Senator Specter's End Game?

One would think that he would be embracing the Democratic values and the Democratic brand since he has switched Parties? But he has changed nothing. He still says he will vote like a Republican?

Why? Maybe he has decided that he may not win but he will make sure that the Republican does not win. He is playing the "Lieberman" card. He will still get many of the Republican votes in the next election, out of loyalty from past elections. He hopes to pick up enough Democrats and Independents to be elected the next Senator from PA. He may just do it.

The only thing that might prevent this scenario is whether or not he has a Democratic primary opponent. If this happens, he will probably lose the primary. However, his end game is to make sure that the Republican, Toomey, does not win. There is a bit of revenge in his decision to switch Parties and he is not the type to take it sitting down.

Why is everyone avoiding the elephant (er, Donkey) in the living room?

How come (almost) no one here has even mentioned Obamas role in this?

Thats the key to the Specter problem and no one seems to have the integrity to even dare to place any blame where it actually belongs.

No one has even mentioned that Obama has pledged to involve himself in an wide open primary (which is NEVER done) and to raise money and campaign for Specter.

Just when we are ready to elect a great new Dem from PA. (Sestak has raised $4 mill for this race)

11th dimensional chess my arse, this is tactically stupid.

This is sooo off the charts selfish of Obama. In search of
the completely mythical # 60, he sells out all PA Dems.

The reality is Specter NEEDS us.

Polls have him 25 points down in the GOP Primary. We give Specter a great gift by letting him join our Party caucus and then have a chance to win in our primary.

We owe him nothing more than that CHANCE for survival.

But Obama has pledged to defeat real Dems in order to protect this temporary one.

Where is the outrage at this?

Obama better back down from supporting this guy in my home state primary.

If he doesnt, I say we primary him in 2012 after we elect Joe Sestak in 2010.

What that says to me is that Obama has quietly reassured Sestak and asked him to be patient. I can't believe that Obama didn't have "discussions" with Spector about how much support his initiatives would get from Spector. It wouldn't make sense for him not too.

This has got to be difficult for Sestak and his supporters, such as you. It puts you and him in an awful bind. I don't know Sestak but I like what I've seen and I feel that he is really talented. IMO, Spector should gracefully bow out, now that he's avoided a certain loss in the Republican primary.

polling that shows he wouldn't do well against Spector and in slowly moving away from his "I'll challenge him no matter what" position of a few days ago.

totally 100% untrue.

what!?

No.

Obama didnt say he might campaign and raise funds for Specter - he said he WILL campaign and raise funds for Specter.

It might not make sense, but these 'discussions' never happened.


Spector will never gracefully bow out.

The only answer is for Dems ,with a spine, to stand up to Obama and say Hell NO!

We wont let you Give Away OUR Senate seat.

this was both a sell out and a blunder.

open your eyes.

Specter said on MTP this morning that no one had promised him anything - not even that there would not be a primary opponent? Do you have a link or where did you hear or read this?

The only "news shows" I watch on TV lately have been Keith, Rachel and the Daily Show. I don't remember which one (or maybe all) covered it on TV but here are some online news links:

]Reporting from Washington -- Calling him "one tough hombre," President Barack Obama this morning welcomed Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania back to the Democratic Party with promises that he will campaign for him and seek his advice -- "especially when he disagrees."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-specter30-2009apr30,0,5175203.story

Specter says Obama promised to campaign for him

5 days ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veteran Sen. Arlen Specter says President Barack Obama has promised to campaign for him in next year's Democratic primary in Pennsylvania.

Specter told reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday that he spoke to the president about his party switch.

Separately, the White House said no promises were made to Specter to get him to switch parties and become a Democrat. Asked about Specter, press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that no promises were made to the veteran senator as far as he knows.

The five-term senator announced Tuesday that he is leaving the Republican Party.

Gibbs says President Barack Obama is "quite pleased" with Specter's decision.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKVHsIYjUUoepfgnPiMXxOEuh9mwD97RKV800\\

Mr. Specter said on Sunday that he was given no promises or perks as inducements for making the switch. Yet President Obama is expected to endorse him for re-election on Wednesday, which will likely give him a boost in his new party’s primary.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/us/politics/04talkshows.html

OF course, they will say they are pleased with his decision. No one turns down a Senator when he is switching Parties. That is to be expected. On Tuesday, Specter said that Obama was going to campaign for him? Today, Specter says that there were no promises made except that he would keep his seniority. Which is true?

The whole thing really pisses me off, though.

:(

People arent getting this. There is no way any Dem can run if Obama follows thru with his pledge to back Specter.

Obviously Obama can and should welcome Specter to our Caucus. But Presidents NEVER get involved in open primaries precisely because they efforts would be too decisive, No one inside the political/fundrasing structure will dare oppose the Prez or his pick. This is a first.

The President will have to back away from him only if we LOUDLY tell him to.

If a Democrat runs against Arlen in a primary, my bet is that Specter is defeated, no matter what President Obama might say? No one will dare oppose the President or his pick?? Hey! These are Democrats - not Republicans! :-)

what!?

No.

Obama didnt say he might campaign and raise funds for Specter - he said he WILL campaign and raise funds for Specter.

It might not make sense, but these 'discussions' never happened.


Spector will never gracefully bow out.

The only answer is for Dems ,with a spine, to stand up to Obama and say Hell NO!

We wont let you Give Away OUR Senate seat.

There is no deal for Spector by the PA Democratic voters. No reason for Sestak to keep his powder dry. It's Democracy baby!

in a primary.. He cannot run for both seats, and keep the one that he likes best. he has to not run for re-election to the house, in order to run for the senate..and PA apparently has a law that prevents him from creating a whole new venue like Lieberman did, if he loses the primary..

bt he first needs Dems with courage to tell Obama to stay out of the Primary.

ive never heard of one EVER getting involved in an open primary.

First, the Supreme Court. What committee is Specter either a king or a prince on? JUDICIARY. Odds are good he'll need Specter's help at least two more times after the Souter replacement, at least.

Second, health care. Specter has battled cancer, as we all know. The issue of health care is one he can help with.

I think Sestak has been told to nip at Arlen's heels, just so he doesn't get too smug or rest too easy.

I think it's meaningful that Sestak nowhas a "wait and see" attitude when before it was "I'm challenging him in the primary" a few days ago.

I get the sense he has the playbook, and he's running the plays the coach gave him.

That's just my opinion, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the case. If he does a good job, there's a reward for him downstream.

I just can't agree that Obama has made a "blunder" in something like this. I guess it's "possible" but highly unlikely IMO. something else is afoot here...

I think Arlen will get help if he plays ball, and if later, he decides to be a shit, he'll lose his coveted committee assignments.

I think Sestak may have gotten something, too--he's either next in line, and/or Rahm has brokered a few good committees for him, too. Committee assignments are a good deal--if you're important enough, you can even get extra staffers to help you do your work. When you have extra staffers, you can expand your reach and your level of influence. It also enables you to fire up a PAC and get contributions, and use those contributions to build alliances amongst your peers.

It's all quite symbiotic. Obama didn't make a blunder. I mean, really--look who his COS is. Rahm knows the House backwards and forewards. Biden knows the Senate better than anyone in the White House. This whole thing has been coordinated to the Nth degree, IMO. Anyone who carps at Obama for being pragmatic has an agenda that might not be consonant with the broader, long term goals of his administration.

re-read this thread...

I really think Obama's legislative liaison team (Rahm and Biden leading the charge) couldn't be better. They're very precise and surgical, they don't do the ham-handed bullshit that Cheney did--he put his hand up Frist's ass and played him like a puppet, which caused a massive amount of anger and resentment.

Instead, they figure out what they want to do, what their goals are, what legislation they want to pass, and take targeted action to achieve that goal. They don't bully the legislative branch, and I like that. They recognize that elections do have consequences, but they also let the Hill breathe. There's more give-and-take. It's a good thing.

He knows very well that it's incredibly difficult to unseat an incumbent in a general election, no matter how they vote. He's banking that the political machinery will defend him from dealing with little things like constituents and the democratic process. It's a safe bet.

He knows that the only groups he *really* needs to appease to hold onto his seat (and keep the money flowing in) are the political and business establishments, and he's covered there.

still gets a blanket promise of no opposition, I really might vote for or write-in someone like Sestak.

possibly be conspiring in a Republicon gambit to avoid a PA senatorial loss to the Democrats by tying that seat up on the Dem side by switching parties? After spending the last 8 years diffusing their hot issues with feigned concerns and misdirecting those concerns into political black holes, surely Specter has no values independent of the RNC. He's certainly no Democrat. My bet is he's playing a Democrat under instruction of the RNC.

"I'm so happy the Republicans have moved towards the center." Arlen, Jan. 2011.

Blue Dog with a scarlet red lining.

he's massively unpopular with PA repukes. but yeah, we need a strong primary challenger.

He may not get any of the right-wing Repub votes but a lot of Repubs that voted for him before might vote for him again? I think he might take a lot of Repub votes from the Republican?

That's why specter was getting his ass whooped by Toomey in polling. There aren't moderate repubs to vote for him anymore.