The Senate Dems get their 60th vote (once Norm Coleman winds up his pathetic grasping in MN) today, with PA Senator Arlen Specter switching parties.
"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."
"Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."
I have to imagine that Schumer and the DSCC will clear the decks for Specter in the Democratic primary- and that this was probably part of the deal for Specter coming over. Specter was in an untenable position before his switch- he almost certainly would have won the general election as a Republican, but was facing an almost unwinnable primary challenge from former Congressman and Club-for-Growth president Pat Toomey. Specter, as a D, should cruise to victory- he has support from organized labor- which he can now deploy without fear of Toomey stirring up anti-labor issues in a primary. I suspect that in a general-election matchup with Toomey, Specter will keep much of his support from independents, some of the moderate Republicans, and pick up a lot of votes from yellow-dog dems who liked him but wouldn't vote for him as a Republican in the past.
Now the Dems can break a filibuster, so long as they can keep Ben Nelson and co. in line...
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