Specter: more Republican senators support stimulus, but they're afraid of being primaried & exiled

[camera obscura]

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), who broke with his party to support President Obama's stimulus package last week, said before the final vote Friday that more of his colleagues would have joined were they not afraid of the political consequences.

"When I came back to the cloak room after coming to the agreement a week ago today," said Specter, "one of my colleagues said, 'Arlen, I'm proud of you.' My Republican colleague said, 'Arlen, I'm proud of you.' I said, 'Are you going to vote with me?' And he said, 'No, I might have a primary.' And I said, 'Well, you know very well I'm going to have a primary.'"

Specter, along with centrist Maine Republican Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, joined with Democrats last week to move the stimulus bill forward. Specter said he doubted there would be any more Republican votes than those three Friday night.

"I think there are a lot of people in the Republican caucus who are glad to see this action taken without their fingerprints, without their participation," he said.

Specter was asked, How many of your colleagues?

"I think a sizable number," he said. "I think a good part of the caucus agrees with the person I quoted, but I wouldn't want to begin to speculate on numbers."

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/13/specter-republicans-suppo_n_166875.html

[musiclawyer]

1. If these clowns are afraid of a challenge, then this is good

Because that means the remaining GOP members are basically pandering to the far far right, and hence the GOP is well on its way to becoming a fringe party. I wish someone on the tv machine would point out the obvious. I think the more moderate electorate needs to understand this.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. If true, this is pure cowardice.

Besides, it seems to me that only Senators who are up in 2010 have anything to worry about. If you're not up for 4 or 6 years you probably won't be harmed by it all. If anything, the inevitable improvement to the economy would help you.

[camera obscura]

4. Exactly. I look at the list of 2010 races and don't see anyone who looks "gettable", so it must be

people who are up for re-election in 2012 or later. So what are they so afraid of? I think they just don't want to be made fun of by Rush and Malkin and Hannity. How sad.

[Mme. Defarge]

3. The Four Steps to Spiritual Health

1. Show up
2. Do your best
3. Tell the trugh
4. Let go of the results

The Party of the Religious Right is in deep spiritual doo doo, as it were.

[City Lights]

5. More proof that the GOP is bursting at the seams with cowards.

Screw 'em.

[msongs]

6. let's see if dems hold these people accountable in any way nt

[Parker CA]

7. If Specter is correct with his statements, these are the first very important cracks in GOP armor.

As Obama begins to amass more and more popular support for this bill and his future endeavors, the GOP is going to weaken against his perseverance and pressure. It will, over time, erode the blockade those on the right have erected, and will slowly bring them down.

Still less than 25 days into this project, Obama is just beginning to get the wheels spinning.

[Thrill]

8. Cowards. Rush has them shaking in their boots