Arlen Specter, My take

I didn't see it coming. I didn't think his ego was this big. I had convinced myself that Snarlen' was looking for a way to bow out gracefully.

And so it goes, Arlen is now a Democrat, and President Obama has pledged to campaign for him in 2010.

Republicans who once praised him now condemn him.

Democrats who once condemned him now praise him.

Up is down, down is up.

Here's what I looked at tonight as I went through old emails. I got an email yesterday from the "Senateguru" screaming about how Arlen was against stimulus funding for flu prevention.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/27/gop-cut-flu-funding/Funding for flu preparedness was originally included in the economic stimulus bill earlier this year - but the protests of Arlen Specter and other Republicans led to it being stripped because - as Arlen Specter urged - the funding didn't belong in the economic stimulus bill.

Today's email from Senateguru says:

"If he remains an unreliable vote for cloture and continues to oppose EFCA and other initiatives that help working Americans, he will be no more of a Democrat moving forward than he has been previously. A prominent progressive Democrat could boot Specter."

Yet President Obama has promised to campaign for him, and State Representative Josh Shapiro has now publicly decided not to run for the seat.

I don't trust Arlen Specter. I understand the wisdom of having a Pennsylvania Senator with 30 years seniority, and the power that brings to bear. I think that Junior Senator Bob Casey and Senator Specter aren't all that far apart on many Conservative ideals at all.

I respect Senator Snarlen' for being something of a maverick, but I agree with Republicans that this is sheer political opportunism to try and retain his job. It's up to Pennsylvanians to decide in 18 months if he is worthy of six more years. In all honesty, I admire his will to live, but in reality, with his cancer, it isn't improper to ask if he will live out his term, or even be capable of serving all of it.

I'm not all that confident that he will win as a Democrat. I have this crazy idea that there is an undiscovered candidate out there who can defeat him in the 2010 primary.

18 months ago, would you have thought Barack Obama would be President? I think allowing Arlen Specter to be the Democratic Party Senate standard bearer in 2010 could tip the seat to the Republicans. The Democrats may actually be finding a way to give the seat back.

I've been wrong before, and I will be wrong about some things again, but that's how I see it.