching sides when Clinton was elected.
It's time for the Republican party to wake up and unify. I doubt they will, so hopefully a third party will come in and fill the vacuum. Having one party with all of the power is scary.
This is great, but he is still planning on voting with the Republicans on a lot of issues, including the Employee Free Choice Act.
As far as Norm Coleman, I think he's still refusing to admit his loss. Last I heard, it might not be settled until June.
Specter has not been a Republican for a long time. I say Good Riddance !
Wow. They might be listening to you, Karen. You have been been telling the Repubes to wake up!
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