Archive for April, 2009
Vice President Joe Biden, center right, and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., center left, shake hands as Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., left and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., applaud during a reception at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. The reception was held to honor Specter for his vote for the economic stimulus package
Not really. Specter knows he cannot win in a Republican primary election in 2010 and he wants to stay in the United States Senate.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
Specter’s decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next senator from Minnesota. (Former senator Norm Coleman is appealing Franken’s victory in the state Supreme Court.)
Senator Specter’s statement:
I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.
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.
When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.
Since then, I have traveled the state, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.
I have decided to run for reelection in 2010 in the Democratic primary.
I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for reelection determined in a general election.
I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank specially Senators McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.
I am not making this decision because there are no important and interesting opportunities outside the Senate. I take on this complicated run for reelection because I am deeply concerned about the future of our country and I believe I have a significant contribution to make on many of the key issues of the day, especially medical research. NIH funding has saved or lengthened thousands of lives, including mine, and much more needs to be done. And my seniority is very important to continue to bring important projects vital to Pennsylvania’s economy.
I am taking this action now because there are fewer than thirteen months to the 2010 Pennsylvania Primary and there is much to be done in preparation for that election. Upon request, I will return campaign contributions contributed during this cycle.
While each member of the Senate caucuses with his Party, what each of us hopes to accomplish is distinct from his party affiliation. The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation. And no Senator, no matter how loyal he is to his Party, should or would put party loyalty above his duty to the state and nation.
My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch, which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (card check) will not change.
Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy’s statement that sometimes party asks too much. When it does, I will continue my independent voting and follow my conscience on what I think is best for Pennsylvania and America.
And, if you are a Pennsylvania Democrat why would your trust Arlen Specter any more than when he was a Republican? He has said he is not an automatic 60th vote for cloture.
Plus, Specter’s ACU rating lifetime is 40 versus Bob Casey whose rating is 8.
The Democrats in Pennsylvania will likely run a lockstep Democrat against the 79 year old Specter and defeat him anyway.
Let’s face it, Specter switched parties for political expedience and everyone understands he put his own political career and re-election before party and country.
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Posted by Flap in Day By Day
Day By Day by Chris Muir
Now, Chris, will Rahm be keeping an eye on Joe Biden or the teleprompter operator? Both have been prone to gaffes lately.
And, then, there is the MORON in the White House who terrorized New York City with Air Force One for a photo op fly over.
Watch those inanimate objects.
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The Fox network is sticking with its regular schedule over President Barack Obama this week.
The network is turning down the president's request to show his prime-time news conference on Wednesday. The news conference marks Obama's 100th day in office. Instead of the president, Fox viewers will see an episode of the Tim Roth drama "Lie to Me."
It's the first time a broadcast network has refused Obama's request. This will be the third prime-time news conference in Obama's presidency. ABC, CBS and NBC are airing it.
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The opinion polls have uttered. The country loves the new 50 per cent top rate of income tax. Soak the rich. Smash the bankers. So Government spin doctors are in second heaven. The Conservatives' silence redefines a tomb. And I suppose there'd be quite a turnout for the public flogging of Sir Fred the Shred.
But before you book your tickets, hold hard. And before you lynch me as a rich b*****d flying a kite for my own cause, let me beg you to believe that I am not.
I believe that this new top rate of tax could be the final nail in the coffin of Britain plc
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The Audit Bureau of Circulations said Monday that average daily circulation declined 7.1 percent in the October-March period from the same six-month span in 2007-2008. The latest figure represents data from 395 daily U.S. newspapers that reported in both the current and year-ago periods.
The most recent drop was faster than the 4.6 percent fall recorded in the April-September period of 2008, and the 3.6 percent fall recorded in the October 2007-March 2008 span.
USA Today remains the No. 1 newspaper, though it suffered the steepest circulation drop in the publication's history. It sank 7.5 percent to 2,113,725 after several periods with little change. The Gannett Co.-owned newspaper attributes the falloff mostly to a drop in hotel occupancy that stemmed from the economic decline and a December price increase for copies sold at newsstands.
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The New York Post today published, and I linked, a slap at Obama's promises of bipartisanship attributed to Gov. Sarah Palin.
The only problem: Palin didn't write the article. Conservative writer Meghan Clyne did.
" The byline was a mistake. I mixed up an e-mail from Meghan Stapleton, who works for Palin, with Meghan Clyne. That's why it was corrected," emails Post Sunday editor Steve Lynch.
It's the sort of thing that happens, but seems to happen more to Palin.
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Yet, a slim majority also say that they favor a government investigation into the use of harsh interrogation techniques used on terrorism suspects.
A new Gallup Poll finds 51% of Americans in favor and 42% opposed to an investigation into the use of harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects during the Bush administration. At the same time, 55% of Americans believe in retrospect that the use of the interrogation techniques was justified, while only 36% say it was not. Notably, a majority of those following the news about this matter “very closely” oppose an investigation and think the methods were justified.
The fact is that President Obama has NOT declassified all of the CIA memos that describe the CIA enhanced interrogation techniques and their success, if any.
Obviously, the Left’s and President’s argument that the techniques were not justified has not been accepted by a majority of Americans.
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A screen capture from the website
From the press release:
Formed in the spirit of the Tea Party theme associated with the Tax Day Tea Party, the California Tea Party Political Action Committee seeks to aid in preventing the passage of legislation encouraging tax increases and promoting legislation that decreases taxes.
From the California Tea Party Political Action Committee Website (http://www.teapartypac.com):
“Just as the original Boston Tea Party was fueled by excess taxes imposed upon American Colonists, the 2009 Tea Party Tax Revolt is inspired by unfair taxes imposed by the United States and California Governments. American Citizens are fed up with the excessive taxation and spending proposed by the Obama Administration. Additionally, the residents of California are now subjected to the highest tax burden in the United States with the recent addition of $16 billion dollars of taxes imposed by the California Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.â€
“The California Tea Party PAC is a non-partisan organization that works to channel the energy of the grassroots anti-tax political movement and apply it to current California legislation and create real change in government. Funds raised by the group are used to fight tax increases, and promote conservative, pro-growth, limited government candidates and issues in California government regardless of political affiliation.â€
The California Tea Party Political Action Committee’s primary agenda is the defeat of Proposition 1A. Their goal is to raise funds through online contributions that will be used specifically to support the No on Proposition 1A Campaign.
California Residents are encouraged to make a $10, $50, $100 contribution or more at http://www.teapartypac.com/contribute to aid in the effort to defeat the $16 billion tax increase should Proposition 1A pass on the May 19, 2009 Special Election.
The California Tea Party Pac is on Twitter here and also on Facebook.
Go ahead and check it out. You will be glad you did.
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Posted by Flap in Swine Flu
Custom agents are now finally checking people coming into the United States by land and air.
President Barack Obama said Monday the threat of spreading swine flu infections was a concern but “not a cause for alarm,” while customs agents began checking people coming into the United States by land and air. The World Health Organization said there were 40 confirmed cases in the U.S. but no deaths.
Countries across the globe increased their vigilance amid increasing worries about a worldwide pandemic, Obama told a gathering of scientists that his administration’s Department of Health and Human Services “has declared a public health emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that we have the resources we need at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively.”
But, not a cause for alarm.
Right.
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