When Senator Arlen Specter made the jump from Republican to Democrat last week, the buzz was that the Dems were ever so much closer to that “crucial” 60th vote in the Senate. Well, apparently Arlen isn’t going to be so cooperative. From today’s MTP:
GREGORY: It was reported this week that when you met with the president, you said, “I will be a loyal democrat. I support your agenda.” Let me test that on probably one of the most important areas of his agenda, and that’s health care. Would you support health care reform that puts up a government run public plan to compete with a private plan issued by a private insurance company?
SPECTER: No. And you misquote me, David. I did not say I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that. And last week, after I said I was changing parties, I voted against the budget because the budget has a way to pass health care with 51 votes, which undermines a basic Senate institution to require 60 votes to impose closure on key issues…. I did not say I am a loyal Democrat.
I’ve thought for quite some time that the buzz about sixty votes was overblown. Having sixty Democrats in the Senate does NOT mean there are sixty VOTES to enact their agenda. And apparently Arlen isn’t going to be any more cooperative to the Dems than he was to the GOP. You see, Steve Benen identifies the critical issue:
For years, Republicans criticized Specter as a RINO — Republican In Name Only. As is turns out, at this point, Specter appears intent on literally being nothing more than a DINO — Democrat In Name Only. Specter doesn’t want to do any of the actual work involved in being a valuable member of his new team, preferring to vote exactly as he used to, only now with a different letter after his name in parentheses.
This gets more entertaining by the day.
Caleb Howe
bs
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Vladimir
Mark Impomeni
Maybe there is hope...
Ron Robinson Sunday, May 3rd at 6:55PM EDT (link)until we get him tossed out anyway….
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Ron Robinson
e-Commerce Exec at 800Cart.com eCommerce who blogs at watchcenter.blogspot.com For over 15 years, his firm has assisted over 10,000 small merchants to quickly and easily ’self serve’ their businesses to e-commerce prosperity.
RINO vs DINO
Right_Again Sunday, May 3rd at 7:22PM EDT (link)I suspect we will hate Arlen Specter far less as a DINO than as a RINO. If we view him as a poor, misled Democrat who occasionally gets things right he will somehow seem to pose less of a problem.
Hopefully he will replaced by Pat Toomey and will no longer be a problem at all.
Give me a "N!"
Moe Lane Sunday, May 3rd at 7:39PM EDT (link)Give me an O!
Give me a T!
Give me an O!
Give me an U!
Give me a R!
Give me a P!
Give me a R!
Give me an O!
Give me a B!
Give me a L!
Give me an E!
Give me a M!
What does it spell?
“Not our problem!”
What does it spell?
“Not our problem!”
I can’t hear you!
“NOT OUR PROBLEM!”
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LOL - 5
conservativemusician Sunday, May 3rd at 8:42PM EDT (link)Now let the Dems deal with this “three faced triple crosser” (a little Victor Borge “inflationary language” reference there).
Funny
Jeff Weimer Sunday, May 3rd at 8:46PM EDT (link)But you put WAAAY too much work into that.
“We stand at once the wonder and admiration of the whole world, and we must enquire what it is that has given us so much prosperity. This cause is that every man can make himself.” - Abraham Lincoln
“Cowardice asks the question, is it expedient? And vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right?” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cut-n-paste, dude.
Moe Lane Sunday, May 3rd at 9:21PM EDT (link)Cut-n-paste.
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Now, if we can get some focus on PLINOs
JLenardDetroit Sunday, May 3rd at 7:49PM EDT (link)Pro-Life In Name Only (PLINO, discussion started here in that Democrat Pro-Lifers are just PLINOs and we need to wake people up to that not really helping the Pro-Life agenda.
RINO and Blue-Dog, and now the DINO, PLINO, Red-Dog terms
(see Red-Dogs vs RINO)
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (toss McCain)
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)
Your "litmus test"
SteveLA Sunday, May 3rd at 7:55PM EDT (link)JLenardDetroit
So what is your litmus test on this topic?
Must support a HLA and or outright bans on all aborts or you’re a RINO, PLINO or what ever you choose to deem the designator?
How do Instrumentalist who do support making abortion more restrictive but do not support outright bans, and support research with embryonic stem cells like Nancy Reagan and others including me, where do we fall in your spectrum?
______________________________________
Competency over ideological purity and litmus tests
don't have one...
JLenardDetroit Sunday, May 3rd at 8:39PM EDT (link)Just saying that IN EFFECT, based on the JackAss Party Platform and their policies ANY Pro-Life Democrat is pretty much in effect a PLINO - it is NOT their rhetoric but the RESULTS of their actions that provide the exact opposite to/of the things (Pro-Life) they claim to be. And just trying to get the distinction that there are degrees of others that common-ground can be reached with Partial-Choicers rather than shutting them out if they are NOT 100% to whatever Pro-Life “litmus” test (as you put it) that many do have.
Not gonna bother to be dragged into the “I’m more Pro-Life” shout-downs - some of my fellow Conservatives devolve into Democrats with only Emotion knee-jerk reactions when the subject comes up. that is discussed more in depth here. It would be nice if we could have POLITE discussions on it though.
Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (toss McCain)
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)
Arlen Baby
edward_cropper Sunday, May 3rd at 7:54PM EDT (link)There you go again assuming Specter actually means what he says and says what he means.
This guy will never be a trustworthy individual, it simply is not in his makeup.
Edward Cropper
Sure. Two weeks ago Specter said he was not changing parties
Marcus_Traianus Sunday, May 3rd at 8:39PM EDT (link)Forgive me is I find anything Arlen says is disingenuous at best, mendacity at worst.
I suspect the old boy will be just as loyal to Democrats as he was to Republicans. Whichever way the political wind blows and buys him the best headline old Arlen will vote.
“Both of our political parties, at least the honest portion of them, agree conscientiously in the same object—the public good; but they differ essentially in what they deem the means of promoting that good. One side believes it best done by one composition of the governing powers; the other, by a different one. One fears most the ignorance of the people; the other, the selfishness of rulers independent of them. Which is right, time and experience will prove.”.Thomas Jefferson
Contributor to The Minority Report
I think Specter will not get the chance to run against Toomey next year...
conservativemusician Sunday, May 3rd at 8:49PM EDT (link)The Dems will not suffer this insubordination very long and will rid themselves of him as soon as possible. They will run a true Dem next year against Specter in the Dem primary, probably someone like Fast Eddie Rendel. Toomey may very well lose next year in PA, but I don’t think it will be to Specter the way he’s alienating the leadership with his continual defiance. This just won’t be allowed in the Obama Utopia.
Kipling described Specter
Paul_In_Houston Sunday, May 3rd at 11:50PM EDT (link)more than 100 years ago…
The Devil he blew upon his nails, and the little devils ran,
And he said: “Go husk this whimpering thief that comes in the guise of a man:
“Winnow him out ‘twixt star and star, and sieve his proper worth:
“There’s sore decline in Adam’s line if this be spawn of Earth.”
Empusa’s crew, so naked-new they may not face the fire,
But weep that they bin too small to sin to the height of their desire,
Over the coal they chased the Soul, and racked it all abroad,
As children rifle a caddis-case or the raven’s foolish hoard.
And back they came with the tattered Thing, as children after play,
And they said: “The soul that he got from God he has bartered clean away.
“We have threshed a stook of print and book, and winnowed a chattering wind,
“And many a soul wherefrom he stole, but his we cannot find.
“We have handled him, we have dandled him, we have seared him to the bone,
“And Sire, if tooth and nail show truth, he has no soul of his own.”
“Tomlinson” `Rudyard Kipling - 1891
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Specter Will *Not* Survive a Dem Primary...
IJB Monday, May 4th at 12:39AM EDT (link)…Because of stuff like this.
It’s just that simple.
Lefties and DKos/Move-On types absolutely not tolerate this kind of silliness in their party. That’s one way in which they have it up over their party where we don’t have anything up over ours.
Anyway, cracks like this will get Specter easily defeated in next year’s PA Dem Senate Primary.
Bank on it.
Just as long as they spend a lot of money doing it.
Moe Lane Monday, May 4th at 12:42AM EDT (link)Which Specter has, mind you.
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