When did Specter change parties?

[catmandu57]

He's in the well now talking about stem cell research and restoring Habeus Corpus, and sounding all the world like he joined the Democratic party, it's got me shaking my head. The only thing i can think of is where the hell were you for the past six years.

[Warpy]

1. He's actually sounded like that for some time

only now his colleagues are paying attention instead of simply steamrolling him.

[catmandu57]

2. Now he's on signing statements

someone send him an application.

[MADem]

3. He has always been a contrarian. He's the GOP's Lieberman, in essence. NT

[undeterred]

16. ...

:rofl: :rofl:

[Greeby]

4. Specter is an expert con-man

He's improved his technique significantly since the Magic Bullet

[BuyingThyme]

12. Exactly. He's a monster.

[freefall]

5. He's up for reelection in 2008. Maybe that explains it. n/t

[Daylin Byak]

11. First off, he's up in 2010

And second he's no conman, Arlen is my senator and he's a person that I have high regard for in DC, I like him cause he bucks his party once in a while and I like him for his liberal views.


Overall he's no Rick Santorum and I thank god everyday for that.

[LynneSin]

23. I have to agree with you Daylin

I've also once had Spector for my senator and I've probably even vote for him in the past (I think 98, not sure though).

I wouldn't vote for him today (I won't vote for any republican after 2000), but if I was stuck with him at least I'd have some voice in DC

[originalpckelly]

6. He switched parties to clean out some corrupt Democrats...

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

[Lowell]

7. I think he is trying to steal the thunder

by making it look like this was all their idea. When it comes to a vote they will say that the pukes are the ones who made the decision. I don't trust him as far as I can throw a piano.

[LSK]

8. now he just was talking about signing statements

[BOSSHOG]

9. Could it be that there are no republicans on a death bed?

Senator Specter has had a bout with cancer and has had to contend with his own mortality. He may now know the need to be kind to fellow humans and use the government as an instrument for good. You sure as hell can't think that way as a republican.

[PA Democrat]

10. Arlen Specter begn his political career as a Democrat.

Not sure exactly when he switched to the Republican party.

[question everything]

13. Once upon a time, Republicans believed in "live and let live."

The supported small government that, while is not active in helping its citizens, it certainly had no business in anyone's bedroom or doctor's office.

We sometimes forget that until the religious wrong took over the Republican party with Reagan, through Buchanan's "culture war" and culminating with Bush, they had no ideology except the "live and let live" including let the rich use whatever means to be richer.

[The Magistrate]

14. Noted Weather-Vane Arlen Spector, Sir

Isc an infallible indicator of which way the wind is blowing....

"And this be Law that I'll maintain until my dying day, Sir, that whatsoever King may reign, still I'll be the Vicar of Breigh, Sir."

[catmandu57]

15. I wish I had been hearing him and others talk like this

before now, I guess it's a case of better late than never, but it just gives me a sense of what if?

[BuyingThyme]

18. Specter has talked like this all along.

He's a liar.

[SnoopDog]

17. Specter basically said that Bush violated the FISA law...but

a court would have to say that. It sort of tells me that if Bush is impeached, Specter might vote yes.

Where was this guy for the last 6 years? Oh thats right - Dems are now in the majority...

[BuyingThyme]

22. A court did say that. Then Specter

wrote a law to make it legal.

[LynneSin]

19. He was always in support of Stem Cell, he's also pro-choice

Arlen is a moderate, unlike the other former PA senator Rick Santorum

[dogday]

20. Dog and Pony show by Specter

He says one thing and votes another.... Don't believe or trust him....

[Bucky]

21. He's always dabbled in token sanity. In other words, he's a moderate.

In Republican terms, that means "screw the poor only moderately and leave the Constitution standing." There used to be a lot of people like him. Now it's just him and a couple of nice ladies from Maine.

[BuyingThyme]

24. He's a hardcore extremist who poses as sane.

[LSK]

28. huh?

[BuyingThyme]

29. Nobody in Congress is more extreme than Arlen Specter.

He proves it over and over again, but people would rather listen to what he says than pay attention to what he does.

[catmandu57]

26. I'm wondering if he and those nice ladies from Maine

would be interested in crossing over to sanity, if not to the other side of the aisle.

[peace13]

25. For at least the last couple of years he has talked like that.

When it comes to a vote he will screw us every time. Beware.

[Nite Owl]

27. He's talked like this before

and then had sudden changes of mind. He can talk the talk but when it comes down to walking the walk he's missing. Hard to believe him anymore. It's almost worse that he does this because it seems that he knows right from wrong and then goes on to choose wrong.

[B Calm]

30. Career politician who sticks his finger in the wind! Screw him!

[jsamuel]

31. He always SOUNDS like that. He just doesn't vote that way.

He says he is for preserving Habeas Corpus, but when he could have done that before he STILL VOTED TO SUSPEND IT!

[Sydnie]

32. He was trying not to lose his chairmanship

so he had to play the game to keep it. Nothing to lose now, so he can do as he really pleases now.

[MannyGoldstein]

33. Uh... Actually, The Democrats Have Changed Parties

Specter is pretty much where he's always been. 20 years ago, that place was called "being a Republican". The Democrats have moved far enough to the Right since then so that Specter would be, politically, in the middle of the DLCers.