Senator Arlen Specter has decided to switch parties, according to multiple news reports. The senator from Pennsylvania is going to run in the 2010 election as a Democrat rater than as a Republican. This sounds shocking on the surface because such party crossovers are rare. But Specter has apparently been trailing in the polls behind challenger Pat Toomey and other polls have noted that a majority of Republicans were not likely (or were less likely) to vote for him because he had voted across party lines to pass the stimulus package.
The issue here is that it could create a no-filibuster vote possibility depending on the ‘actual 60 votes’ versus a ‘perceived 60 votes’ that would help to allow for rubber stamp bill passages in the Senate.
Now that Wall Street has had to all but formally move its virtual policy-making headquarters to Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., rather than in New York City, this could be a situation which makes some of the concerns of what lies beyond 2010 come even more front and center on votes immediately after today.
Hard line party members do not like to see this occur, and many often do not count their new party members as shoe-ins on votes. And then there is the real issue to address. Whether Specter can win in either party remains an uncertainty.
We have tried on three occasions to reach the Specter’s office for full confirmation, but it should be no shock that the phone number has been busy. There is also no notice on his official website as of 12:15 PM EST.
JON C. OGG
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