Specter goes down.

[applecorped]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/

"PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday was defeated in a Democratic primary in his bid for a sixth term after taking the risky step of switching from the GOP. Voters picked U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak as the party's nominee and rejected the 80-year-old Specter in his first Democratic campaign since his Republican Party defection.
With 79 percent of precincts reporting, Sestak received 435,630 votes, or 53 percent; Specter received 384,027 votes, about 47 percent.
The vote also was a defeat for President Barack Obama, who supported Specter when he abandoned the Republican Party last year. In speaking briefly to supporters at a downtown Philadelphia hotel after the race was called, Specter thanked Obama for his msg support."

[willhaven]

Not entirely surprising. Honestly, it was closer than I anticipated.

[Cicero]

Good riddance.

[Puppycow]

But I thought that switching parties would enable him to get re-elected.

[MattusMaximus]

See ya, Arlen. November in PA just got a lot more interesting :)

[rjwould]

This has naught to do with Obama, he just did what he promised to do for a vote. Specter deserved to be defeated for the Anita Hill spectacle, but we had to wait for democrats to make the change because republicans didn't have the morality to.

[rjwould]

But I thought that switching parties would enable him to get re-elected.That only works down south, where people vote accent for phonies like Richard Shelby.

[Puppycow]

That only works down south, where people vote accent for phonies like Richard Shelby.

Just in case you didn't catch the reference, I was referring to a certain ad by Joe Sestak (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/us/politics/12adboxb.html). :)

[WildCat]

He was on the radio here a few weeks ago, and blamed his imprisonment on the Jews trumping up charges because he defended Demjanjuk.

[Darth Rotor]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/

"PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter on Tuesday was defeated in a Democratic primary in his bid for a sixth term after taking the risky step of switching from the GOP. Voters picked U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak as the party's nominee and rejected the 80-year-old Specter in his first Democratic campaign since his Republican Party defection. With 79 percent of precincts reporting, Sestak received 435,630 votes, or 53 percent; Specter received 384,027 votes, about 47 percent.
rejected the 80-year-old Specter
Obviously, this is a matter of age discrimination by Democrats in PA. :D

Does anyone get the feeling that some Senators feel that they cannot retire?

Did he wake up one day and decide that he was entitled to be a Senator until he stopped breathing?

DR

[thaiboxerken]

Given the title of the thread, I thought this was another rentboy.com topic.

[NoScotsman]

This has naught to do with Obama, he just did what he promised to do for a vote. Specter deserved to be defeated for the Anita Hill spectacle, but we had to wait for democrats to make the change because republicans didn't have the morality to.


Specter made a spectacle of himself with Anita Hill ;) His bullying tactics won't be missed. He was useful to Obama on the healthcare vote ... He served his purpose.

[Mark6]

But I thought that switching parties would enable him to get re-elected.
Arlen Specter thought so too.

Sometimes you just can't win...

[Mark6]

He was on the radio here a few weeks ago, and blamed his imprisonment on the Jews trumping up charges because he defended Demjanjuk.
What imprisonment?

[KingMerv00]

Just in case you didn't catch the reference, I was referring to a certain ad by Joe Sestak (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/us/politics/12adboxb.html). :)

I must have seen that ad dozens of times.

I'm usually annoyed by attack ads but sometimes they make a valid point.

[rjwould]

"Specter goes down."

I doubt that.

[Duncanthrax]

I voted for Sestak and am satisfied with the results. Still, I don't harbor any real ill-will towards Specter, and didn't decide on Sestak until the last few days. Specter's voting record is generally good, even when he was a Republican. I usually believe party-switching should be rewarded, but in this case it was glaringly obvious that he didn't do it out of conviction but simply because it was his only chance to be re-elected. And he's 80 years old and has cancer; that was a big factor for me. Still, he voted for the health care bill and will remain supportive of Sestak and other Democrats this fall, so I wish him a happy retirement.

[rjwould]

I voted for Sestak and am satisfied with the results. Still, I don't harbor any real ill-will towards Specter, and didn't decide on Sestak until the last few days. Specter's voting record is generally good, even when he was a Republican. I usually believe party-switching should be rewarded, but in this case it was glaringly obvious that he didn't do it out of conviction but simply because it was his only chance to be re-elected. And he's 80 years old and has cancer; that was a big factor for me. Still, he voted for the health care bill and will remain supportive of Sestak and other Democrats this fall, so I wish him a happy retirement.Yeah, but he sank health care back in 1992. Health care would be so much improved by now (18 years later) had he had a conscience back then.

[dudalb]

The other big news is Rand Paul's victory in Kentucky. Wait until the Dems start making Paul Jr the face of the GOP with emphasis on Paul's batcrap crazy ideas.

[KingMerv00]

The other big news is Rand Paul's victory in Kentucky. Wait until the Dems start making Paul Jr the face of the GOP with emphasis on Paul's batcrap crazy ideas.

Doesn't seem like Ron Paul hurt them all that much, why should Rand?

[dudalb]

Doesn't seem like Ron Paul hurt them all that much, why should Rand?

Ron could be written off as a loose cannon, but Rand cannot. A Senate Seat is a lot bigger deal then a House seat.

[quixotecoyote]

Ron could be written off as a loose cannon, but Rand cannot. A Senate Seat is a lot bigger deal then a House seat.

I don't think that distinction would carry too much weight with the average voter.

[KingMerv00]

I don't think that distinction would carry too much weight with the average voter.

I'm more cynical. I'm not sure the average citizen is aware of any distinction.

[headscratcher4]

Rand Paul gives the democrats a fighting chance for Ky. seat.

So long Arlen. He is 80 years old. He's been there 30 years. Two years ago he was endorsing Sarah Palin for VP. He's no democrat. I'm glad he switched parties, but he's no democrat. What is it Cromwell said? Something like: be gone! You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately. Or something like that.

[MattusMaximus]

I don't think that distinction would carry too much weight with the average voter.

Probably not in KY. However, if Paul gets into the Senate then I expect him to take up all manner of socially conservative goofiness - he'll be the next Dick Santorum :)

[MattusMaximus]

Rand Paul gives the democrats a fighting chance for Ky. seat.

You think so? I'd like to think so, but having grown up in KY I'm not going down that road unless there's some evidence to support the assertion. Got any?

[applecorped]

Did he wake up one day and decide that he was entitled to be a Senator until he stopped breathing?

DR


I'm sure it was more than one.

[hgc]

But I thought that switching parties would enable him to get re-elected.


Not enable, but rather, give him a chance. He had no chance as a Republican. He missed it anyway.

[Meadmaker]

I'm more cynical. I'm not sure the average citizen is aware of any distinction.

They aren't necessarily aware of the distinction, but Senators get a lot more news coverage.

[WildCat]

What imprisonment?
D'oh! Brain fart.

I was thinking of Trafficant. :blush:

[headscratcher4]

You think so? I'd like to think so, but having grown up in KY I'm not going down that road unless there's some evidence to support the assertion. Got any?

I believe it is a chance...Paul is certainly the front runner. And, indeed, Kentucky is one place where some one this radical could get elected, especially this year, it remains to be seen how well, when taken out of the context of a intra-GOP contest, his ideas fare. For example, one wonders about his support for ideas like privatizing or doing away with Social Security. Principled stands, possibly, but in a state as dependent on government transfer payments as so many in KY are, will it translate into real votes? I don't know, but it will be interesting to watch. Also, what is interesting, is that he will be at odds with many in the GOP if he is elected. It will be a true maverick...but KY is hurting in the recession. Sure people want change, but I suspect they also want help and wonder if Paul's message is compatible with that dichotomy.

In any event, he's off to a great start in extremeism, revisiting the Civil Rights Act and suggesting that businessess should be allowed to discriminate based on race, while condeming it as stupid for business. In the abstract, it is a principled position, in reality, the South of Jim Crow laws the vaunted market position didn't work for minorities...his principled position may look an awful lot like wistful wishing for the South of old.

[Thunder]

"Specter goes down."

does his wife know?

:)

[applecorped]

:rolleyes:

[Skeptic]

"Specter goes down."

I doubt that.

I suppose you mean he pays other to do it?