The Spectre of Specter

The Democrats welcome Arlen Specter with open arms. To what end? Is it true, as I've heard, that it's for the short term gain of his vote for Obama's health care plan?

Could be. All I know is that it is another example of a lack of real belief in the values of the Democratic party. I'm not saying that booting out 40 year Republicans in a move to the right is helpful for the GOP, but at least you know what they stand for.

What do the Dems stand for in welcoming Specter, who has agreed with them about 30% of the time? Do they really gain a stranglehold on the 60 vote filibuster buster?

I doubt it. Specter just said on Meet the Press that had the Club for Growth not made Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) spend all his money fending off a conservative challenger in the primary, then good ol' Linc, a moderate Republican, would have enabled the GOP'er's to keep hold of the Senate in 2007-08. And what would have happened in that case? Let me tell what "Democratic" Senator Arlen Specter said: 34 Republican appointed judges would have been approved and not left to expire. He was positively wistful, just thinking of that missed opportunity.

That's who the Dems are going to fall behind, that's who Obama will campaign for? Crazy stuff.

As in the torture hoo-hah, there has to be some principle behind the politics, something that is lacking in the Obama equation. Not everything is, or should be, merely a tallying of numbers on the scoreboard.

Here's hoping a REAL Democrat whups Specter in the primary and gets elected. A Dem was going to win in Pennsylvania anyway. Might as well be an authentic one.