Specter's Defection to Democrats Roils Republicans

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Specter's defection to Democrats roils Republicans

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent – 1 hr 1 min ago

WASHINGTON – Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is a Democrat again following a decades-long turn among Republicans, a defection that has the GOP warning about the perils of unchecked power only a few years after it controlled both the White House and Congress. "The threat to the country presented ... by this defection really relates to the issue of whether or not in the United States or America our people want the majority party to have whatever it wants without restraint, without a check or balance," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday after Specter made his startling switch.

The move left Democrats with 59 votes in the Senate, and hoping that Al Franken can finally win a marathon recount in Minnesota and become their 60th. That's the number needed to overcome any Republican filibuster aimed at blocking President Barack Obama's ambitious agenda. Even at their high point during President George W. Bush's presidency, when Republicans controlled both houses of Congress, they were well shy of 60 seats in the Senate.

- snip -

Specter was a Democrat until 1965, when he ran successfully on the Republican ticket for district attorney in Philadelphia. His switch Tuesday triggered something of a debate among Republicans, who lost not only the White House in 2008 but fell deeper into the minority in both the House and Senate.

Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, one of a few remaining GOP moderates in the Senate, called Specter's decision another sign that the Republican Party needs to move toward the center. "Ultimately, we're heading to having the smallest political tent in history, the way events have been unfolding," she said. "If the Republican Party fully intends to become a majority party in the future, it must move from the far right back toward the middle."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090429/ap_on_go_co/us_specter

[Skittles]

1. LOL

"......the issue of whether or not in the United States or America our people want the majority party to have whatever it wants without restraint, without a check or balance," - uh yeah, you stupid fucking asshole - we know how THAT feels

[Hissyspit]

2. god, they are fucking asshole hypocrites, aren't they?

[aquart]

3. And irony challenged.

[droidamus2]

12. Definitely stupid

These people don't really know much about history do they. As I remember from my understanding of history the 'founding fathers' were not big into political parties therefore I don't think when they talked about 'checks and balances' (don't know if they used that phrase but they embodied the idea in the constitution) they weren't talking about one party 'checking' the other. They meant that by having an executive branch, a judicial branch and a bicameral congress governed by the Constitution there would be sufficient checks and balances to keep any group from exerting unfettered control.

Within the idea of a Democratic Republic with universal voting rights is that when the people indicate to any group that their ideas have become unacceptable to the majority of voters by voting them out of office such group, in this case the Republicans, will moderate their stances on the issues of the day in order to appeal to more voters. The modern Republican/NeoCon/Conservative movements idea that the way to appeal to more voters is to be even more stridently conservative is to say the least wrong headed. As Lincoln Chafee (sp?) pointed out if they don't come to the realization that they need to appeal more to the center real soon they may cease to exist as a viable party on the national scene.

[Alcibiades]

14. (re)read Federalist #10

The branches of government are not only designed to keep each other in check, but "factions" as well. Madison certainly would have seen partisanship being akin to factionalism.

Not that you're not completely right in your assessment of what the modern Republican Party has become.

[droidamus2]

16. Thanks

I'll have to check that out. What I think I was referring to as far a 'political parties' which didn't really exist in that form in 1776 was embodied in the following quote from George Washington.

"All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests.

"However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

In this case he is referring to 'factions', 'parties' not so much as checks and balances as possible usurpers of power and those that would subjugate the democratic process.

Edit : Just to add. I think the fact that we could go back and forth citing different 'founding fathers' opinions on parties and checks and balances tends to show the the Republicans/Conservatives reliance on what the founding fathers 'intended' is ridiculous on its face. The selective use of quotes or written opinions in an attempt to discern a single overriding ideology of so many people is shortsighted. This is similar to the same peoples predilection for taking selected readings from the Bible to back up some personal opinion while conveniently ignoring anything in the same book that might be a counter indication of said opinion'.

[Alcibiades]

18. The dream of eliminating parties

was one shared by many founders, including Washington and Madison. Madison, the main author of the Constitution, thought that faction was unavoidable, and so sought to mitigate the effects of faction through checks and balances.

Since that time, partisanship has always gotten a bad rap in the US: our political thinking has always slighted the role of parties in selecting candidates for office, enabling them to run, establishing common political objectives in the electorate, and structuring the legislative process. We shouldn't be beholden to what the founders intended in every detail, certainly, and they surely were not of one mind on many of the important issues of their own era, chief among them slavery, something (nearly) universally detested today.

[Hekate]

4. Hissy, I just can't seem to get enough of this story. It's like my Schadenfreude Dance ...

... was made for just this occasion. Oh yes.

Hekate

[Kolesar]

7. I know: this was the first thread I clicked on this morning

and a good morning it is!

[PNutt]

5. What America Wants?

These asshats are forgeting what America said in November. Americans told those Re-Pube-Lickers to take a crap in their hat.....that's what America wants.

[Skittles]

6. they just don't friggin' get it do they, PNutt?

it's like a columnist recently said - the GOP is acting like an ex-lover who got kicked to the curb

[No Elephants]

8. AP is so danged biased. Please tell me, how is this "taunting?"

"We intend to be competitive on a nationwide basis. I do not accept that we are going to be a regional party. And we're working very hard to compete throughout the country," he said.

Democrats, savoring Specter's switch as they celebrated Obama's first 100 days in office, couldn't resist taunting their rivals.

"I welcome Sen. Specter and his moderate voice to our diverse caucus," Reid, the majority leader, said in a statement."



THAT'S "taunting?" Give me a break. What is the Senate Majority Leader supposed to do? Not put out any statement at all?

AP is crap and, unfortunately, will control more and more of our news as fewer and fewer outlets have their own reporters doing their own legwork.

BTW, translation for we're working very hard to compete throughout the country = "We're working overtime on dirty tricks."

So, as always, beware AP and beware Republicans.

[Optical.Catalyst]

9. This is the end of the Republican Party. I look forward to a new right of center party to form

In the mean time, let's crush the Republicans and hasten their demise.

After eight years of the idiot son ruining our country, we need to spend the next eight ruining the Republicans.

Lock the repukes out of the legislative process and do not allow their obstructionist tactics to stop us.

We haven't really got a lot of time until the new political party forms, we have to get our top priority bills through Congress now, while we have the chance.

[Hubert Flottz]

10. "without a check or balance"

Do you have any idea how Mitch is suffering? It's got to be extra hard for a grown man to power-weep in public as he gnashes his teeth without a chin.(don't ever try that shit at home, PLEASE)(do ya think Mitch's chin has gradually eroded away, because he's been sticking his head so far up his and Bush's asses, for soooo long?)

You can tell that prevaricating man-mouse POS is himself just dying to become Obama's #1 Mitch, just like Mr. Sphincter did yesterday! Nobody wants an (R) after their name these days, because the once sleeping giant is finally awake and aware. Mitch and his evil partners in crime's political terrorism and wolf crying don't scare America anymore, nearly as much as this total clusterfuk they have created over the past 30 years.

The scary assed and pissed off change monster is breathing down Mitch's soft white neck and his mini chin chin is starting to quiver worse than a drunken televangelist caught in action with his wittle weenie out on a live TV camera in a low budget whore house.

As I recall, Mitch didn't give a shit about the "checks and balances" when the GOP controlled all there branches of the federal government. It was all full speed ahead over every cliff, back when Shrub was the "decider" and Karl "had the numbers."

[InfiniteThoughts]

11. to republicans, i have just one message

Wait till next election and you will grow even smaller ... ;)

[GinaMaria]

13. Maybe they shouldn't have threatened him?

:shrug: What choice did they leave him?

[Ticonderoga]

15. As much as I liked seeing the hot poker

stuck in the eye of the repuke party yesterday, I think we need to primary this POS Sphincter in 2010 and put a real progressive in the Senate.

[yellowcanine]

17. Specter switching to the President's party is a "threat to the country"????

How so, Mitch? I don't recall any squealing about threats to the country when Senators were switching from Democrat to Republican during the Reagan presidency. It's ok for the country for Dems to switch to Reps but not vice versa?

[mvd]

24. Also no squealing..

when they had the Presidency and both houses of Congress.

[Hissyspit]

19. .

[babylonsister]

20. Oh, goody! I loves me some roiled rethugs!

:fistbump:

[barbtries]

21. don't they just make you laugh?

their hypocrisy is so transparent. they are such fucking hypocrites!

[Hepburn]

22. Question: The Dem 59 vote majority....

...is the with or without LieberLiar?

[Nothing Without Hope]

23. We would be far better off to run an actual Democrat, with perhaps some

actual integrity, against him. From a RINO to a DINO does us no good at all. He's an awful man. I see no reason to be happy about this.