GOP Surprised by Specter Announcement, NYTimes Headline

[Stingo]

The GOP leadership in the Senate was caught by surprise by Arlen Specter’s becoming a Democrat. That shows how out of touch the GOP leadersip is. They will be surprised this morning that the New York Times sees signs of change in the GOP on the gay marriage issue. No, the Times is wrong on this one. The GOP will remain bigoted.

http://allspinzone.com/wp/2009/04/29/gop-surprised-by-specter-announcement-nytimes-headline/

[FSogol]

1. Oxymoron: GOP Leadership

A oxymoron is a a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in "cruel kindness" or "to make haste slowly." A oxymoron does not necessarily refer to Rush Limbaugh even though it describes him well. ;-)

[Happyhippychick]

2. Rush LImbaugh: The Oxycontin Moran or OXYMORAN

[salguine]

3. I don't understand why everybody is crowing triumphantly about this. It's fucking ARLEN SPECTER.

[Demeter]

4. Well, It's Not a Totally BAD Thing

And Specter will probably not survive to run again anyway. The man is OLD. But it gives a year of possible filibuster defeat--enough to change the stupid rules that a bill needs a super majority of 60 votes to pass through the Senate.

[salguine]

5. But that assumes Specter is going to vote with the Democrats much of the time, and

given his history, it's beyond me why anybody would just assume that.

[HooptieWagon]

6. True, Spector won't vote with Dems on every issue....

... but he most likely will on Cabinet appts, Federal and Supreme Court justices. That alone probably makes it worthwhile putting up with him in the Dem Caucus.
And it forces the Reps to sink even more $ into Toomy's and other Senate campaigns just to hold on to their present 40 seats - and that means that much less $ available for Congressional and State seats.

[HooptieWagon]

11. The plan is clear...

... and I am a prophet.

[Stingo]

7. Specter needs

the cooperation of the Democratic hierarchy here in Pa in order to get nominated and then to win. He will therefore cooperate on cloture votes for a good long time.

[Doctor_J]

8. then why DO you think he switched parties?

if he was just going to continue voting the exact same way?

[Stingo]

9. To win the election

but also to be among a party that is more like he is than the current state of the GOP. He's sincere on that, though it is also a political calculation.

[snake in the grass]

12. If the Dems have agreed...

...to not run someone against him in the primaries, then Arlen would be a fool to not vote along party lines. He changed parties because he wants to keep his seat. Why the bother if he ends up losing it to a more progressive candidate?

Either he plays by the rules or he is history.

[Stingo]

13. Exactly.

Arlen is a principled Senator sometimes, no doubt, but he's followed the wind many times in his career, and this time the wind blows from the lefy. He will use that wind at least until he gets reelected.

[ckimmy57]

10. Here here

That's what I asked my son when he called to tell us about it....??? As in ummm, so?? He WAS a democrat before he was a republican now he's a democrat again??? Just because he KNOWS he can't win running as a republican. Well, I'll hold my applause until I see what he puts out.