Staff editorial
Specter switch
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Opinions
Last update: 4/29/09 at 9:20 PM EST
After sitting uncomfortably in a seat just to the right of the U.S. Senate's middle aisle for 29 years, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) finally mustered the courage Tuesday to shuffle over and take a seat on the other side.
After conservatives spent eight years drifting farther toward right-wing oblivion, Specter can confidently and justifiably say to his constituents: the Republican Party just isn't right for him any more.
Of course, Democrats and Republicans will (and have) framed this decision to their respective advantages. Republicans, like Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, have accused Specter of leaving "to further his political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record."
Though he openly admitted to being partially motivated by the belief that he wouldn't win the next Republican election, such claims about his "left-wing" tilt are simply untrue, and every Democrat is aware of it: Specter favored the Iraq War and supported George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominees.
The fact remains that Specter's decision is one of conscience, not merely politics. At a press conference Tuesday, he emphasized that his switch was both a statement of loyalty to Pennsylvanians and a refusal to let right-wingers decide his future, after three decades of what most people would call an admirable career.
"I'm not prepared to have my 29-year record in the U.S. Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate," Specter said. "I have not represented the Republican Party; I have represented the people of Pennsylvania. And I will continue to do just that."
After a career of proving his party independence - after five terms of support from both Democrats and Republicans - Specter's motives should not be a question. In fact, he should be applauded by voters in both parties for having the gall to switch back to his left-wing roots after 43 years.
And, after 43 years, it's also important to look at what finally pushed Specter over the line; losing complete touch with Republican politics, Specter also was wooed by the energy brought to the Democratic Party by the Obama administration. But Specter's shift - along with the shift of 200,000 registered Pennsylvania Republicans to the Democratic party - is not limited to this state. It's indicative of a broader national movement.
After conservatives spent eight years drifting farther toward right-wing oblivion, Specter can confidently and justifiably say to his constituents: the Republican Party just isn't right for him any more.
Of course, Democrats and Republicans will (and have) framed this decision to their respective advantages. Republicans, like Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, have accused Specter of leaving "to further his political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record."
Though he openly admitted to being partially motivated by the belief that he wouldn't win the next Republican election, such claims about his "left-wing" tilt are simply untrue, and every Democrat is aware of it: Specter favored the Iraq War and supported George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominees.
The fact remains that Specter's decision is one of conscience, not merely politics. At a press conference Tuesday, he emphasized that his switch was both a statement of loyalty to Pennsylvanians and a refusal to let right-wingers decide his future, after three decades of what most people would call an admirable career.
"I'm not prepared to have my 29-year record in the U.S. Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate," Specter said. "I have not represented the Republican Party; I have represented the people of Pennsylvania. And I will continue to do just that."
After a career of proving his party independence - after five terms of support from both Democrats and Republicans - Specter's motives should not be a question. In fact, he should be applauded by voters in both parties for having the gall to switch back to his left-wing roots after 43 years.
And, after 43 years, it's also important to look at what finally pushed Specter over the line; losing complete touch with Republican politics, Specter also was wooed by the energy brought to the Democratic Party by the Obama administration. But Specter's shift - along with the shift of 200,000 registered Pennsylvania Republicans to the Democratic party - is not limited to this state. It's indicative of a broader national movement.
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