Specter contradicts Reid, suggests he won’t ‘always’ break GOP filibusters.
By on May 7th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Specter contradicts Reid, suggests he won’t ‘always’ break GOP filibusters.
Yesterday on MSNBC, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) implied that newly-minted Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter (PA) would always vote with Democrats to break GOP filibusters. “On procedural votes he’ll be with us all the time,” Reid said. Watch it:
Today, however, Fox News’s Trish Turner caught up with Specter, who disputed Reid’s characterization. Turner reports: “Specter merely smiled and repeated several times, ‘I’m going to have to talk to Sen. Reid about that.’” A Reid spokesman clarified the Nevada senator’s statement, saying he was trying to be “hopeful and optimistic.”
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If Reid actually believed that Arlen will be with them all the time, he’s way too foolish to be a US Senator.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:24 pmMethinks Specter is an opportunistic trojan horse.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:26 pmreid doesn’t even side with democrats….how is arlen?
May 7th, 2009 at 4:26 pmSpecter is for Specter only.
HIS WORD IS WORTHLESS.
His soul is sold.
He came to power by going along with the Warren Commission…a complete sellout!!!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:27 pmI’m A Republican, no I am a losing Republican so I am now a Democratic with Republican views but if it helps I can vote Democratic but if you don’t like that I can vote Republican again but I want seniority, or hell with that I don’t care I just want to be re-elected.
I think you may be out of work very soon Mr. Spector.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:28 pmI will donate to any real progressive who opposes Specter in the PA primary.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:32 pmIf he continues voting as a republican, he should go the way of republicans. Draft the real democratic candidate to get rid of Arlen. He is no good to the party. We are no better or worse off so far.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:33 pmI can’t believe these assclowns. They’ve fallen hook line and sinker for Specter’s crap. Harry Reid or any other democrat that believes Specter is the way out of the wilderness are fools.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:35 pmI think the Democrats need to sit down with Arlen and let him know that he can’t be a DINO and expect to get the full financial and political support of the party. And if he doesn’t start being a little more Democratic… he may find out what its like to be the 3rd horse in a 2 horse race….
May 7th, 2009 at 4:35 pmI think Harry was the one who misspoke this time. Specter changed parties, not his ideology. I fully expect he will vote the way he always has, and nothing will change much.
Many news media have heralded Specter’s arrival into the Democratic Party with verbiage modeled on the phrase “bringing Democrats closer to a filibuster-proof majority”.
Bull fritters. In order to have a filibuster-proof majority, the Dems would need significantly more than 60 of their number to cover those who won’t vote with the pack on any given issue. Just having a (D) after your name doesn’t guarantee you vote in lock-step with the party leadership. I believe that’s the hallmark of the other party.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:39 pmI don’t like Specter and never have so I’m not going to defend him, but…
Isn’t there time to see how he votes before we judge his motives? Bear with me, if you will.
His defection was important as a symbolic gesture and will remain so even if he’s a complete dink. If he votes with the Dems on key votes? So much the better. And, should he buck the party on key procedural votes? Then deny him all DNC funds and endorse his opponent in the primary.
Heck! He’s just slimy enough that he might be a perfect tool for the Dems. And, if he’s serious about running for reelection as a Democrat, he’s canny enough to vote however the polls direct him. Whether his motives are pure, or not, he could become a very important vote.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:46 pmLOLz!! You guys haven’t figured Arlen out yet, have you?
Arlen is in the Senate to represent PA and the country in the way Arlen thinks is best. Harry Reid is a real asshat if he thinks that he will control Arlen by taking away his seniority. That’s just an invitation for Arlen to become a much bigger pain in the ass than he would have been if Reid had simply let him alone.
PA (my state) will re-elect Arlen if we think he is still the guy for us. PA Dems have always liked him, and remember the 1 million PA Republicans that switched to Democrats during the election to support Obama? Who do you think they’re gonna vote for? Some “real democratic candidate”? Get a grip. Specter’s got the nomination and the election for as long as he wants it.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:47 pmDoes the Democratic party have to accept used Republicans? I don’t want anymore. Let them be Independent–a lot of their constituents are calling themselves that now.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:51 pmWith Dems like Specter, who needs Republicans?
May 7th, 2009 at 4:51 pmOT
Tonight on MSNBC, 6pm eastern, Ed Schultz will talk about the other so called democrat Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance committee and the leading acceptor of contributions from big pharma and health care… Ed wants to know why single payer advocates are not allowed at the table to discuss health care issues.
How can Baucus be allowed to close the door on single payer health care discussion?
In fact:
Doctors, Single Payer Activists Arrested, Make History at Senate Finance Roundtable
Where is President Obama on this?
May 7th, 2009 at 4:53 pmThe more this guy talks, the more I’m convinced that we need someone else to carry the banner in 2010. Specter is just a loose cannon.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:54 pmlebecka Says:
Specter’s got the nomination and the election for as long as he wants it.
####
I hope you are right. I do not like Specter at all, and seldom agree with him. But Specter is still better than Toomey. For that reason, I hope you are right.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:55 pmpete Says:
I don’t like Specter and never have so I’m not going to defend him, but…
Isn’t there time to see how he votes before we judge his motives? Bear with me, if you will.
Other than the fact that he’s already voted against Obama’s budget bill, and has openly stated that he will not support either Card Check OR Obama’s healthcare plan. Has also stated that Coleman should win in Minnesota (he forgot what “team” he’s on). Has said he NEVER SAID he would be a “loyal Democrat.” As for his motives, he was pretty clear and honest about that. He knew he wasn’t likely to get reelected to the Senate in 2010 as a Republican, and with a little sweetening of the pot (financial and physical campaign support and retaining his seniority) he was more than happy to switch parties. Don’t be surprised to see him pull a Lieberman if he loses the Dem primary in PA. Arlen’s loyalty is to himself, and himself only.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:57 pmVery true, misscoleopteramolly, and I have no doubt his voting will not change much. However, if he’s serious about trying to be a Democrat, he could surprise us on procedural votes. If he votes with the party on key cloture votes? The Dems have enough votes without him to pass the legislation.
As for the “veto-proof” stuff? I have a feeling that won’t be much of an issue while so many emergencies are going on. The Administration and the bulk of the Democratic party seem to be on the same page. They are still juggling priorities but stuff is getting done. And I think Specter could still be a boon for the party even if he’s one of three Dems who vote against a bill that still passes. I guess I just think we should wait and see how he votes on cloture and advancing out of committee. Then leave him to the jackals if he proves faithless.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:58 pmJust to be clear. I have no illusions about Specter. However, if he thinks it’s to his benefit he could be valuable. I don’t trust him any farther than I could kick him up a cliff.
May 7th, 2009 at 5:04 pmBuyer’s remorse is setting in. Specter will retire and won’t run. On the bright side, it continues to be a an example of how to be a good Republican: QUIT!
May 7th, 2009 at 5:08 pmI’m surprised at how Reid allowed Specter to mislead him. Specter said that he wasn’t a guaranteed 60th vote! I’m glad that Specter was stripped of his seniority. Let him sit at the kiddy table and sulk. I hope he loses in 2010.
May 7th, 2009 at 5:19 pmReid is way deluded. Spectre’s going to use this like a lever to get lots of goodies…
May 7th, 2009 at 5:27 pmI see what Spector’s up to — He’s pulling a LIEberman.
He expects the states re-Thugs to vote for him against the radical guy in the general election. That coupled with ignorant or right-leaning dems — will keep him in office.
So he’s working very hard to keep the conservative voters happy right now. They’re still his base.
May 7th, 2009 at 5:55 pm*
konchster Says: “Harry Reid or any other democrat that believes Specter is the way out of the wilderness are fools.”
The Democrats are out of the wilderness. The country has resoundingly accepted the offer of their leadership in the previous two elections. The trouble is that Democrats don’t know how to lead anymore.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pmpete Says: “… if he’s serious about trying to be a Democrat, he could surprise us on procedural votes.”
Specter isn’t “serious about trying to be a Democrat”. Specter is serious about trying to keep his job in 2010. That is the whole enchilada.
He even said as much when he switched parties. He switched because he concluded that he couldn’t defeat Toomey in the Republican primary and wasn’t prepared to have his fate left left in the hands of the Republican voters in PA.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:23 pmBy the way, Reid more or less caved in on the seniority issue as well. He took the gavel of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs from Dick Durban and gave it to Specter. So I guess Specter has some form of “Limited Seniority” now.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:32 pmI am not the most intelligrnt person in the world, but IMHO allowing campaign contributions outside state or county should be stopped! MONEY IS NOT SPEECH IT’S BRIBERY! Stop the free money and stop the corruption that dominates our society! But wtf do I know
peace
May 7th, 2009 at 7:12 pmdixie blood Says: “He came to power by going along with the Warren Commission…a complete sellout!!!”
More or less. Specter made his bones as Junior Counsel on the Warren Commission. He was largely responsible for inventing “The Single Bullet Theory” which had one bullet causing all of the wounds suffered by both JFK and Governor Connally. This impossibility was a necessary piece of fiction to allow the Warren Commission to conclude that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:15 pmYou mistake my meaning JB. Speckles will serve his best interest. My point is that, If he thinks his best interest is to vote in accord with Democratic lawmaker’s he’ll do just that.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:24 pmthis just in… cheney wants republicans to give him a pass on torture, and presumably also a pass on torture resulting in homicide.. .stop. ..cheney is pleased his orders to torture were carried out, and he’s proud of his ‘little guys’.. ..stop..
May 7th, 2009 at 7:47 pmtoo bad we can’t be a little “hopeful and optimistic” that Reid will get the boot anytime soon. He is just a gnats whiskers better than that garbage ML Daschle, which is pretty damn bad.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:49 pmThe Dems made a mistake.
They should have left Specter the Defecter hanging out in the breeze.
Nominate a YOUNG progressive democrat to take his seat.
Specter’s decrepit old ass is far more trouble than it’s worth.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:33 pmWhen Al Franken comes on board it won’t matter.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:00 amMake Specter be an “I” like his good friend from Connecticut.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:48 amTell Mr. Sestac of Pennsylvania that he needs to start raising a bunch of money. And get ready to rumble. Arlen Specter just will not do. We can win with a real Democrat.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:01 amSpecter is a re-puke in Democrat clothes……..with his conservatively moderate Reich wing brain that is in the “NO” mode, still.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:15 amCould Specter be the Democrat version of “Maverick”?
May 8th, 2009 at 1:51 amMoney is the most powerful
May 8th, 2009 at 5:41 am————————————————–
Ugg Boots | Uggs
A moderate republican is no better than a concervative democrat(which is an oxymoron). Why should we trade in a Sestak for a Specter? go back to your own party arlen.
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