Arlen Specter Does Benedict Arnold

Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, longtime GOP heavyweight, announced today that he has become a Democrat. The former Republican said in a press conference, "I have found myself increasingly more at odds with the Republican philosophy." In a separate statement he also said, "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." The Washington Post describes Specter's final meeting with Senate Republicans yesterday to have consisted of, "stony silence."

Yes, he is making a political survival move. I'm not sure that's wrong however. He seems genuine when he says he is following the will of his state, which has had a nearly unprecedented shift toward the Democratic party, and toward liberal ideals. President Obama is said to have given Specter his full blessing. I say, "bravo!" to Arlen Specter for having the balls to do something like this. It is a huge risk. The GOP is mad as hell, and Democrats are suspicious.

Specter will retain his seniority in the Democratic party as though he were elected Dem in 1980. Specter was one of a wave of Republican officials who rode Ronald Reagan's impressive coat tails. He will become chairman of an influential subcommittee on the Appropriations Committee. He also brings the Democratic caucus to 59 votes, one short of a filibuster-proof 60. If Al Franken (MN) is ever seated, Dems will have a controlling majority of Congress, the first since the first half of Jimmy Carter's presidency in '77-'79. Vice President Biden is reported to have played a key role in smoothing the transition and keeping peace while Specter made the decision. The two are said to be long time friends. The Huffington Post of all places, is giving Hillary Clinton credit, citing the fierce voter registration war waged between Clinton and Obama during the Pennsylvania Democratic primary last year as the major cause of Pennsylvania's massive shift to Blue.

Specter is the 4th most bipartisan-moderate member of the GOP caucus, according to the Congressional Database, and 4th overall in both Houses of Congress. He ranks behind Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE). According to the Washington Post both Senators Snowe and Collins have also been lobbied by the Democrats. Ironically, Olympia Snowe, who is the most centrist member of Congress (between both Houses) by a wide margin, only voting with her party 54.4% of the time, says joining the Democrat party is, "Something I would never do."

Specter's announcement came on the eve of President Obama's 100th day in office. Specter criticized ultra-conservative factions of the GOP for taking control of the caucus, and showed a little anger toward Republican politics and politicians since 2000. If there was ever a clearer slap in the face to the GOP, I've never seen it.