ARLEN SPECTER

Here we go again. Washington D.C.'s latest political melodrama. Arlen Specter changes party registration from Republican to Democrat, giving them a veto proof majority, thereby removing any hope of slowing down a radical growth of federal government oversight and intrusion into our lives.

There are many opinions as to its impact, none of which has hit the mark. At the core of his decision, in a personal sense is a profound degree of narcissism. Politically, it is an insult to millions of voters whose values were contrary to Senator Specter's, holding their noses and casting a vote for him anyway. I know this because I was one of those millions on two separate occassions.

In 1986, when Arlen Specter was running in his first re-election campaign, he was opposed by Uber Liberal Delaware County Congressman, Bob Edgar. Like many conservative minded people, I was not in line with Specter's politics and would have gladly voted for a Democrat had they nominated a more moderate candidate. They did not. I held my nose, but I voted for Specter.

In 1992, Arlen Specter was opposed by Uber Liberal Feminist, Lynn Yeakel, whose political views I found bordering on personally offensive. The choice was clear and I voted while holding my nose.

Arlen Specter's almost thirty years in the Senate are a direct result of the Democrats failure to recruit a viable alternative. It is this failure that underlies Specter's continued political influence. After all, it's not as if he's actually accomplished anything in the Senate. Unless you count accusing Anita Hill of perjury. The most ardent supporters of Clarence Thomas found that accusation hard to swallow.

In the last couple weeks, Arlen Specter has canvassed the state of Pennsylvania to see if there is continued support for him with core Republican voters. He was facing former Congressman Pat Toomey in a primary rematch from six years ago when he barely won renomination. It should be noted that Pat Toomey immediately and unequivically endorsed him in the fall election of 2004. Sadly, the continued support of conservative Republican Pennsylvanians in spite of glaring differences did not deter Senator Specter from flipping sides out of political convenience.

In his announcement, he said that the party had drifted far too right and he did not want his legacy to be decided by primary Republican voters. Firstly, what legacy is he talking about? Secondly, he owes his electoral success to those primary votes, no matter his differences with the Republican electorate.

Arlen Specter was and is simply out of touch with Republican voters because he betrayed a fundamental principle relating to the size,scope and influence of the federal government. Supporting President Obama's stimulus plan and budget violated the core fiscal sensibilities of baseline Republican voters. He realized this far too late. He might have wanted to canvass voters before he voted, as he has never actually had political principles. It would have been far easier to vote against the President had he bothered to check with his constituents.

The oddest charge by Mr Specter is his view that the Republican Party has become far too tilted towards the right. What a joke! Is it more conservative than it was in the 1980's when Ronal Reagan was President? Is it more radical in its conservative ambitions than it was in the 1990's under Newt Gingrich's tutelage? Are we supposed to believe that a party that just nominated John McCain, the most moderate nominee since 1976 is dramatically more conservative?

Arlen Specter has conceded that he is leaving the party because he cannot win a Republican Primary but can win a general election as a Democrat. This is quite likely and it reflects a high caliber of political cunning on his part. Specter's electoral IQ has him poised to win a sixth term to the Senate at the tender age of eighty. It is a decision destined to perpetuate for six more years the mediocrity of the previous thirty. Stranger things have happened in politics and we can only hope Pennsylvania voters finally wake up and force a real concession in next years mid term elections.