Snarlin’ Arlen Makes An Ass Of Himself

Well, it seems our formerly Repug U.S. Senator from PA has switched parties and is now a Dem based on this (a totally craven but politically expedient move – I predicted that this wouldn’t happen here, which just goes to show why I don’t run political campaigns...I underestimated the amount of GOP defections in this state, strangely enough).

As we all process this and what it means (not the way to get to 60 that I would have wanted, but we’ll take any route we can get; Norm Coleman’s appeals will end one day), I think it is instructive to revisit this post.

(And by the way, I’m more torn that ever now on the question of whether or not Patrick Murphy should get into the race. I still think it’s best for him to stay out, and I say that partly out of selfish reasons because he’s my congressman and I’d hate to lose him, especially since a Repug would probably end up getting the seat in his place, even with the party’s almost total descent into wingnuttia. However, the thought of him knocking off Specter in the primary and rolling over Pat Toomey next November is “the stuff that dreams are made of,” even though the party machinery will be solidly behind Specter now.)

Update 1: So this “Democrat” still opposes the Employee Free Choice Act (here), and apparently, now he has a problem with paying back Republican donors, as noted here (the jokes write themselves, people).

Update 2: Spot-on commentary from David Sirota about this, IMHO (and I think this situation scream for this guy, if no one else, and I'm not talking about Tweety).

Update 3: And by the way, let's never lose sight of the fact that Specter's defection is another gift from The Club For Growth, which, first and foremost, screws over moderates and hastens the descent of the Repugs further and further into wingnuttery, and thus their continued irrelevancy as a national party.

Update 4 4/30/09: Interesting how Specter responded to another Republican senatorial party switch in 2001, as noted here (hat tip to Beltway Blips).

Update 5 5/8/09: This is a whole other level of sick, people (and I'm not talking about Specter's affliction).