The Sunshine Empire

The large political news of the day is the defection of Senator Arlen Specter from the Republican caucus. Senator Specter has never been one that warms the hearts of many far right conservatives but was a reliable vote in the Alito and Roberts confirmations and had once run for the Republican nomination for President. In that regard he is the Anti-Lieberman, someone who has been loyal but raises hackles among the far edge of his party. Yet the reality of the situation is that Senator Specter saw the political writing on the wall with his situation. Pennsylvania has skewed heavily Democratic in the last two election cycles, but that has had the effect of hardening the Republican party in that state much more conservative. Whereas he barely beat Pat Toomey in 2002 he was on the way to a thumping in the 2010 primary. Many around the country in the political punditry are making this out to be about the GOP nationally, which it’s not. But reading the reaction Senator Specter must realize that there was no one that wanted him there to begin with anyway. Reading the comments, some compared it to Christ turning away unbelievers and others seem glad that the Democrats will have a filibuster proof majority when Senator Al Franken joins the team.