SPECTER'S SWITCH ANOTHER SIGN OF DEMOCRATIC COLLAPSE
Although Senator Arlen Specter's switch is being hailed by the media as a triumph for the Democratic Party, it's much more a sign of its collapse. As William Timberman wrote in Open Left: "Arlen Specter is a good Democrat, and we're extremists. More jiu-jitsu, maybe, but I'd say that it smells more like Rahm Emanuel, Tim Geithner, Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, Joe Lieberman, and all the rest of the earnest folks so hell-bent on looking out for the good of the country. It isn't enough to marginalize us, they feel obliged to insult us as well."
Progressive Punch, which keeps track of the voting records of members of Congress, gives Specter a low ranking of 37%.
The only issue on which he has voted right more than half the time has been family planning (60%).
And he comes in under 30% on education, the arts, fair taxation (6%), housing, justice, and war & peace.
The Hill, to be sure, reports that some Democrats are mad about Specter joining the party. But it isn't about issues; it's about him leaping ahead of their seniority.
Progressive Punch, which keeps track of the voting records of members of Congress, gives Specter a low ranking of 37%.
The only issue on which he has voted right more than half the time has been family planning (60%).
And he comes in under 30% on education, the arts, fair taxation (6%), housing, justice, and war & peace.
The Hill, to be sure, reports that some Democrats are mad about Specter joining the party. But it isn't about issues; it's about him leaping ahead of their seniority.
posted by TPR | 3:04 PM
7 Comments:
The famous, hugely-successful copywriter Jerry Della Femina was once hired to write political copy for Spector. But he found it impossible to get time with Spector and finally in frustration asked the campaign director just what it was that Spector stood for, so that he could get started writing.
The dead-serious response by the CD? "He stands for getting elected."
Della Femina promptly quit.
An unusual take on the matter, but I have to agree. The way I see it is that it indicates that the Democratic Party is now so far to the right that even right-wing Republicans are comfortable joining it.
As a young attorney, Spector was credited with creating the ludicrous "single bullet theory" that the preposterous Warren Commission coverup was based upon.
The fact that one of the architects of the coverup of the coup against President Kennedy has now been welcomed as a Democrat is a good reason why I'm glad not to be a Democrat.
It's like watching a train crash in slow motion.
http://www.oilempire.us/jfk.html
has links to some of the better perspectives on the coup d'etat against Kennedy
No Excuses Now
A Specter is Haunting the Democrats
By DAVE LINDORFF
http://counterpunch.org/lindorff04292009.html
Totally agree. It's like listening to LBJ not wanting to confront Nixon re:sabotaging peace talks with Vietnam 'for the good of the country' ---the lives of our soldiers and the Vietnamese people didn't even enter the equation. Same with our Democratic party today---they just think of their political careers and the elite they serve. Oh well, it's not like I had any illusions re:Obama or our country.
Totally agree. It's like listening to LBJ not wanting to confront Nixon re:sabotaging peace talks with Vietnam 'for the good of the country' ---the lives of our soldiers and the Vietnamese people didn't even enter the equation. Same with our Democratic party today---they just think of their political careers and the elite they serve. Oh well, it's not like I had any illusions re:Obama or our country.
What does it really matter if "Magic Bullet" Spector switches parties? Remember George Corley Wallace's dictum, one of the few worth quoting, "There isn't a dime's worth of difference between them". A third party, populist in nature, must be formed or the average person in this country is sunk.
Tony Vodvarka
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