Rim Shot
Wow, Arlen Specter is crass and opportunistic, even for a politician. His own words, reported by the New York Times:
At a news conference this afternoon, Senator Arlen Specter said that he switched to the Democratic Party because his prospects for re-election next year as a Republican were “bleak” and he didn’t want to leave his fate in the hands of the conservative Pennsylvania Republican electorate.
(He released his decision in a statement earlier today that stunned Republicans and Democrats alike, and positioned the majority to get ever closer to the magic number of 60 votes needed to Senate avert filibusters.)
“I’m not prepared to have my 29-year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate, not prepared to have that record decided by that jury,” he declared in a rather defiant tone at the conference.
“Rather defiant?” Can you imagine how the press would treat this guy if he were a Republican?
Just don’t say he “came out of the closet.” That analogy only works if the closet in question has a door.
And walls.
I think that the example of Joe Lieberman answers the mail on your closing question.
“I’m not prepared to have my 29-year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate…”
Well, who is supposed to decide if not the electorate? What a pompous man.
John
One would think that the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate would be eminently qualified to judge his record. After all, they have 29 years experience.
Any chance there is a strong Democrat running in the primary? It’d be fun to watch him switch parties, then lose the primary in the new party.
Watching Specter switch and then lose would be as much fun as watching Lieberman get sandbagged and then win.
“I’m not prepared to have my 29-year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate, not prepared to have that record decided by that jury,”
Pretty much the definition of “unclear on the concept”, ne?