Offering frequent news and analysis from the majestic Evergreen State and beyond, The Cascadia Advocate is the Northwest Progressive Institute's unconventional perspective on world, national, and local politics.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Specter bails out of the Republican Party

National blogs (and national media outlets) are having a field day with the news that Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has decided to bolt from the Republican Party and become a Democrat. It's been long rumored that Specter might make such a move, especially with former Club for Greed president Pat Toomey preparing to run against him for a second time in the Republican primary.

Well, as of today, he's jumped ship:
Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.
This doesn't, however, mean that Specter will support the Employee Free Choice Act; in fact, he explicitly said that his position on it won't change.

That will disappoint labor.

The D.C. and Pennsylvania Democratic establishment have all reportedly promised to line up behind Specter for the 2010 primary.

In our view, though, he shouldn't get a free pass.

He wants to be a Democrat? Fine. He doesn't deserve to just be handed the nomination. He should have to fight for it and earn it. It looks like he already has some serious competition in Joe Torsella, who has raised over half a million dollars for his candidacy and is vowing to stay in the race. Good for him.

There shouldn't be a coronation. Specter needs to realize that Democrats want to be represented by somebody who believes in Democratic values.

Republicans in the Senate, meanwhile, are upset, because they didn't see this coming. And the Club for Greed is speechless.

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