Comments on: Specter’s First Defection

By: sinz54

sinz54 — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:48:13 +0000

The statements from the two parties over the Specter switch are just part of the usual kabuki theater when a politician switches parties.

The party he leaves calls it "traitorous," "opportunistic" and "unprincipled."

The party he joins calls it "an act of conscience" and "a profile in courage."

By: Timmay

Timmay — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Another great article Geoff.Maybe at some point, folks in the Republican ranks will wake up and get a clue. Speaking from the view of the Commonwealth, we have long needed more John Warner and way less Jeff Frederick, and that dichotomy is mirrored on the national scene as well.

By: ESB

ESB — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:40:48 +0000

Congressman Richard Cheney! There goes my faith in humanity. The problem with so much of the current post-Specter-split hand-wringing, which is a sub-species (like an octopus?) of broader angst about The Alleged Death of the Republican Moderate, is that journalists and commentators start the story too late. We have Rove killing moderates off in the ’00s, or Newt and Pat smashing the ill-fated “big tent” in the ’90s, or H.W. caving to voodoo economics in ‘80 without getting enough credit for cynicism to survive as a “conservative” president. (Tax hike or no, he always reeked more of New England than Texas — but that fact alone doesn’t fix The Alleged Death of the Republican Moderate in 1992, any more than Specter’s defection finished carving the gravestone on Tuesday.) Thank you for bringing to light the battle for the party as it began in the ’50s and ’60s — and continues.

By: Bulldoglover100

Bulldoglover100 — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:23:47 +0000

Arlen cannot be trusted. We know this. As My Granny used to say “When someone shows you who they are? Believe them”….and Arlen showed them who he was years ago…they apparently forgot BUT so did we when we welcomed him in back in 1965……….