I wasn’t going to write tonight, but I got home from school and I saw on the TV that Arlen Specter had “jumped” from the Republican party to the Democratic party – thereby bringing joy to the Democrats in anticipation of having the so-called filibuster proof majority in Congress. I just had to comment on this before all the giddiness settles down. And, before I do, I need to remind anyone who might happen by this way that I’m no “fan” of the Republicans. In fact, I’ve been suggesting for several months now that maybe it’s time for another “party” to emerge as the challengers to the Democrats – because I fully believe that we need two parties to make this system work. It’s just that the Republicans have backed themselves into such a “marginalized” corner that I’m not sure they are anything more than a bunch of whiners anymore. Getting back to Spector’s move “to the left.”

Ha, Ha! If there’s anyone out there reading this who’s following politics lately you fully realize that Arlen Specter didn’t move anywhere. He just made a calculated political decision based on the realities of his position in his own party. This guy is no “principalled” politician who’s had enough of the garbage of the right wing. It is true that he’s always been more on the moderate side of things, but the guy has proven over and over, at least while I’ve been watching, that his rhetoric will sometimes make sense, but in the end he votes with the whackos on the right. He did this over torture, wiretapping, and many other issues of importance that came before the judicial committee of the Senate – when you could tell that he didn’t agree with his party – but voted with them anyway. However, the Republicans expect you to walk in “lockstep” 100% of the time, and when Spector voted for President Obama’s stimulus package – that was it for their “right wing” (which, if you’ve been paying attention is in control and is destroying the party as I used to know it). It was kind of funny to hear Michael Steele criticize Specter for his “liberal voting record,” as he was trying to put a good face on this from the Republican point of view (this Steele dude is a real “piece of work”).

Steele’s comments were as absurd as Specter’s as he tried to explain what he was doing. And the joy among Democrats, I’m predicting here and now, will be shortlived. I believe Specter will be a good Democrat on the lines of one Joe Lieberman. For once, I find myself in agreement with the bulk of the Republicans in Congress. Specter’s decision was TOTALLY A PENNSYLVANIA decision! And, personally, I hope it backfires on him. He wants to be re-elected to a 7th term in the Senate and HAS NO CHANCE TO WIN THE PRIMARY AS A REPUBLICAN! Now the Democrats have welcomed him with open arms and are making all kinds of promises to “campaign for him.” This makes me a bit sick to my stomach. Pennsylvania is a large and good state. Somehow, I believe they can come up with a better candidate on the “left” than Arlen Specter. Talk about your political gamesmanship. The guy sees that he’s going to face an uphill battle in the Republican primary (because he voted for the stimulus package – which he must not have too much confidence in or he would be willing to run on that vote as a vote that helped Pennsylvania out of the recession) and he makes the switch – trading his principals (if he had any) for having Democrats promise to campaign for him in the Pennsylvania primary in 2010.

And, I have to say that – while I understand what a dirty “game” politics is – I was disappointed that President Obama was leading the charge about saying he would campaign for Specter. This is the kind of “crap” that goes on in Washington DC that keeps these guys in office until they need walkers to get from their apartments to work. Specter’s got to be in his mid to late 70’s AND IT’S TIME FOR “NEW BLOOD.” I really hope the Democrats rethink their “joy” here. Don’t expect this guy to fall in line and get you that 60th vote everytime you need it. He is going to do whatever he thinks is best for Arlen Specter at the time he makes his decisions – that is his “track record” and I don’t see any reason for it to change. I realize that Democrats feel that some of the “landmark” legislation needs to get passed THIS YEAR if it’s going to be passed at all, but I believe that is faulty thinking. And, I hope all the hub bub over this doesn’t get the national attention off of what it should be on which is making things right regarding the illegal activities (not only torture, but wiretapping, outing a CIA agent, politicizing the justice department, refusing congressional subpoenas, and lying in front of Congress – to name some of them) of the Bush administration. Arlen Specter aside, this nation will not be whole again until there’s accountability for Bush/Cheney et al! And that will not happen if Democrats get side-tracked!