Do you think one of the 3 will switch parties?

[mucifer]

I was thinking about it. With all the pressure from the republicans and the popularity of the President, one of them could switch sides. Then we would have Kennedy and in a few weeks Franken and we wouldn't have to worry about this crap.

[Barack_America]

1. No. None will switch.

They represent a dying breed of Republican, but they still seem quite attached to the label.

[napi21]

2. I doubt it. If you think about it, they already have a lot more power

as Pubs than they would ever have as a Dem. They can NOW make demands that MUST be paid attention to.

[old mark]

3. Specter has cancer, and will stay till he is absolutely unable,

and I am told his successor will be a Democrat.

He knew he would get shit from other Repugs for his support, but did it anyway. He did good.

mark

[Pryderi]

4. I was hoping Judd Gregg's replacement was going to.

[Ian David]

5. Only if they're about to get indicted.

That's what the Repuke from Florida did a few weeks ago.

[saltpoint]

6. Collins and Snowe are in safe seats. The scroched-earth Republicans

like Cornyn and Chambliss and Sessions and Coburn et al can't stand Snowe and Collins.

Specter barely survived a Republican primary last time around. I consider him the most vulnerable of the three. I can't see any of them switching labels.

I wish Snowe voted bluer but I like her first among all available Senate Republicans. After Snowe, there's sharp drop-off, IMO.

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. Neither Mainer will switch.

Snowe is the state GOP. She's married to the last Republican governor. Everything goes through her office -- not graft, she's squeaky clean -- it's not like she's skimming -- but any GOP action goes through her people. At the state level there's a massive split in the Party between the Paul/Palin people and the from-money people. Snowmobiles v. sailboats, moose hunters v. fly-fishermen, Cabrela's v. Bean's. It's held together by her. The mouthbreaters in the state party hate it, but she's keeping them from self-destructing.

Collins has been told by staff -- and she is run by her staff in a way remarkable even for a Senator -- that she can be the first woman president. That's the real reason for all this bi-partying.

She's 'moderate', when her party is extreme, a Northerner when the party is Southern, pro-choice, a no-sparkle anti-politican, a woman... The theory is when the GOP hits bottom, and has to try something new, there she is, ready to roll. On the D side, she'd be Tail-End Charlie.

Seriously. The talk is out there up here. It's a small state and no one can keep a secret.

[saltpoint]

9. Thank you for that insider's look into the Maine scene.

Agree with you on Maine's 2 U.S. Senators but am surprised to hear talk of Collins as president.

I may have to take a real long shower with lots of soap now.

She has a bit more on the ball than a dolt like Palin but on the other hand . . . yuck.

I hope her staff will ratchet down the White House buzz.

[Davis_X_Machina]

10. They're delusional, of course...

...but there are 100 senators, and 90 of them look in the mirror while shaving or making up and say to their reflection "Good Morning, Mr (or Mrs) President!" (That was before The West Wing, it's probably 95 of a hundred now.]

Part of the problem is that Collins is easily led or driven. There's not that much 'there' there, and the 'Senator Collins' you see is largely a creation of her staffers. Think of her as an anti-Biden -- what you see there is all Joe, and I'm sure it drives his staff crazy.

Collins' staff watched Clinton's run, especially the PA, WVA, OH primaries, and the Palin show, and think they have a formula for capturing the mushy middle, where Presidencies are won.

All this require a GOP in pieces on the ground, though, for this to work. Hence the Collins stimulus vote. If Obama pulls off a recovery, the national GOP as we know it is busted, and will have to turn to a new model.

My cat Max has a better chance of waking up President, but then I don't draw a salary telling Max what he already wants to hear.

[treestar]

7. As long as they vote the way they did it doesn't have to matter

They are not in lock step with the far right wing, at least.