Democratic Party shouldn't support Arlen Specter.

[Postman]

Let a real Democrat run for office in PA against the lunatic fringe Republican Party candidate.

Why support a Joe Lieberman from PA?

You've got these crazy ass republicans barely treading political water, don't throw them a life preserver. Throw 'em an anvil...

[Mnemosyne]

1. I won't support this bullshit. Bite me specter. n/t

[HowHasItComeToThis]

10. HE IS A SNAKE IN THE GRASS

[Mnemosyne]

38. And that is putting it kindly. n/t

[Dr.Phool]

2. He flunked his first test already.

I just posted in LBN, that he just voted with the repukes, against the budget.

The budget passed anyway. This is all about him. All for him. No change of heart involved.

[tblue37]

11. That was just political thater. His vote wasn't needed, and he had criticized the bill,.

so in order to "perform" his independence and "integrity," he ws allowed to cast this "no" vote. I believe we will see him on our side where we really need the votes. He wouldn't want to face the Democrats in PA without having voted largely with the Dems over the enxt two years, and this vote gives him some general credibility.

[w4rma]

17. We need him for EFCA. He said he's voting against it. (nt)

[tblue37]

24. I'll wait and see. nt

[tblue37]

23. I meant "theAter, of course." nt

[aaronbav]

3. I think we SHOULD embrace

and welcome him - to do otherwise is what a typical "MY way OR the Highway" Repugnant RethugliKKKan would do.

Just my $.00002 worth ;-)

[Postman]

5. No. He would be much more powerful as a Democrat than as a Republican....

And not in a good way.

[Juche]

26. I honestly don't grasp what we gain from this switch

Here is what we lose

Had Specter stayed in the GOP he would've lost the 2010 GOP primary to Toomey, who would've lost the general to a democrat. So we may've lost the ability to get a much better democrat come 2010 because of this stunt.

What have we gained? He isn't changing his votes, he supports the filibuster, he opposes budget reconciliation.

If we can somehow get him to vote for cloture on important bills (EFCA, cap/trade) and then vote 'no' on the bill itself that'll be ok. But I doubt he votes for cloture on those bills.

Besides, this has to be a slap in the face to the people of PA. This is a cheap attempt to win the 2010 senate and now the people in PA only get to choose from a wingnut or a snake.

[JVS]

28. We get (hopefully) an extra cloture vote for two years and if we're lucky cancer will kill him in...

time for us to run a real democrat.

[Marr]

29. Exactly-- that's what it's about. Now, the people of Pennsylvania will get to choose between

a wingnut or a snake. Well put.

[rhett o rick]

33. Good grief. He is a republiCon thru and thru. We need to replace him with a progressive Democrat. nm

[quiller4]

39. R7un a progressive D in PA and elect an R-- great plan. n/t

[rhett o rick]

40. He is a republiCon. Just because he put a D behind his name isn't going to change him.

The trouble with a lot of people here is that they think if you are a Democrat all is good. BS. DINO's are as harmful as republiCons. Sen Specter is a republiCon thru and thru.

[Dinger]

4. I Agree. I Want A REAL Democrat

Too many DINOs in the Senate already.

[emilyg]

6. I didn't like him before and sure

don't like him now.

[county worker]

7. Ideological purity is what pushed Specter to switch parties.

If we start doing what the right is doing we will be the minority again real soon.

[Postman]

8. I'm not advocating what the right is doing just saying let a real Democrat run

instead of supporting a faux Democrat...

[Johonny]

12. I agree

I see no reason why other Democrats shouldn't run against him in the Primary. If I was in a position to consider a run I sure would be thinking about it come next year. However that a long time away and who knows how he will poll a year from now for both the primary and general election.

[msongs]

9. expecting a democrat to embrace and vote for democratic party principles is HARDLY a purity issue n

[Marr]

30. Shallow self interest is what pushed him.

Rather than acknowledge the will of constituency, he maneuvered to deny them any real choice at the ballot box. Now they'll get to choose between a Republican with a new label, and a crazed wingnut. What he's done is disgusting, in my humble opinion. The lowest of the self-serving low.

[bvar22]

13. I am embarrassed.

I belong to the same political party as Arlen Specter and Joe Lieberman.
:blush:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

31. Lieberman is an independent.

[bvar22]

32. Joe Lieberman is a registered Democrat.

IIRC, Joe quietly changed his party registration back to "Democrat" shortly after election 2006.

Wiki says "Lieberman remains a registered Democrat".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Lieberman

The term "Democrat" sure doesn't mean what it used to.

[Jim Lane]

37. Correct -- in fact, he never changed his registration

Lieberman won re-election on the ballot line of the newly formed Connecticut for Lieberman Party. Lieberman himself, however, never joined that party. He has been registered as a Democrat throughout his political career, AFAIK.

The Senate website lists him as an "Independent Democrat", as opposed to Bernie Sanders, who's "Independent". This is, of course, ironic, given that Sanders is a much better Democrat than Lieberman.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. This is one Dem who does not have a short memory.

Remember when Specter pulled this little stunt, then denied,it until an investigation proved he did it???

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2765232&mesg_id=2765383

Look, it is more than obvious that there are people in the Republican Party who have no honor about...
well, about a long long list of stuff, but I am talking now about crossing party lines for personal gain.
It is not new, but it is a lot more frequent.
And Specter was BLATANT about is motives: he said he is not willing to give up seniority and chairmanships because the Republican Party has pissed off so many Pa voters.
It is all about HIM and his political career.

I refuse to put a stamp of approval on it, and I am really not happy with the direction that Schumer has been leaning, esp. since he cheerfully supports this charade/
In fact, I refuse to trust a single word any of our Congress critters say.
Show me the legislation and the law they passed that helps the average wage earner, then I will count you as someone to support.

Than again, Specter IS proving George Carlin was right.

[Laelth]

15. Too late. The deal has already been made. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[PurgedVoter]

16. Scary thought

If he gets nominated, We will have to tone down the discussion of this man. I hope an exception is made in the case of life energy draining undead who belong to the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.
Seriously, back when many of us on the DU were still amazed at each outrage that never crested, back when many of us in our paranoid moments feared that our comments might be traced back to us by the monsters in power, I learned pretty clearly who Spectre was. He is no Olympia Snow. She I would welcome, Spectre is the kiss of death.

[mirrera]

18. Hear! Hear!...n/t

[hughee99]

19. They HAVE to support him...

They sold him the '10 nomination to get the 60 vote majority for the next 2 years. If the Party (not the voters, but the party structure) doesn't support him, their job is going to become harder down the line when trying to work with not just the other party, but our own donors and constituent groups.

[w4rma]

42. They can only promise him their own support. They can't promise him voter support. (nt)

[hughee99]

43. Of course not, but their support does hold

a good deal of influence with both the voters and potential opponents. If the DSCC asks a Dem not to run in the primary, and they do anyway, how much support can they expect in the future from the party structure. In his last election, he ran commercials during the primary with * supporting him. In the next primary, if he runs commercials with Obama supporting him, that will mean a lot to the primary voters.

[notesdev]

20. Go figure

[sandrakae]

36. No you fucking can't. Bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. I don't think he is such a gift either

Glad to see others agree :)

[Fire1]

22. Totally agree.

[MzNov]

25. Tell that to Harry the Horsetrader Reid n/t

[ForrestGump]

27. A real Democrat?

Are there any left in DC? Not too many, unless I imagined them doing nothing -- nothing except further enable the neocon bad-guys, I mean -- after we all so naively got excited that the balance of power tipped our way in 2006.

[rhett o rick]

34. We don't have a choice. The DLC has already said they will support him against

all other real Democrats. I believe Pres Obama also said he will campaign for Sen Specter. CorpAmerica has a strangle hold on the Democratic party.

[Wizard777]

35. Right now I think we should take every nail in the republicans coffin we can get.

[4_TN_TITANS]

41. He's a real idiot, if he thinks

that we won't be watching to see what he does to earn our support between now and his election.