Arlen Specter seriously got punked by Obama and the Dems

[Trinity]

I wonder if it made a 79 year old man cry...

Party Switch Costs Specter His Seniority on Senate Committees

By Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

 

[upone]

Nothing is chiseled in stone. He was given a Judiciary Subcommittee chairmanship today.

 

[Trinity]

Nothing is chiseled in stone. He was given a Judiciary Subcommittee chairmanship today.

That is so sad...

An AP article states that the Dems realized that alienating Specter could hurt Obama during his Supreme Court Judge selection...

 

[D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse]

Here, we threw Specter a bone:

Dems give Specter key subcommittee chair - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com


Here's the thing: Dems are in a position to exact our price w/ Specter. He can't simply waltz into our party and make his own rules. He has to work & vote with dems on healthcare and the Supreme Court justice, energy alternatives -- i.e. he has to become a team player -- or why would we want him? He doesn't have the mojo to be an independent diva. His chances of re-election look precarious at best.

Let's face it. Specter's a huge opportunist who'll do anything to stay in power. The guy's almost 80 years old and can't bear the thought of losing this race. We dems are in control now. The country is ready for certain changes. And we have a difficult agenda to move forward. Specter can be reasonably independent, fine, but he can't block us... or GUESS WHAT? We can send him BACK where he came from, to the republicans.

Specter was making all these grand pronouncements to the media yesterday. How he's not going to vote with dems if he doesn't want to, how he's basically an independent and a free agent who marches to his own drummer. Like he's some diva who can write his own meal ticket.

WRONG. He will be a team player for the good of his party and his country. Sorry, but this is hardball. There are serious issues facing this country that have never been addressed (a national healthcare system, an all-inclusive alternative energy program, possibly addressing global warming, though I myself am wary anything can actually be done to stop it if the scientists are right). We have a democratic President, Senate, House. The whole enchilada. Now's our time. This is our chance to create a better America.

Specter is between a rock and a hard place. We dems hold the cards. Specter's not in any position to give demands or make sweeping pronouncements of independence to the media. He can either be a team player or Harry Reid & Nancy Pelosi can throw hm back to the republicans who truly loathe him.


And just what exactly are the republicans going to do with Specter if we toss him back?

 

[Bbucko]

Arlen Specter made his bed. Tough shit if it's not as comfy as he'd like.

You'd think that a man of his years (and incredible cynicism) would know the ropes by now. I'll give his defiant victim act about one more week before he finds himself a total pariah to all concerned.

As WT stated above, playing in the Senate is a team sport. He's been there since I was a teenager, and I find it impossible to believe that any of that is news to him.

 

[sparky11point5]

Agreed, WT, he is an opportunist and simply wants to be in the majority. I think it will help marginally to have Specter in the Democratic caucus, but he is such a DINO.

I do enjoy how the Republicans heads exploded on this though, and how they rationalize that this was good for their party. It's not a game changer, but it is at *best* a media disaster for Republicans.

I say use him for two years, the run a true progressive Democrat. My hometown state will make the right choice!

 

[Hockeytiger]

Here, we threw Specter a bone:

Dems give Specter key subcommittee chair - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com


Here's the thing: Dems are in a position to exact our price w/ Specter. He can't simply waltz into our party and make his own rules. He has to work & vote with dems on healthcare and the Supreme Court justice, energy alternatives -- i.e. he has to become a team player -- or why would we want him? He doesn't have the mojo to be an independent diva. His chances of re-election look precarious at best.

Let's face it. Specter's a huge opportunist who'll do anything to stay in power. The guy's almost 80 years old and can't bear the thought of losing this race. We dems are in control now. The country is ready for certain changes. And we have a difficult agenda to move forward. Specter can be reasonably independent, fine, but he can't block us... or GUESS WHAT? We can send him BACK where he came from, to the republicans.

Specter was making all these grand pronouncements to the media yesterday. How he's not going to vote with dems if he doesn't want to, how he's basically an independent and a free agent who marches to his own drummer. Like he's some diva who can write his own meal ticket.

WRONG. He will be a team player for the good of his party and his country. Sorry, but this is hardball. There are serious issues facing this country that have never been addressed (a national healthcare system, an all-inclusive alternative energy program, possibly addressing global warming, though I myself am wary anything can actually be done to stop it if the scientists are right). We have a democratic President, Senate, House. The whole enchilada. Now's our time. This is our chance to create a better America.

Specter is between a rock and a hard place. We dems hold the cards. Specter's not in any position to give demands or make sweeping pronouncements of independence to the media. He can either be a team player or Harry Reid & Nancy Pelosi can throw hm back to the republicans who truly loathe him.


And just what exactly are the republicans going to do with Specter if we toss him back?

I'd argue just the opposite. He gave Democrats the Holy Grail of the "60th vote". As such Democrats need him a lot more than he needs them. If Democrats don't play ball, he can deny them that vote and simply retire at the last minute before the election leaving the party scrambling at the last minute for a replacement. It all depends on how much he deisres to cling to power. Something not to underestimate with that man, mind you. If Democrats deny him power, he might as well just retire and put that seat into play, although with a slight advantage for Democrats.

 

[Bbucko]

Franken's not seated yet. The "holy grail" is still a theory more than a reality. Counting a Democratic supermajority is like trying to spend your inheritance before anyone's died yet: a bad move.

I'd argue just the opposite. He gave Democrats the Holy Grail of the "60th vote". As such Democrats need him a lot more than he needs them. If Democrats don't play ball, he can deny them that vote and simply retire at the last minute before the election leaving the party scrambling at the last minute for a replacement. It all depends on how much he deisres to cling to power. Something not to underestimate with that man, mind you. If Democrats deny him power, he might as well just retire and put that seat into play, although with a slight advantage for Democrats.