I think it’s time for the Blogospheric Neologian to coin a new political phrase:
Specterenfreude
The pleasure derived from watching Arlen Specter do unto Democrats that which Specter did unto Republicans.
In the course of his first week as a Democrat Specter voted against the Democratic budget, rejected a Democratic measure on mortgage foreclosures, announced his opposition to the president’s Office of Legal Counsel nominee, and clarified that he never pledged to be a “loyal Democrat” or to support Obama’s agenda. At that point, liberals went into emotional hypothermia.
Now Specter has announced that Norm Coleman should be declared winner of the Minnesota Senate contest. Which of course would take the burden off of Specter of being the filibuster-breaking Democratic vote.
The nutroots are going bananas. From TPM: “Memo to Sen. Arlen Specter (RD-PA): You’re supposed to be a Democrat now.” Wonkette: “Arlen Specter Is Only Human On Earth To Continue Supporting Norm Coleman.” DailyKOS: “Keep it up Arlen, your Joe Lieberman impersonation is so spot-on, that we can’t wait to take you on in the Democratic primary.” Whiskey Fire: “… because he’s just overall kind of a douchebag.”
The news hasn’t been this much fun since Monica remembered she kept that blue dress.
UPDATE: The hits just keep coming. Asked whether he regretted any of the roughly 10,000 votes he has cast as a Senator, Specter could think of just one:
Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday he regrets his vote against Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) two decades ago that helped kill his nomination to the federal bench.
Sessions, who has now assumed Specter’s former position as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, was nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 to be a federal judge — but Specter provided a key “no” vote after allegations were made that Sessions had a poor record on race relations as Alabama attorney general. Sessions has called those allegations false and unfounded.
To which DailyKOS responded: “But it’s clear that his body is rejecting his (D) transplant, because he keeps rejecting any semblance of respect or appreciation for his new party.” We’ll see about that, when the real votes take place.
UPDATE No. 2: Harry Reid went back on his promise that Specter could keep his seniority. Can’t wait to see how Specter reacts to that stab in the back. This should be very, very interesting. I wouldn’t count on 60 just yet.
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Related Posts:
The Ransom of Chief Specter
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Comments
That’s fine… just enjoy your semen stains.
It must give you a tingly feeling every time you think of the good old days.
In case you haven’t noticed, the Republican base is getting more extreme while getting smaller and smaller.
You’ve lost the young voters haven’t you?
It will be more fun when Republican are reduced to 20% of the voting electorate while you continue to call the voting majority childish names.
Spector is gone. All is well.
Let’s see. Obama won the popular vote 52.9/45.6%, with the media cheering him on and refusing to ask hard questions, hundreds of millions of dollars raised through questionable credit card tactics, and the inability of anyone to question him for fear of being called a racist. I guess that makes him President-for-Life, means that Republicans are on their way to oblivion, and prohibits anyone from poking fun at him or his party. Sorry, but this isn’t Venezuela… yet.
You know, I try not to enjoy the discomfort of others, but seeing people actually try and explain the general idiocy that has occurred over the past week has been fairly entertaining.
Between Biden, Air Force One, and now this I’ve been rather amused.
That’s not to say that I will remain so, Specter could still switch votes on major issues (e.g. card check). But given Specter’s history I get the feeling that you’ll be using your newly minted word a great deal for the next 2 years.
I predicted the day he switched that Specter might actually vote more conservatively as a Democrat. Given the high percentage of Democrats that will simply vote party line, combined with the high percentage of Democrats and independents who are really conservatives, but are gullible and naive enough to be duped by the media lies, Specter will have a sizable chunk of “guaranteed” votes. Then you factor in the fact that he might finally have realized how sick of liberalism conservatives are and he might be more inclined to woo them than the Democrat votes he already has locked up. Furthermore, I have trouble seeing the Democrat leadership pressure him publicly after they spent a week praising his “independence” and saying they didn’t expect him to be a party line vote, and that they were the big tent party. Plus they will still be trying not to make him too mad so they can get every filibuster breaking vote possible out of him.
Specter didn’t quit because he is any more a Dem than Rep. He is neither. He is an amoral political animal who did the math and switched because he was going to lose his primary to Toomey. That’s all there is to it. You broke him, you bought him, Dems. He betrayed us with Bork. Maybe he can do the same thing to you.
I’m definitely enjoying Specterenfreude. The thing is, he may just be a McCain type who wants to be a constant thorn in the side of SOMEBODY. There are people who make their mark and stand out by being thorns, period. I think it’s a form of narcissism. Dems would not want McCain (or Grahamnesty, for that matter) any more than they want Specter.
Specter and those like him are machine apparatchiks. They are NOT of the base, any base. Our base hates him and now he’s driving the Dem base insane. 😀 Welcome to our world…