The O. Henry tale comes to mind in observing the way that Republican turncoat Arlen Specter is making his new-found Dem colleagues miserable. As recounted on this evening’s Hardball, in the course of just a few days, Specter:
- Has declared that he is not “a loyal Democrat.”
- Accused Dem leader Harry Reid of “renegging” on a promise.
- Spoken out in favor of the Minnesota courts seating Republican Norm Coleman as senator over Dem Al Franken.
- Voted against various Dem bills.
- Said that being granted full seniority by the Dems is not a gift but an “entitlement.”
We didn’t dig him as a RINO. The Dems obviously aren’t grooving on him as a DINO, either, since yesterday they voted to strip him of his seniority. The only committee on which they permitted him to retain some seniority is one on “aging,” which I take as a jab of its own at the 79-year old senator.
I’m guessing there are many Republicans out there who wouldn’t want Arlen back at any price. Even so, if you were going to establish a reverse ranson, what would it be?
Note: On Hugh Hewitt’s radio show yesterday, John Eastman, Dean of the Chapman University School of Law, pointed out another way in which Specter’s defection is anything but a blessing for the Dems. He mentioned that there is a tradition by which Supreme Court nominees are not reported out of the Judiciary Committee unless at least one member of the minority party votes in favor. Specter was, by far, the Republican on the Judiciary Committee most likely to vote for an Obama nominee. So now what?
Update: Legal Insurrection Was There First
I thought I was being amusingly original with my Ransom of Red Chief theme for this item. But Googling things this morning revealed that I was not the first to make the Specter-Red Chief connection. My friend Bill Jacobson over at Legal Insurrection had an item along the same lines . . . this past Sunday. All I can say is that I had not seen Bill’s item before writing mine. An eerie case of GMTA.
5 Comments
I think we are seeing the beginning of the end of Arlen Specter’s congressional political career.
He bolted from the repubs for purely selfish reasons, and has antagonized his dem friends to the point I believe they are going to run a full blooded, true-believing dem against him in the primary.
That will most likely leave his as the odd man out.
I doubt he will even be on the ballot for the general election in 2010.
-Dave
I tend to agree: having stripped him of seniority for being disloyal, how can the Dems possibly prevent a Dem like Joe Sestak from entering a primary against Specter? And once Sestak’s in, what are the odds that Dem primary voters, who tend to be more liberal than the average Dem, will possibly choose Specter over a traditional lib like Sestak?
The real question is who will BO campaign for if there is a Dem running against Specter?
The Democrats are probably recalling that old saying: Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. LOL
I agree with Dave. Just as he bolted the Republicans to avoid losing, if it looks bad as a Democrat to boot,(and it looks like the Sestak won’t do a Nita Lowey) I think he will decide it’s time to retire.
There is talk here in PA that Gov. Ed Rendell wanted Specter’s seat when he retired, and he might jump in if Specter bows out before the 2010 election.
Why I thought everything was just fine regarding Specter getting reelected once he switched parties…my goodness he was promised Rendell, Biden, Reid and O would all campaign for him…
ROFLMAO!
It’s been a joy watching what has happened to him the last few days…and nobody is smiling more than Sestak!