It was not that long ago - just a few hours in fact - that Arlen Specter proudly told President Obama ‘I’m a loyal Democrat. I support your agenda.’ And so Specter did - all the way up until his first vote as a Democrat. Today Specter cast his first vote in opposition to one of Obama’s top priorities - a measure Democrats favored to make it harder for banks to foreclose on homes:
Centrist Senate Democrats joined with Republicans on Thursday to defeat a measure intended to help struggling homeowners stay in their homes.
By a 45-51 vote, Senators voted against an amendment that would have allowed bankruptcy judges to write down the terms of existing primary home mortgages. The proposal was offered to a bill that would increase the borrowing authority of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp…
Supported by President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) spent more than a year negotiating with banks and their lobbying arms in Washington, D.C., on a compromise that they could accept.
On Thursday, Durbin said nearly all parties had walked away from the negotiating table, and he reiterated that he would oppose future government bailouts of the banking industry.
“I am sick and tired of being asked to give billions of dollars to these banks when they won’t in any way help the people who are facing mortgage foreclosure,” Durbin said. “If they have no sympathy for 8 million families that are facing foreclosure in this country, then I don’t have any sympathy for them…”
Though Durbin said he believed the issue might be dead for the year, he did hold out hope that the provision might be salvaged by a House-Senate conference committee on the bill. “I know that Democrats in the House feel very intensely about this,” he said.
This amendment was defeated 51-45, so it wasn’t even as if Specter’s vote really mattered. Nevertheless, he shows a surprising lack of loyalty to a Senate Democratic conference that welcomed him with open arms, and which is promising him committee seniority and a clear path to the Democratic nomination. Do you think maybe Specter just doesn’t appreciate the good deal he got? It’s enough to make people think he’s disloyal!
Note: The ‘Cram Down’ is a terrible idea, of course. If I were Specter, I’d vote against it. But then again, I’m a Republican - with no stake in the success of the Obama agenda. What’s Specter’s excuse?
Update: It’s been pointed out to me that Specter voted against the Obama budget after he announced his switch. In the Senate’s record of roll call votes, he is listed as a Republican at the time of that specific vote; that was the reason for my error.
Of course, he’s now two-for-two on opposing top Obama priorities since his switch. It seems he’s a better Republican now than before.
Good
Thomas_Hauber Thursday, April 30th at 4:28PM EDT (link)Let Specter the defector be a DINO for awhile. The Dems will learn to despise him as much as Republicans did.
People will desert a cause
redneck_hippie Thursday, April 30th at 5:04PM EDT (link)for any number of reasons. Needing to build a war chest in only about 5 years would be a powerful motivator, and it’s proven that there is only one guy on the Specter team.
“We must not lose our faculty to dare, especially in dark days.” - Churchill in March, 1942.
Remember NY-23.
Maybe now we'll get some votes from him
realityunwound Thursday, April 30th at 5:05PM EDT (link)Where ever you go, there you are. The guy is the chief representative of the Republic of Arlen. This is brilliant. Let him keep it up. Makes Toomey’s job that much easier.
http://www.realityunwound.com
Rofl
Pomme Thursday, April 30th at 5:08PM EDT (link)That’s funny.
Methinks somebody got a little too used to bucking his party, and it just came natural to him.
“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views” William F Buckley Jr.
But He Voted For Porkulus
Swamp_Yankee Thursday, April 30th at 5:49PM EDT (link)so who cares. The idea that Specter couldnt have been of any value for the next 15 months is insanity. Falling off the cliff of socialism and spitting in the wind.
Not Dead Yet!
But He Voted For Porkulus
Swamp_Yankee Thursday, April 30th at 5:49PM EDT (link)so who cares. The idea that Specter couldnt have been of any value for the next 15 months is insanity. Falling off the cliff of socialism and spitting in the wind.
Not Dead Yet!
He is going to earn himself a Democratic primary
TxCon Thursday, April 30th at 5:52PM EDT (link)opponent as well, if he keeps this up.
I'm beginning to think this Specter switch is a win-win-win
ciscoguy Thursday, April 30th at 7:38PM EDT (link)Whatever his motivations are, if there’s some prestige to be had by becoming the Senate x-factor, or whatever the case may be, I think this is going to work out great.
If Specter remained a Republican, Toomey would have defeated him. As a Democrat, I think it’s really anyone’s guess who would win in the general, but I’d certainly rather Toomey lost to Specter than some full-fledged liberal. It would certainly be an interesting race.
There’s a chance a real Democrat could challenge Specter, but I think it’s highly unlikely for that person to get the nomination. And, if for some reason Specter lost in a primary to another Democrat, we’d be right back to where we were hoping to be before Specter moved to the dark side: Toomey vs. whomever
so once again this year, Bi-Partisanship is Democrats joining with Republicans
JLenardDetroit Thursday, April 30th at 7:49PM EDT (link)we certainly won’t hear the MSM reporting it that way… like they completely ignored that more Democrats voted with Republicans (House) against the Porkulus and focused on the 3 Stooges in the Senate.
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (Reco) (Quotes) (removeRINOs.com) (RSmas)
+ 0bama Lies & your Bank acct will Die! (4/15 Truthers)
+ Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
+ I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
“The first Liberal was Satan” - a Rush caller (other Quotes)
Nice to have Specter annoy them instead of us for a change - nt
Return to Revolution Thursday, April 30th at 8:32PM EDT (link)The evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it.
Looks to me like Specter is already exerting payback on the Dem Senate leadership...
conservativemusician Thursday, April 30th at 9:31PM EDT (link)Several of whom are hacked off at Reid for making a backroom deal with Specter that would allow him to go to the top of the food chain on Dem committee assignments based on his total number of years in the Senate (although none of them were served in Democratic party).
It is a bit of sweet irony that key Dem Senators are not offering the welcome mat to Specter for switching over, so I would imagine this came as a surprise to him and ticked him off as well. This actually may turn out in the end to be just as effective as Operation Chaos was…and I’ll greatly enjoy watching the infighting from the other side of the aisle for once.
Also, I wonder if Obama is still so enthused now about campaigning for Specter next year…Something tells me that Specter might be receiving a severed horse’s head in his bed pretty soon if he keeps straying off the Obama reservation.
I guess they can't trust him either, hmm?
JustLeaveMeAlone Thursday, April 30th at 10:48PM EDT (link)n/t
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson
This is a head fake.
Tanggor Thursday, April 30th at 10:56PM EDT (link)Don’t believe everything you see. He probably did it on specific instructions from the Obamunist.
“Vote against us on these couple things, Arlen old buddy. That’ll throw ‘em off a bit! Keep ‘em guessing.”
In this town (Washington Metro Area) nothing is ever as it seems. There are always wheels withing wheels. Uncover the agenda behind an action, and I can assure you there are more agendas underneath, like the layers of an onion.
Arlen is a self-serving weasel. The true benefit to him of his actions will not always be easily seen.
“It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.” – George Washington
This bill was a no go from the start...
Husker Thursday, April 30th at 11:42PM EDT (link)Specter didn’t need to waste an Aye vote on this albatross because it was an unpopular bill.
Let me know when he’s the #60 vote to defeat a prized piece of legislation on the Obama American Makeover Project then I’ll cheer.
Until then meh.