Surprise Move By Specter to Give Democrats 60 in Senate

George Wenschhof Bio

In a move similar to the one made by Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) prior to the general election in 2006, Senator Arlen Specter (Pa.) has decided to switch parties and become a Democrat.

Many remember Lieberman as the Democratic vice presidential candidate with Al Gore in the 2000 election. After a unsuccessful run for the Democratic party nomination for president in 2004, Lieberman was defeated in the Democratic primary in his bid for reelection to the Senate in 2006. His defeat in the Democratic primary was fueled by his support of the war in Iraq as liberal Democrats opposed continued U.S. presence in Iraq. Lieberman switched to Independent and won reelection to the Senate. He added insult to the Democratic party by supporting Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the 2008 election.

Democratic Leaders realized they would need Lieberman's vote on many key issues, and in spite of the call by many to sanction Lieberman for his actions, the Democratic party only delivered a slight slap on the wrist. They allowed Lieberman to continue to caucus with the Democrats and maintain his chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Senator Arlen Specter is the longest serving Senator in the state of Pennsylvania. He was first elected as a Republican in 1980. He came under recent fire from his fellow Republicans as he was one of only three Republican Senators who supported President Barack Obama's Stimulus bill. Serious moves were being taken to run a more conservative Republican against him in next year's mid-term elections. Recent polls indicated he was losing to declared Republican challenger; former Representative Pat Toomey.

With this surprise move of changing party affiliation to Democrat, he will be a favorite to win in the general election as many Republicans will vote for him in addition to his newly found Democratic voter friends.

In the meantime, The Republican party angst against Senator Specter has backfired and lead the Democratic party to what appears to be a filibuster proof number of 60 seats in the Senate. When Al Franken is finally seated from Minnesota, he will make 57 elected Democrats in the Senate. Independents Bernie Sanders (Vt.) and Joe Lieberman (Conn.) caucus with the Democrats and make it 59. So, when Specter makes it official he is a Democrat next week, he will be number 60.

While the official announcement by Specter is not until next week, President Obama has already telephoned Senator Specter this morning and welcomed him to the Democratic party.

Politics makes strange bedfellows...

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