A big switch....
Just wondering if Democrats here in Connecticut are feeling differently now that Republican Sen. Arlen Specter has decided to swtich parties -- different in the sense that they are relieved that efforts to strip Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman of his decision to continue to caucus with Democrats and his chairmanship in the Senate didn't succeed last year?
With Specter's switch, and assuming that Democrat Al Franken emerges victorious in the Minnesota Senate battle against Republican Norm Coleman, Democrats will now have the 60 votes in the Senate to end debate and block filibusters -- thanks to Lieberman's decision to continue caucusing with Democrats.
Speaking of Lieberman....this is what he had to say about Specter's decision to jump parties:
“I enthusiastically welcome my good friend Arlen Specter into the Democratic caucus. It will be very good to have the company of yet another independent minded Democrat in the caucus!
“I have always admired Arlen as a man of deep principle who has been a bridge builder to get things done in the Senate. Arlen understands that we get things accomplished when we listen to the vital center of American politics. I know that Arlen will continue to make a major contribution to the Senate and the nation as an effective independent leader and problem solver.”
With Specter's switch, and assuming that Democrat Al Franken emerges victorious in the Minnesota Senate battle against Republican Norm Coleman, Democrats will now have the 60 votes in the Senate to end debate and block filibusters -- thanks to Lieberman's decision to continue caucusing with Democrats.
Speaking of Lieberman....this is what he had to say about Specter's decision to jump parties:
“I enthusiastically welcome my good friend Arlen Specter into the Democratic caucus. It will be very good to have the company of yet another independent minded Democrat in the caucus!
“I have always admired Arlen as a man of deep principle who has been a bridge builder to get things done in the Senate. Arlen understands that we get things accomplished when we listen to the vital center of American politics. I know that Arlen will continue to make a major contribution to the Senate and the nation as an effective independent leader and problem solver.”
posted by Ray Hackett at 1:03 PM
3 Comments:
I don't understand why Democrats still have their shorts in a bunch. Today they recieved a "great gift" (Good riddance!) Sen. Specter Switches to Democrat.
Yesiree, you got it all, and I congratulate supporters of the Democrat philosophy. I always try to look for a silver lining on a cloud. I try to see both sides of the coin, and to be positive. That’s a lot harder for a lot of Conservatives today, but not for me.
You see, because Senator Specter is switching from a Republican to a Democrat, this now gives the Democratic Party absolute power in Washington DC. They now have full control of the White House and both Houses of Congress as well as a filibuster-proof majority. That means they can pass and do anything they want, and no one can stop them except themselves.
Therein lies the silver lining.
It’s been 100 days for President Obama
It’s been well over 2 YEARS for the Democratic Congress
While tomorrow is day 100 for Obama, Thursday is day 1 in a completely new respect:
THERE CAN BE NO MORE EXCUSES
Nothing washes, nothing is credible, no scapegoating can work. Democrats have absolute power, and while-yes, some things take time to fix-not everything does. As such, on Thursday, President Obama, the Democratic Party, the House Democrats, and the Senate Democrats (complete with their favorite tool of the day, Sen. Specter) will have either accomplished SOMETHING significant, or they will have failed. It's really that simple. They've been literally handed Absolute Power.
So while his fans at NBC, Kos, HuffPo, and Obama fans everywhere, might look misty-eyed at "The One" on Wednesday with spin and claims of “Best President Ever” the reality is that on Thursday morning he will have accomplished absolutely nothing after Democrats spent $12,000,000,000,000.00 and have absolute power.
Truth Commission to look into torture? Bring it on because if they don’t, only Democrats can be blamed now.
Stop the Iranian nuclear program? They better, and they better do it soon because Israel’s not gonna wait forever, Iran’s not even slowing down, and there’s no one else to blame now.
6-7 million Americans without jobs? Better get them jobs soon because there’s no one to blame for it now.
What seems to be the hold-up now?
I remember a Republican Party with Senator Charles Percy of Illinois as well as Senator Edward (?) Brooke of Massachusetts, Senator Clifford Case of New Jersey and Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois. It had Governors like Pennsylvania's William Scranton and New York's Nelson Rockefeller and Congressional leaders like New Jersey's Peter Freylinghuysen and Millicent Fenwick.
What happened to the middle ground and those who occupied it?
Today's Republican Party, imho, would tar and feather Abraham Lincoln except, I fear, he'd never be attracted to become a member.
So much diatribe, so little dialogue.
There you go again....
Don't listen to me this time: Listen to Jonah Goldberg on the subject (and this amazingly was printed in the Bulletin):
“Given a choice between an authentic Democratic Party and an unenthusiastic knockoff, why vote for the pale imitation?
The real answer for the GOP isn't to narrow the differences between the parties but to heighten them….”
“Republican "intransigence" and "partisanship" will be rhetorical in that Republicans have no formal means of stopping Obama, only the power of their arguments.
That is the environment conservatives thrive in. Yes, the Republican Party needs some new ideas, new solutions to our problems. But conservatives do not need new convictions.
The GOP can choose to be the party of Jack Kemp or of Arlen Specter, the choice or the echo.
The spirit of Kemp stands for principle over power. The specter of Specter glorifies solely the principle of power. Kemp was far from perfect, but after his short time in government, he'll be remembered not only for doing great things but also for believing in the greatness of America.
Arlen Specter, even if he spends 40 more years in government, will be remembered for nothing at all”.
End quote.
Edward, Brooke,Case, Dirksen, Scranton, Rockefeller, Freylinghuysen, Fenwick, -- never heard of any of them and maybe there is a reason for that.
Another great conservative Laura Ingram said on FOX look at the Democrats right now. Did they become the majority by going to the middle? Obviously not. So why is that a winning formula for Republicans? Conservatives don't need to go to the middle, they need leadership which she said she is not seeing a lot of right now.
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