Arlen Specter tilting rightward
It's pander time for an endangered species
Arlen Specter tilting rightward
Dick Polman, Inquirer National Political Columnist
Arlen Specter, the senior senator from Pennsylvania and longtime endangered species, launched his 2010 re-election bid on the Senate floor yesterday.
Specter's ostensible target was Eric Holder, the Obama administration's nominee for attorney general; as the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Specter vowed - in notably harsh tones - to give Holder a very tough time during the upcoming confirmation hearings, just to ensure that Holder will not be merely a water carrier for the Obama White House.
But, between the lines, here's what Specter was really saying: "I'm up for re-election in less than two years, which means it's time for me to suck up to the right wing of my party. I've long had a reputation as a moderate Republican, but moderate Republicans are an endangered species, especially in the Northeast; basically, the only ones left in the Senate are me and the two ladies from Maine. The right-wing Pennsylvania voters almost booted me out four years ago - I barely survived the party primary that April, beating conservative Pat Toomey by only 1.6 percent - and those voters would love to get me in the 2010 party primary. So this means I've gotta start sucking up to them, prove to them that I can be tough on Obama, and play the obstructionist when necessary. Better start now."
Conservative activists require no less. One of the top activists, Patrick Ruffini, said as much the other day: "The GOP's number one priority politically is to set into motion a series of events that will make Obama look more ineffective, partisan, and unpopular than he is today...we need to set the stage for a unified and effective Republican opposition that will actually fight from top to bottom."
And so Specter is falling into line. One would certainly expect the ranking Judiciary Committee Republican to quiz Eric Holder closely during confirmation hearings; as I have written here, Holder was the Justice Department official, eight years ago, who signed off on President Clinton's notorious pardon of Marc Rich. But, until yesterday, Specter had only voiced mild skepticism about Holder. In his Senate speech on the Senate floor, however, Specter frontally attacked Holder, raising the possibility that Holder might turn out to be as bad as...Alberto "Gonzo" Gonzales, the notorious lackey for George W. Bush.
Specter's key passage: "Mr. Gonzales left office accused of politicizing the Justice Department, failing to restrain executive overreaching, and being less than forthcoming with Congress...I am convinced that many of attorney general Gonzales' missteps were caused by his eagerness to please the White House. Similarly, when Mr. Holder was serving as deputy attorney general to President Clinton, some of his actions raised concerns about his ability to maintain his independence from the president. I am prepared to give Mr. Holder a full opportunity to explain his past actions and convince the (Judiciary) committee and the Senate that his record warrants confirmation."
For Senate politesse, that's strong stuff. Holder hasn't even taken office yet, and already Specter is suggesting comparisons to Gonzo, and vowing to closely scrutinize the Clinton years (no doubt, with more vigilance than his Republican-led Judiciary panel ever scrutinized the Bush years).
But that's politics. The guy has to make nice with the right if he wants to survive a 2010 Republican primary; after all, Toomey and at least two other conservatives are weighing the possibility of assailing Specter on his right flank.
Moreover, Specter may have a problem with the Republican electorate. In Pennsylvania, the GOP runs a "closed" primary, which means that only registered Republicans can vote. As Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, explained last week in a newspaper column, "Specter's biggest problem...may be that thousands of southeastern Pennsylvania Republicans who voted for him in 2004 can't vote for him in the (2010) primary. Why? Because they're no longer Republicans."
Exactly. I've got the figures here. Between November 2004 and November 2008, the statewide tally of registered Pennsylvania Republicans shrank by roughly 162,000. It's safe to assume that a huge share of those emigrants are moderates from the Philadelphia suburbs who got fed up with the Bush regime and the Republican Congress. Those are the voters that Specter needs to survive a primary; without them, the Republican primary electorate is disproportionately dominated by the conservative voters who have stuck with the party.
Santorum was right. Arlen Specter's top concern is not a challenge from the left, from Chris Matthews or some other Democrat. It's a heightened challenge from the right, from a candidate who can leverage the increasingly conservative primary electorate. Which is why Eric Holder will be the first item on Specter's to-do list.
Comments (76)
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Djoko Pritza, if we are lucky Sarah Palin will take all of Congress hunting and fix all of our problems...she'd be the only one that comes back.— thelastRepublicaninPhilly- Djoko - Even a bunch of Godless Geeks can prove God exists. *************** http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/GodProof.htm— Phrossty
- His true colors will come out when it's time for his vote on the "card-check" legislation, which is shaping up on strict party lines, which Arlen being the wild card. He was the only R to vote for it last time, but that's when it had no real chance of passing. This time, the vote is for real, and his vote may be the deciding vote. Both sodes are courting this vote as he would probably be number 60 in the Senate, ending debate and bringing it to a vote, which would surely pass— joeibt
- Djoko, Barney Frank should be prosecuted! I guess when the congress does it, it is not illegal, right? I always pay attention and overstated for effect. We will see how well the Dems do when they actually have to lead the country? Did you know Clinton used rendition during his time in the White House? Sorry about the God crack, I was clinging to my religion:)— NEPhilly
- You're close, NEPhilly, but you couldn't help yourself and overstated a few things, and you couldn't resist dropping Barney in there (at least you didn't say we should turn the election apparatus over to ACORN). But basically I'm glad you're paying attention. And if all that doesn't work, we can always turn to Sarah Palin in four years. Oh, and there probably is no God.— Djoko Pritza
- Let me see if I have this straight. Bush & Repubs have ruined the country, domestically and internationally! The terrible path they have set us on is practically irreversible. Trillion dollar deficits and recession/depression (for you Marge) as far as the eye can see, caused by his tax cuts and not regulating the financial industry. He caused the Katrina nightmare, because FEMA and Brownie were incompetent and of course global warming. Over half the country hates everything Repub and the party never has a chance of recovery or a national election victory ever again. Everyone in the world hates the US because of Iraq/Afgan wars, Guantanomo, rendition, wire taps, torture, support of Israel and I'm sure I missed something so let me know. The only way to fix the country domestically and get our international reputation back is to dismantle the security apparatus GWB put into place, roll back his tax cuts and regulate, regulate, regulate. No more torture, wiretaps or preemptive wars. If we play nice everyone will love us again with Obama and the Dems at the helm. Cut our defense spending by a 25%, stop missile defense and do away with our nuclear deterrent. Raise domestic spending by $1 trillion a year on top of what is spent already and maybe, just maybe in 6 or 8 years, Pres Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd can pull us out of the domestic and international tailspin we are in. After all, it probably will take that long to dig out from the mess created by the despicable Republicans. Do I have that all right or would someone like to add anything? God Bless us!— NEPhilly
- Patriotism is just another gimmick ringwingers use to keep people in line and curb criticism. Like everything else, the Repubs have devaluated it.— Djoko Pritza
- I don't have much patience with flag-pin patriotism. I'm proud of this country when it lives up to its Enlightenment ideals, and not proud of it when it doesn't--which has been all too often in the last eight years. Our founders were rational men, who created a country based on reason and rational values, not blood and soil. In my book, if you don't support the founders' America, the country of the Constitution, you're not a patriot.— liberal
- And now a word from my favorite 20th Century composer, Frank Zappa: I used to have a job an' I was doin' very well. Depression came along an' everybody start to yell, "Where'd they go, them good ol' days, an' all that [k]rap we used to sell?" Now I'm in Hot-Plate Heaven, at the Green Hotel. Republicans is fine, if you're a multi-millionaire. Democrats is fair, if all you own is what you wear. Neither of 'em's REALLY right, 'Cause neithor of 'em CARE... (circa 1984)— Phrossty
- And now a word from my favorite 20th Century composer, Frank Zappa: I used to have a job an' I was doin' very well. Depression came along an' everybody start to yell, "Where'd they go, them good ol' days, an' all that crap we used to sell?" Now I'm in Hot-Plate Heaven, at the Green Hotel. Republicans is fine, if you're a multi-millionaire. Democrats is fair, if all you own is what you wear. Neither of 'em's REALLY right, 'Cause neithor of 'em CARE... (circa 1984)— Phrossty
- Posted by PA_Dutch 05:54 PM, 01/07/2009 Phrosty, I was being sarcastic. My views and yours are similar. **** Yes, I know. I thought I'd jump in the sarcasm party and dance.— Phrossty
- And I forgot one other thing... Dick Polman is one of the biggest liberal democratic hack writers in the city of Philadelphia! A no talent puppet, who waits by his computer to read the next email from the DNC before writing his next article. Dick's as intellectually honest as Blago in Chicago!!!— JGD84
- I'm a conservative and not much of a fan of Arlen Spector. Having said that, he's a terrific politician... a back handed compliment for sure, but true. The Democratic Party will soon find out talking about change is different than governing... as a result, they'll also begin to take hits at election time. Here's the reality... the democrats squeezed President Bush and the GOP on EVERY SINGLE ISSUE THEY COULD to improve their political standing... now the proverbial 'shoe is on the other foot'! The GOP will blame the Democrats for everything... and Arlen Spector is doing nothing more than ANY OTHER politician in that regard!!!— JGD84
- NEPhilly: I hate Bush too, & much like DP's post, he's earned every bit of my ire --- & most of it doesn't have to do with his political positions. He's mentally lazy, a terrible adminstrator (with an MBA no less!) and an even worse evaluator of personnel. You make a joke about how long we can keep blaming Bush, yet in a recent interview he played the "woe is me" game regarding how decisions made by Clinton & even his own father put him in the bind he finds himself now. Poor George! He F's up the country, but none of it is his fault.— yobill626
- When I talk abut reading your stuff before sacking out, Tom, I'm talking about your daily encyclopedia.— Djoko Pritza
- Tom, you're thinking small yet again. Polman has a list of archived blogs prominently listed to the right of the daily post.— Djoko Pritza
- Djoko, if you have my old posts saved, then you need to get a life, and I need protection from a stalker.— tom - wilmington, de
- NEPhilly, what do you mean by this, what tools: “but internationally he has defended this country and used every tool at his disposal”? And about this: “What I don't understand is the hatred of Repubs in general and Bush in particular.” NEPhilly, if someone fouls your nest and is arrogant about it, you can end up detesting them; if you have to live with them for eight years, you can learn to hate them for what they’ve done and continue to do. Why do you find that hard to believe? It’s a human emotion. If Bush and the Repubs realized their stupidity and apologized for it, you could forgive and move on. Bush finds it hard to admit he has ever erred. I did not hate him in 2000. I thought he was unqualified by intelligence and temperament to be president. But the hatred? He earned that over time. He is responsible for hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths. And he’ll go back to Crawford and build a library in his honor. I hate the guy, and all the stupid Repubs who lacked the courage to rein him in, thinking they were building a permanent Repub majority. Stupid. What you’re missing is that saying the same things over and over, as you do, things that sure sound like talking points in their simplicity, does not make them true. We get the point: That you’ll defend incompetence forever. Please stop and move on to something new.— Djoko Pritza
- Ladies and Gents, I do not spout talking points only what I truly believe! Hannity, OReilly, Coulter and Rush are entertainers not politicians, so what they say is irrelevant. I try not to defend Bush for his domestic policy decisions that I disagree with, but internationally he has defended this country and used every tool at his disposal. I think he deserves credit for that! After 8 years, I realize the country usually is ready for a change, no matter the party or president. What I don't understand is the hatred of Repubs in general and Bush in particular. Bush has been hated since the 2000 election and I think he is a decent and honorable man. We are safer now than before 9/11 as a direct result of the war on terror according to the NIE declassified from 2007. If you are not proud to be an American (and not for the 1st time), then I don't know what to say! Financially, we were doing fine for 6 years until the sub prime mortgages started going bust. If no subprime mortgages were written, no financial bust would have happened. CRA rated banks on how many they wrote and said they would hold up mergers, etc if banks did not meet a certain levels. Barney Frank said Fannie and Freddie were fine in Sept of this year and he and his committe were the sole regulators of those businesses. Tax payers are now on the hook for $200 million. What am I missing? I have said before that I hope Obama does a good job, for me and my families sake! I don't think Dems thought the same way about Bush after 2000 election. When Obama takes office I hope he changes how he thinks about the CIA use of torture(not cutting off their heads, just pretending to drowned them), Guantanamo, rendition, Patriot Act, etc, but with his appointment of Panetta I have my doubts. In conclusion, I think you are all great Americans, I hope your families are safe and we all have a prosperous future!— NEPhilly
- Over the last eight years you can find some evils authored by democrats, but after all, the republicans were largely in charge of the government through that period. And the bottom line is, in Reagan's campaign phrase, are you better off now than eight years ago? Financially, in terms of security from international threats, in terms of pride in being American--find me a traveler who doesn't envy Canadian passports--the whole thing has gone downhill badly. No refinement of NE's type of talking points can change the facts on the ground.— liberal
- NEP, you can't yell about the left blaming Bush for all the world's ills (which is totally ridiculous, anyway) when the right continues to blame Clinton - years after he was out of the WH. Rush and Hannity make their living (as entertainers) beating up on the Dems. Obama is the best thing that could have happened for them. And BTW, I haven't heard anyone defend Barney Frank and/or the execs at Fannie-Freddie, so let's get real. There's billions and billions of dollars in bad loans made by greedy mortgage brokers who were not affected by the CRA. There's also banks in the area who made and continue to make loans to poor people and they haven't lost money. (Beneficial isn't even applying for bailout money - they just practiced prudent lending policies)— JimR
- NE PHIL: Perhaps, I wasn't clear enough. It's ALREADY too late on 1/7!! What difference does it make to blame? Unless you're a Conse, no?— Talvenada
- NE PHIL: Firstly, I was countering your brainwashed comment w/ words right out of Rush's mouth, and was not being sarcastic. BTW, I was for Clinton B4 Obama, because I preferred her health plan idea to his. I don't hate Conses, but I mock their stupidity for their intelligence-insulting spin. EXAMPLE: you can not possibly be smart enough to see the Burris events unfold on your own in real time, and had to rely on MSM commentary after the fact that missed obvious racism. Go the other way, and it's Blago is dirty, which makes Harry dirty and criminal. Either way, it's BS, not debate.— Talvenada
- NEPhilly - are you then admitting that it was a crock of s**t to hear Druggie Limbaugh and Half Story Hannity and other GOPers constantly blame Clinton for everything ??? Obama is coming in office having to fight to get our country out of the Bush depression / recession. There are only so many things he can do - but it would be unconscionable to do nothing.— ModerateMarge
- Tom, gee, thanks for the personal reply (“I have decided to answer Mike, Raoul, Djoko, Talvenada”). Makes me feel warm all over. And it was more entertaining than your normal small-point whining, which you apparently think passes for intelligent debate. Go back and look at your stuff over the last year, Tom. Embarrassing. You can do better, Tom! Try making your posts a more concise. It's a talent writers must learn. Be a conservative with words! I go back and read your stuff just before bedtime. Zzzzzzzz.— Djoko Pritza
- And there it is! Bush has already ruined the country so much that we will blame him for anything bad that happens for years to come, right? When will it be Obama's and the Dems responsibility, 2 years, 4 years, or 6? Just so I know. And we will see about Obama's 'centrist' approach to governing, as you pointed out he hasn't even taken office yet:)— NEPhilly
- TOM WILM: Firstly, I don't hate Bush or love Obama. I've agreed w/ Bush on almost nothing, except the Afgan War w/ The Taliban. BTW, I prefer Obama's centrist approach. I agree things will go downhill, but it will be because it's already too late. And you Conses are ready to blame Obama for it NOW!!!— Talvenada
- Tal, I think just fine and would like to discuss the issues rather than your sarcasm! Do you have anything to add to the debate other than sarcastic hatred of Bush, Cheney, Rush, Hannity and all things conservative? We are all Americans after all, but to hear the left speak, you would think the Repubs are the enemy and not the terrorists! Torture by them is cutting your head off (see Daniel Pearl), torture by us is (and drives the left crazy) pretending to drown someone. See the difference? I didn't think you would, but I tried. I look forward to a reasonable, no name calling, well thought out debate:) Time is yours!— NEPhilly
- I have decided to answer Mike, Raoul, Djoko, Talvenada, et al in words they can understand. Ahem. "You guys are pathetic. All you do is spew left wing talking points right out of the pages Reid, Pelosi, Durbin and Frank. Your Bibles are the NYT, the LA Times and WaPo, with gospels by "Tingly" Matthews, Olberman, and Maddow. I hope Matthews does run in PA, then we can all laugh about that tingle he gets up his leg every time Obama speaks. You guys and gals get wet and wood just at the mere mention of Obama, and on Jan 20 will be in a state of ecstasy and rapture. But all it is is garbage, and you are too blind with hatred of Bush and love of "The One" to see it. Your posts are talking points with no facts, just a sense of righteous rage. In two years, when the country is far worse off than it is today, when terrorists are more emboldened, and inflation is running amok, you will be patting yourselves on the back for your moral authority and sense of good will. But only you will feel it, because the rest of the world will be based in reality. When it all collapses, you will be in a catatonic state, wondering what went wrong, muttering to yourselves "how can this be, it is not our fault", just like in Atlas Shrugged when the trains finally stopped running. And you will be exposed for the idiotic, pathetic groups you really are." Gee, that felt pretty good. Now I know why you guys just talk like that....it means you can lambaste someone for their views without ever having to back up what you say, like Djoko and his "Bush is responsible for millions of Iraqis being killed" line.— tom - wilmington, de
- NE PHIL said: Here we go again! I understand perfectly and I'm not as brainwashed as the masses who voted for change! .............................. NE PHIL: Remember, you don't have to think, because Rush Limbaugh tells his 20 million DITTO HEADS he'll TELL them what to think. It's a no-brainer, no?— Talvenada
- mike I, I think we should question Obama's vetting process. How could they have missed the Richardson fiasco? Didn't they question him on those matters? Funny how the NYT did a story as if they had no idea Richardson was even under investigation. How could that be? Yes, thank goodness the adults are back in charge, and Nancy Pelosi took the ball and bat away from the Republicans in the House, so everything that comes out will be purely Democrat. I wonder what your spin will be then? How about Obama's tax credits, which would make it possible for nearly 50% of the populace paying NO income taxes at all. Think that is a good idea? Deficit spending two years ago was an anethema to a good economy, so said the MSM. Now, the MSM says deficit spending is the only way to a good economy. I see your trillion dollar deficit for years to come and raise you with double digit inflation. I cannot wait.— tom - wilmington, de
- Fannie and Freddie may not have written the sub-prime mortgages responsible for the current crisis, but they did purchase and guarantee them. It was their stated goal to increase their portfolio of low income housing mortgages, and Franklin Raines, Jim Johnson and Jamie Gorelick received mega million dollar bonuses for achieving those goals. Little did anyone realize that they also cooked the books to achieve their bonus eligible targets, for which they were never prosecuted. Shame shame.— tom - wilmington, de
- nephilly, want to tell us what conservative policies have worked. You go back to 1980-88 to say Dems spent a lot. Wasn't Reagan president at that time? bush did things wrong sometime? How about most of the time. He and cheney got re-elected by 3.5 million votes? How many votes did Obama get elected by? Twice that? With bush not there to kick around, this country will get back on its feet, now that adults are back in charge. No more Brownies, no more Gonzaleses, no more Rumsfelds and all the rest who believed themselves above the law and the American people. Tax and spend Dems? How good is Republican borrow and spend going?— mike l
- Here we go again! I understand perfectly and I'm not as brainwashed as the masses who voted for change! Conservative policies (not extreme right wing) work if done correctly and explained simply and will be back, if not in 4 than 8 years! The Dems in congress will overreach and America will wise up & figure out that the govt. doesn't have all the answers and does nothing well. Bush/Cheney were re-elected in 2004 by over 3.5 million votes so they must have been doing something right:) Bush cut taxes for everyone, not just the rich. How did we get the shaft? By paying less taxes! He took more people totally off the tax rolls than any other President and they were all poor people. The Dems voted for both wars and the tax cuts, just to keep it real. Trickle down economics works, as long as spending cuts go along with the tax cuts! 1980-1988 govt revenue doubled, of course spending by a Dem congress almost tripled, that was the problem! The Congress is like drunk sailors on payday, Repub or Dem:) They can't help themselves and now we're going to give them $1 trillion more. Ladies and Gents, I'm just offering the other side of the story, sorry if that bothers anyone but it sure makes for a good debate and keeps America strong. I can't wait for Jan 20 so you won't have GWB to blame everything on. Did he do things wrong sometimes? Yes, everyone does. Is conservatism dead? No, just in exile:) The problem with libs is they think the govt can solve all our problems and my take is the govt. has caused most of the problems they are now trying to fix!— NEPhilly
- SW MIKE: Hey, Great American. That Dingy Harry is gonna seat Burris, who was appointed by that criminal Blago. Blago is dirty!! Burris is dirty!! Obama is dirty!! This is an outrage!!— Talvenada
- Obama is the one who said we could have trillion dollar deficits for years to come, not just the end of this fiscal year. He said today he is inheriting a $1.2 trillion deficit, but if I am not mistaken, he voted for the $700 Billion bailout, as did his Democrat colleagues in the House and Senate. The Republicans and Blue Dogs tried to stop it but were worn down. So Obama is simply inheriting a deficit which he himself helped to create. I call that just deserts. And he said we could have trillion dollar deficits for years to come regardless of his recovery and reinvestment plan, regardless of the Bush tax cuts expiring next year, which was his rationale for the position of Chief Performance Officer. Even the NYT today ran a story on how deficit spending for years to come is in vogue, but wasn't it about a year ago they were assailing Bush and the Republicans for spending like drunken sailors and blowing the Clinton surplus? Didn't Obama run on fiscal responsibility? How are trillion dollar deficits for years to come fiscally responsible? And I am still waiting for someone, anyone to tell me how to measure a "saved job".— tom - wilmington, de
- So the racists democrats in Congress refuse to seat the grandfatherly Burris and this is what Polman choose to write about? Harry Reid's actions are despicable.
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- So Specter tacks right to get the nomination, so what? It just proves the current Repub party is dead. Its base is getting smaller and smaller. Specter wins the primary; can he tilt back to the center fast enough to win the general? No. If he's beaten by a more right-wing nut, can the nut win with the shrinking base? No. The conservatives have dug their grave. Now they're busy shoveling dirt in atop themselves. What a pathetic group.— Djoko Pritza
- Phrosty, I was being sarcastic. My views and yours are similar.— PA_Dutch
- The truth is the extreme right wing policies had no chance of working. You can't cut taxes in a time or war. It's just totally irresponsible! Atacking a country that didn't attack is also a road to failure. It's not a surprise that Bush/Cheney fell flat on their faces although they succeed in making their rich friends richer while the rest of us get the shaft. That's always been the goal of these trickle down voodoo economic policies. What NEphilly and other posters like him don't understand is these things just don't work for a country of over 300 million people, most of whom make less than $100,000 a year. What happened is that the average citizen got wise to Bush/Cheney and their policies and rejected them (in the name of John McCain). They've been so brainwashed by people like Hannity and Limbaugh they just cannot handle the truth. All they are going to do the next 4-8 years is nitpick about what Obama will attempt to do to fix the massive problems we now face due to Bush/Cheney et al, blaming the present problems on Obama than where they belong. It's sad really.— James TL
- JOE THE PLUMBER is being hounded by the MSM again. AGAIN !!! .......... Here he is minding his own business as a foreign news correspondent, and--BOOM !!!--that MSM interferes. Why can he not run for Congress, make over a quarter million dollars in profit, write a book, put out a C & W CD w/o Libs sticking their noses where only Fox, Rush, etc. ONLY are invited!!!— Talvenada
- C'mon Rauol, you're not playing the game! We're safer! AIG, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, GM and even Philly are all on the bread line for your and my money! I'm sure the leaders of these fine institutions have your and my best interest at heart and (save city of Philly) are all conservative leaning folks. Didn't you get your raise from your employer as a result of the Bush tax cuts? I'm certain the economy will get untracked if only we keep redistributing wealth to the folks who need it the least, but want it the most. They are the most "productive" persons in our society, after all. Plus, our roads and bridges are safer and more efficient, schools aren't crumbling or overcrowded, teachers are well-compensated, and the new national rail system with bullet trains is the envy of the world. Also, we're no longer dependent on the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela to supply our energy needs with the Republicans forward thinking energy policy of the last 1/4 century. It was 9 trillion dollar$ well spent. Wars (against terror/crime/poverty/drugs/etc.) aren't cheap y'know!— Phrossty
- Palestra Jon – Great post in response to NE Philly. Most readers here know that NEPhilly (and most other Bush supporters/defenders that post) just spews the same old, tired, debunked right-wing lies/talking points over and over, no matter what the subject of the column. It’s all they have since they cannot face the truth because the truth is not on their side. The walloping that their side got in the last election hurts so much that they are blinded by their extreme bitterness to the reasons why voters rejected them so forcefully, they are blind to the fact that their party is rendering itself irrelevant by not progressing along with modern views and values that a majority of Americans have, and they will keep defending the worst 8 years this country has ever had to endure, just to avoid facing the truth and the facts. Yes, they ARE THAT pathetic and sad.— NipTip
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- PJon, awesome answer, let me respond! This election decided the issues for 4 years not forever:) 1) The National Intelligent Estimate from before the war says Saddam could team up with Al Qaeda in the future. The Dems in Congress, including our future Sect. of State voted for the war. 2) I agree Bush should not have increased domestic spending, but 9/11, homeland security and rebuilding our military from the Clinton decimation forced his hand, sort of. 3) SS is a ponzi scheme, what is the difference? Just a govt. sponsored one:) We should at least stop the Cola's on it or slow them down a bit 4) I've been down the whose-at-fault-road with others and here is my take, the securitization of subprime mortgages bundled with legitimate mortgages and then rated AAA were the problem! And Fannie with Dem help in Congress gave banks incentives to give more subprime mortgages, with no subprime morts (or less of them) there would have been no meltdown! 5) We will see if Toyota stays, but why build multi million dollar factories if your not staying! The legacy costs are what is killing the American auto industry, not foreign builders! You Sir, are a great American for caring and being so informed about your country and I look forward to future debates:)— NEPhilly
- Man, NE---well at least you're consistent---consistently wrong, that is. While the recent elections really decided these issues and you were on the losing side, let's take them one by one. 1) 9/11 had NOTHING to do with Iraq---indeed, GWB admitted that publicly. And not everyone was in favor of war---indeed, public opinion only spun in favor after war started, as it always does. Meanwhile, everyone against this disaster was painted as a traitor---something right out of "1984." 2) Cutting taxes is indeed a legitimate measure to come out of a recession. However, GWB cut taxes deeply at a time he was increasing spending at an all time pace. He sent us to war while telling us to go shopping---I don't think anything has ever been so irresponsible. 3)Calling Soc Security a ponzi scheme is just wingnut militia nonsense. The program, from the start, was designed to have today's workers pay for yesterday's benefits. There is no "trust fund" nor has there ever been one. You just have to PAY FOR IT, just was we have to PAY for everything we spend. The Voodoo Economics practiced by the Reaganite Republican Party (words of GHW Bush) have virtually destroyed our economy---you must tax when you spend. Otherwise, the dollar indeed is devalued, and that is exactly what happened under GWB. 4) You are right that the mortgage crisis occurred because people who had no business borrowing were out there getting mortgages. But rather than repeated the tired failed right wing nonsense that Fannie and Freddie caused it, they did not and could not make the no-doc and 100% mortgages that caused the crisis. Rather, it was the securitization of mortgage obligations allowed by the Bush administration without regulation that caused it. Fannie and Freddie were brought down by their investment in CMO's not by their making of those mortgages.and 5) Lets see if Toyota stays here after its tax breaks run out---VW left as soon as they did. The workers suffer.— Palestra Jon
- Phrossty, Obama said it himself a $1 Trillion deficit for the next fiscal year not this year and years to come, this fiscal year the deficit was $400 Billion (not chump change, but not a trillion dollars)! An he keeps on saying it is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the election is over Barack and you won, stop the over the top rhetoric (was he around in 1979?). I bet once Jan 20 rolls around all his and the MSM rhetoric will change about the economy:) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/us/politics/07obama.html?bl&ex=1231477200&en=2ad0afc7c66dc92b&ei=5087%0A— NEPhilly
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- Phrosty, don't you know? The republicans always set the stage for a booming economy that's only realized during a democratic administration.— PA_Dutch
- Point of information: It's not Obama's "promise." It's his warning. Additionally, his warning appears to be based upon a briefing from the CBO, not some campaign promise to double dubya's fiscal fiasco. ****** http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/07/congressional-budgeters-project-t-deficit/ ******** (Fair and balanced.)— Phrossty
- I'm confused. Tom, how is a projected $1.2 trillion deficit the fault of the guy who hasn't been sworn into office yet?— Phrossty
- Spector's made a career with one play in his playbook: fake left, then go right.— PA_Dutch
- NEPhilly, you're post of 1:57 pm has be ROTFLMAO. What kool-aid induced crap that is!!! Same old tired, worn-out, debunked right wing copy & paste talking points that look like an 8 year old's fingerpainting. You post the same BS every single day and you get slapped around harder and harder each time - why do you keep coming back. Maybe just to give to rest of us some entertainment? or you into S&M? Keep on givin'!— WB_in_OC
- PJon, where to start? The whole country wanted to go to war after 9/11 and the Dems in Congress voted for it, not just Repubs. Cutting taxes jump started the economy from the Clinton recession and 9/11. A trillion dollar debt is what Obama is promising, not Repubs. The national ponzi scheme is social security:) This financial meltdown came from lending people money that had no business getting it, via Fannie/Freddie, CRA and one Mr. Barney Frank, then rating the mortgages as AAA jst to make a buck. Pure and simple greed and the epubs tried to reign them in at Fannie, to no avail. thanks to Mr. Frank! Just because Toyota/Honda can run their businesses better and build cars in this country, that does not destroy our industrial base, it enhances it(just not the UAW). As for Brownie, he probably wasn't qualified to run FEMA, but in my opinion that agency would have failed the Katrina victims no matter who was in charge:) The dang govt can't do anything right. Our infrastrucure is the best in the world. The environment is fine, ask Spokane about global warning?— NEPhilly
- yobill...correct. True conservatives are no fans of either Bush or Cheney, and many of them stayed home in 2008 rather than vote for either Obama or McCain. That is reflected in the exit polls.— tom - wilmington, de
- Palestra is right. Why, in 2005, the Dept of Transportation collected $40 Billion in highway fees, tolls and taxes. After administrative costs and expenses, there was still $28 Billion to be divided between the states (only $12 Billion in admin expenses? What a bargain). Upon being sent to the states, another $15 Billion was diverted by those states to their general funds to pay for programs not related to transportation. That left all of $13 Billion to be spent on highways, bridges, and other infrastructure. This is reminiscent of the money sent to Louisiana to improve the levees that was spent on other programs. Darn that George Bush for allowing our infrastructure to collapse. And those rich people who went down to the 10% tax rate, or completely off the tax rolls, or who get money from the expanded earned income credit, or who took advantage of the expanded child tax credit should give that money back and NOW. Darn those people.— tom - wilmington, de
- I agree with both the first poster & Rauol Duke. Spector blows a LOT of smoke. He tries to come across as someone who has an "independent voice", but he becomes "the good soldier" when its put up or shut up time. A good 'Pub Conservative will beat him this time. This will put that guy on equal footing with Matthews (if he decides to run). I like Chris, but he doesn't know when to shut up, so he may shoot himself in the foot somewhere along the line. As far as Rauol's comments go, the Social Con extremists & the Neo COns still seem to be pretty far apart from the True Conservatives, who are beside themselves in disgust for what Bush & Cheney have done to their party.— yobill626
- I love the media. A few months ago, people were not saving enough, and that sparked such commercials as "Feed The Pig". Now, people are saving too much and the economy is suffering because of it. So, if we spend money, we need to save more, and when we save more, we need to spend more money. Just like Obama and his trillion dollar deficits for years to come despite his economic recovery and reinvestment plan AND the expiration of the Bush tax cuts next year AND the economic growth he is going to create. By the way, if unemployment goes up to 7.5%, can Obama claim to have saved jobs because the unemployment rate is not 7.6%?— tom - wilmington, de
- Let Specter lose to a Santorum clone---the clone will then be clobbered in the general election and we can continue the rejection of the wingnuts who got us embroiled in 2 wars while cutting taxes on the rich, resulting in a trillion dollar deficit, cut regulatory authority and put Brownie types in charge of the bureacracy so that we engaged in a national Ponzi scheme, have allowed our infrastructure to collapse as well as the environment, and have allowed Southern states to cooperate with foreign manufacturers to destroy the US manufacturing base. What the heck do we need Specter for?— Palestra Jon
- With the Blago and Burris fiasco playing out, this is all Richard can write about? What about the Bill Richardson debacle? Richard, can you report two sides? Obama did not have the spine to call for a special election in IL because he knew the repubs would win. Very lame Richard.— CD75
- Comment removed.
- This is a very insightful blog--your point that Spector is in trouble because of the decline in (most likely more moderate) registered republicans in Pennsylvania is something I hadn't considered before. Spector has been a strong advocate of federal funding of science (such as the National Institutes of Health). The Philadelphia region benefits tremendously from NIH funding because that has helped it to become a regional site for pharmaceutical research (many research scientist have been trainees on NIH-funded projects at academic medical centers. This has in turn helped to create a good workforce for pharmaceutical companies, thus encouraging many of them to settle in this area). Spector's loss would not only mean the loss of a relatively moderate voice in the Republican party, but also the loss of a strong advocate of science that benefits us all, not just in terms of our health, but also in terms of the region's economy.— Nalaka
- How can a government, or any organization for that matter, be effective by adding more layers of bureauocracy onto it? When do things work better...when you need fewer approvals for something or when you need more? And I agree...what is a Chief Performance Officer, and how big a department will she have? Just more bureauocrats. Didn't Al Gore accomplish much the same thing during Clinton's years? Why not put Biden in charge? As for Specter, is Polman saying Holder should not be questioned on the pardon of Rich or the members of the FALN? Can Polman report that Holder even met with the attorney's of the FALN to work out the terms of their pardon/commutations? Shouldn't that be an item of questioning for the next top law enforcement officer of the country?— tom - wilmington, de
- How about worrying more about whether the Gov't is effective rather than how many layers there are in the hierarchy? The guy is not even in office yet and his future has already determined, analyzed and graded by a bunch of nitwits.— gee1971
- I usually don't agree with Arlen Spector but he nailed it with comments about Holder. The Attorney General's job is to serve the people of the United States, not the president. That's something both he and Gonzales did not do! Holder is a sleaze bag.— SDWard
- ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz— BarneyMiller
- All of a sudden Spector grew some balls. Where was his "tough" act with the Bush administration when they were running up trillion dollar deficits, lying about a war of choice or trampeling on the Constitution? Too little, too late IMO. Spector is very beatable right now even though he tries to play both sides of the fence all too often.— chasing history
- What a screetching shame that our favorite RINO might occasionally act like an actual Republican! It's *such* a disappointment to Dick Polman. Fear the "increasingly conservative primary electorate"! Gosh, are sheep falling off the Obama wagon already? Is the "It's Bush's Fault!" mantra looking less like a strategy and more like a fetish? It's only early January...— MaggieL
Santorum was right. Don't hear that one too often.— potus- Nothing about Richardson backing out, Burris now being seated, Panetta's inexperience, Gaza or the Russians cutting off nat. gas to Europe? Just to name a few of the things that would be more relevant! Others include, Obama saying there is going to be trillion dollar deficits each year. Chief Performance Officer named, what the heck is that? Just another layer of liberal govt. Spector needs to go, too old, too liberal and has been there too long. We need some new blood and term limits for these guys/girls, they think a senate seat is theirs for life. The House too!— NEPhilly
- I don't think Mr. Specter is much of a moderate -- not just because (for example) he supports a flat income tax, but because he makes plenty of moderate noises but abandons moderate actions when the Republican party demands it. No Senator complained more about warrantless wiretapping than he did, for example, but when it came time to vote for the Kit Bond "compromise," he voted exactly the way the party wanted him to. He offered better legislation, sure, but I'm also sure he knew it would fail. And before anyone rushes to remind me of his tough questioning of Robert Bork in 1987, consider what the final vote on Mr. Bork would have been without Mr. Specter's vote. The vote was 58 to 42, meaning it would have been 57 to 43 if Mr. Specter had voted for Mr. Bork, meaning Mr. Bork still would have lost. I need not add, I trust, that the vote on Mr. Thomas five years later was considerably closer (52 to 48), and we all know where Mr. Specter stood on that one.
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Cited by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the nation's top political reporters, and lauded by the ABC News political website as "one of the finest political journalists of his generation," Dick Polman is a national political columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is on the full-time faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, as "writer in residence." Dick has been a frequent guest on C-Span, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and the BBC. He covered the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential campaigns.
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