Longtime GOP Senator Arlen Specter to switch parties...

**Dale Mabry** · 04-28-2009, 12:00 PM

Veteran GOP Sen. Specter switches parties - Capitol Hill- msnbc.com

The move pushes Democrats closer to total control of the U.S. Senate
Specter jumps GOP ship

April 28: In a surprise move, Sen. Arlen Specter announced Tuesday that he would move to the Democratic Party. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reports about what this means for the balance of power in the Senate.

WASHINGTON - Veteran Republican Sen. Arlen Specter disclosed plans Tuesday to switch parties, bringing Democrats closer to the 60-vote supermajority they need to push Barack Obama's agenda through the Senate.

"This is a painful decision," said Specter at a Tuesday afternoon news conference. "I know that I'm disappointing a lot of my friends and colleagues...the disappointment runs in both directions."

Specter would give Democrats and their allies at least 59 Senate seats. One vacancy remains from the state of Minnesota, where Democrat Al Franken holds a narrow lead in a race being disputed in courts.

**IronAddict** · 04-28-2009, 12:04 PM

Seems it's just more profitable to be a Democrat nowadays.

**Chubby** · 04-28-2009, 12:15 PM

I am a Repmocrat, so I don't care who switchs to what party

.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 12:15 PM

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by chobby192

I am a Repmocrat, so I don't care who switchs to what party

.

So your Bi?

**IronAddict** · 04-28-2009, 12:16 PM

Hahah... that's great!

**Chubby** · 04-28-2009, 12:29 PM

Mino,
Can you tell me what time you don't come here in this forum..I am just curious.

**busyLivin** · 04-28-2009, 12:32 PM

The media will parade this as more signs of the downfall of the party, but it's little more than a guy trying to save his job: he wouldn't have stood a chance in the Republican primary and he knows it.

He wasn't a conservative. I'm personally glad to see him go.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by chobby192

Mino,
Can you tell me what time you don't come here in this forum..I am just curious.

Well we have team that rotates shifts, we have 6 computers monitoring your every move.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

The media will parade this as more signs of the downfall of the party, but it's little more than a guy trying to save his job: he wouldn't have stood a chance in the Republican primary and he knows it.

He wasn't a conservative. I'm personally glad to see him go.

Right now the Republicans are not doing too good, having Rush as the voice of the party, wanting Palin to run for President, bringing in Michael Steele as the new chairman....not a good lineup.

**busyLivin** · 04-28-2009, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Right now the Republicans are not doing too good, having Rush as the voice of the party, wanting Palin to run for President, bringing in Michael Steele as the new chairman....not a good lineup.

Your examples are bullshit, but they are in trouble. I say tough shit... they deserve it. Hopefully more non-conservatives will leave. Clean the party up & get back to what they are supposed to be about.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 01:44 PM

Oh my god!! Such foul language!

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

Your examples are bullshit, but they are in trouble. I say tough shit... they deserve it. Hopefully more non-conservatives will leave. Clean the party up & get back to what they are supposed to be about.

Carville: Democrats Will Rule Washington for 40 Years

April 26, 2009 02:11 PM ET
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

For his latest book about Democrats ruling Washington for the next 40 years, consultant James Carville laid his thesis out to Republicans. "They said, 'Yeah, it's horrible,' " he says. In 40 More Years, How the Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation, he presents the facts about the last two elections in his "ragin' Cajun" style. The GOP lost the youth and Hispanic vote and is credibility-starved. Then he kicks the party's faves: Sarah Palin, the 2008 veep nominee, for once running an Alaskan city hall that "looks just like a Louisiana bait shop," and Fox's Bill O'Reilly as stupid, bigoted, and "remarkably nasty, even for a far-right nut job." Hillary Clinton, whom he championed in the 2008 primaries, gets it for voting for the Iraq war and running a messy campaign. Still, Carville says, Clinton would have made a good president. "The kind of campaign you run doesn't have much to do with the type of president you'd be."

**Dale Mabry** · 04-28-2009, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

Your examples are bullshit, but they are in trouble. I say tough shit... they deserve it. Hopefully more non-conservatives will leave. Clean the party up & get back to what they are supposed to be about.

They are in trouble because the country is going away from the religious, ultra-Right, conservative ways and towards a more central stance. Now, you may say, and i would agree, that the country went about as far left as they could by choosing Obama, but IMO, the right should take this as a "shape up" and come more center than "Fuck this" and go more right.

**busyLivin** · 04-28-2009, 04:08 PM

I still think we live in a center-right country.

The Dems get kudos for PR. They have hollywood & the media in their pocket.. painting the left as the good guys & the right as the old white idiots. Dems are "cool" republicans aren't.
I really believe it's as simple as that.

**Dale Mabry** · 04-28-2009, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

I still think we live in a center-right country.

The Dems get kudos for PR. They have hollywood & the media in their pocket.. painting the left as the good guys & the right as the old white idiots. Dems are "cool" republicans aren't.
I really believe it's as simple as that.

I think we are in a center-right country as well, but being as far left as Obama is closer to center-right than what the current conservative party has become. They are not going to win over "Undecideds" moving more right, they need to come center.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 04:22 PM

I really don't think it's just the media. The biggest mouths in the media belong to Conservatives. Rush, Coutler, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity.....to name a few.

I think it was more what has happened during the past 8 years.

**IronAddict** · 04-28-2009, 05:06 PM

I say, never be so willing to fight for any of these fair weather, two faced politicians. They don't know the true definition of the word loyalty. Man, to jump ship like that is a slap in the face for the ardent conservative, who argued thier opinions.

What a bitch move!

**busyLivin** · 04-28-2009, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I really don't think it's just the media. The biggest mouths in the media belong to Conservatives. Rush, Coutler, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity.....to name a few.

Most people don't watch the news (especially cable news) or listen to talk radio... Young people especially.. they'd take political advise from Britney & Sean Penn before that "evil fat guy Limbaugh" that they never would give a chance. I don't see how you can possibly think Hannity has a bigger voice than pop culture.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 05:16 PM

You really think there is some sort of media conspiracy then?

Most of the republicans that I know are just weren't happy with the direction they took us, a few didn't vote while a few went the other way.

**busyLivin** · 04-28-2009, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

You really think there is some sort of media conspiracy then?

Most of the republicans that I know are just weren't happy with the direction they took us, a few didn't vote while a few went the other way.

I absolutely think there is a liberal bias in the media.

**min0 lee** · 04-28-2009, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

I absolutely think there is a liberal bias in the media.

Without a doubt....I think both parties do.

Hey, I am sure if Bush had a good run McCain would have probably said he will follow Bushs lead and he would have won.

**lnvanry** · 04-28-2009, 09:44 PM

meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

This is just business as usual in DC

**maniclion** · 04-29-2009, 03:55 AM

I've heard of switch hitters, but not switch bull shitters......

**busyLivin** · 04-29-2009, 08:00 AM

I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system. That’s the basis of politics in America. I’m afraid we are becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party with so little representation of the northeast or in the middle atlantic. I think as a governmental matter, it is very important to have a check and balance. That’s a very important principle in the operation of our government. In the constitution on Separation of powers.

March 17, 2009. Arlen Specter

**Dale Mabry** · 04-29-2009, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system. That’s the basis of politics in America. I’m afraid we are becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party with so little representation of the northeast or in the middle atlantic. I think as a governmental matter, it is very important to have a check and balance. That’s a very important principle in the operation of our government. In the constitution on Separation of powers.

March 17, 2009. Arlen Specter

We don't need a 2 party system, we need a 0 party system and a completely revamped way of choosing who runs for president. I wish I had answers to that end, but I do not.

**busyLivin** · 04-29-2009, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

We don't need a 2 party system, we need a 0 party system and a completely revamped way of choosing who runs for president. I wish I had answers to that end, but I do not.

Whatever we need, it's not a one party system.. which is exactly what we have now.

**Dale Mabry** · 04-29-2009, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

Whatever we need, it's not a one party system.. which is exactly what we have now.

I agree, but do you really think going extreme right is the way to go when the country is moving center? In other words, while people seem to be leaving the party because it is becoming too far right (Myself included), how does the GOP Party expect to bring those people back by going more right?

**busyLivin** · 04-29-2009, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

I agree, but do you really think going extreme right is the way to go when the country is moving center? In other words, while people seem to be leaving the party because it is becoming too far right (Myself included), how does the GOP Party expect to bring those people back by going more right?

What do you mean by extreme right?

Would you not clasify the Democratic Party extreme left? Pelosi, Reid & Obama are the leaders! Lieberman strayed to the middle & was tossed out on his butt.

My point.. you're calling them "extreme" when I think it's just their differences.

**Dale Mabry** · 04-29-2009, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by busyLivin

What do you mean by extreme right?

Would you not clasify the Democratic Party extreme left? Pelosi, Reid & Obama are the leaders! Lieberman strayed to the middle & was tossed out on his butt.

My point.. you're calling them "extreme" when I think it's just their differences.

I would classify them as being extreme left as well. Here is what I am getting at...GWs tenure turned people off from the Right. The FCC stuff, the bullying of other countries, the stem cell stuff, the Terry Schiavo stuff, I could go on. IMO, people want the federal gov't to get the hell out of their personal affairs and don't want legislation from scripture. Like it or not, that is where we are going. Now, why risk losing more voters by throwing people like Palin in the mix. I would say that I was about 60/40 in favor of Obama when the nominations were made, Palin made it 100/0 after her first interview. The GOP used to be the party of laissez-faire, now they are only laissez-faire provided you follow their religious agenda. I mean, honestly, can't there be a party pushing for smaller gov't that actually has a chance of winning?

I guess, outside of my personal beliefs, if I saw that I was losing a majority of my moderate supporters I would probably go more moderate, and be less inclined to go further to the extreme. Wasn't it Einstein who said that insanity is doing something exactly the same way every time and expecting a different result.

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