We don't need a better Democrat to challenge Specter. . .

[wndycty]

. . .if we are going to MAINTAIN DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES we need to UNDERSTAND what it takes to keep those majorities.

Pennsylvania is a center right state, let's not forget the other Democratic Senator from PA is pro-life, so Specter is a good DEM for PA (he may actually be to the left of Casey on choice. . .I'm not sure).

Do you remember the primaries and the difficulty Obama had? Challenging Specter from the left in PA is wrong headed.

A moderate Dem AKA Specter is what the party needs in PA.

[MadBadger]

1. He isnt a Moderate Dem. He's a Moderate Rep with a D after his name.

[tekisui]

2. That is true, and if Specter doesn't play Dem ball for the next year and

half, he has no where to go to get money to keep his job. The Dems OWN him now.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. And then what? What's to keep him from winning '10 and then being a turncoat

[tekisui]

5. Doesn't matter. We will pick up more seats in 2010,

he will be increasingly irrelevant. We NEED 60 for MANY reasons from now until 2010. We'll have a bigger cushion after that.

[iamthebandfanman]

4. i just dont buy it, sorry.

hes doing this for political reasons, not because hes actually is taking a stand against anything or for anything.


itll be funny when he is defeated in the democratic primary.

[wndycty]

7. He won't be. . .

. . .as a matter of fact it might translate into a few Democratic pick-ups in the PA Congressional delegation.

[iamthebandfanman]

9. Mite be true,

mite lead to an actual democrat having his seat too.


good luck in that democratic primary Mr Specter. ha ha.

[hughee99]

8. He did do it for political reasons,

the Dem establishment (DSCC, top Dems, and the big donors) will not back a serious primary challenge in '10 and he'll get reelected as a Dem. The repukes won't (or can't) make the same promise and he'll likely lose in the primaries as a repuke.

[iamthebandfanman]

11. they mite not

but i will.

and any liberal minded person with a brain will too.


while everyone else is excited about the switch and him becoming a dem, im excited by the prospect of having him defeated in a democratic primary.


the Dem would win the general election for his seat regardless.

you cant win as a extreme conservative anymore, which is exactly what the person who will be running on the republican side is.

[wndycty]

16. Worry about getting a Democrat elected in KY first. . .then worry about PA

:kick:

[Arkana]

6. Specter's been in the Senate almost 30 years--he'll only last a couple terms more, then we can run

whoever we want.

[HamdenRice]

19. Contrary to what his statement says, I doubt he'll even run in 2010

What few have mentioned is that Specter is a very sick man -- a sick man in his late 70s. This may be his "getting right with the Lord" type farewell. Even if he runs in 2010 (he'll be 80 with a recurrent form of cancer), the probability that he will serve out that term is minimal.

I think he's being disingenuous and will not run in 2010.

[stray cat]

10. Spector's been one of the absolute best supporters of medical research

[blueclown]

14. Let's not go there.

If we took a fine toothed comb over Snarlin' Arlen's record, we would see how much of a solid Republican vote he was his entire 28 year Republican tenure.

[Adelante]

12. I tend to agree

Take your opportunities where you find them.

[AtomicKitten]

13. If Magic Bullet Boy struck a deal with the Dems, it should be honored.

Of course it will cause Coleman to dig in his heels, but once Franken is seated that 60-seat filibuster-proof majority is worth its weight in gold (realizing, of course, that the Blue Dogs may have to be brought kicking and screaming into that coalition). Regardless of how distasteful this is to some, Specter's expiration date makes it doable.

[MadBadger]

17. He struck a deal with the DSCC if anything, not the whole party.

[AtomicKitten]

18. they control the party machinery

Not that it's not doable; point in fact Clinton had the party machinery at her disposal initially. It's just a tough road without it.

[MadBadger]

20. Ned Lamont beat Lieberman in the primary

[AtomicKitten]

22. Lamont was robbed.

My preference would be Specter running as an indie spitting the GOP vote thus giving the green light to a progressive Dem candidate. But that's not on the table. So, I prefer to try to find the upside of this smooth move and a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority is a nice consolation prize.

edited for English

[AtomicKitten]

23. addendum to my position: IMO the deal struck between the Dems and Specter

should have been predicated on the notion that his votes = party support in 2010. Today I hear Specter saying he continues to not support EFCA nor Dawn Johnson. That IMO should preclude party support in 2010. We have enough Blue Dogs touting that crap position as it is. So, as it turns out, we are in agreement on this.

[Hippo_Tron]

25. I'm sure that the President signed on to that deal

And the President does, more or less, control the entire party.

[asphalt.jungle]

15. he is to the left of Casey on choice

he's pro-choice and Casey is anti-choice.

[Beetwasher]

21. Obama Is VERY Popular, It Is In Specter's BEST INTEREST As A Dem To SUPPORT Obama

Every one needs to remember that. Obama's popularity plays a role in how Specter will behave in the Senate. He risks a lot by going against Obama's POPULAR agenda and mandate and EVEN MORESO now that he's a Dem.

[WeDidIt]

24. Agreed

I want policies that are left by nature.

I have to compromise and accept polices as far to the left as I can get.

[w4rma]

26. He'll get a challenge, and there is nothing we can do about it, if he doesn't please PA Democratic

voters. They'll decide what their state needs.