It's a lock !
 

Senator Arlan Spector to change to the Democrat party.

Democrats now have a fillibuster proof majority.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31639

Specter joins the Dems
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8023460.stm

30-year Senator Arlen Specter has left the Republican Party and joined the Democrats.

Maybe they have better cookies on that side.

Well before getting too excited about whether there will be 60 Democrats or no in the Senate, please remember that it takes 60 votes to invoke cloture in the Senate. Not 60 Democrats. Just 60 votes

Specifically, since 1975 three-fifths of those Senators "duly chosen and sworn"

All Democrats do not vote alike. There can be 60 Democrats in the Senate and they can still fail to invoke cloture if some of the Democrats disagree (Senators have a habit of doing that)

Likewise, if the Democrats do not have 60 members in the Senate, they still may be able to invoke cloture if some of the Republicans or Independents decide to vote in favour of cloture.

The fixation on the number 60 is sophistry as it presumes that all Senators always vote with their party all the time. And this just does not happen.

So the chances of the Democrats defeating a filibuster after Spector becomes a Democrat are pretty close to the chances the Democrats had of defeating a filibuster before Spector became a Democrat.

In the Senate there is no such thing as a "filibuster proof majority"

The best or worst that can be said is that party X is now more likely to be able to invoke cloture then they were before.

All true but it makes it much more likely. As of late both sides of the aisle have been more or less in lockstep with their own agendas.

Honestly Spector is not a great loss since he was a rino anyhow.

His main motive evidently was he dident have a chance of remaining in office as a republican.

Merge please :oops:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=151173

That can sometimes backfire. Sometimes the citizens don't like their representatives jumping parties like that.

There is a quality to commitment.

Specter is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with American politics. A quote from him:He's specifically dodging accountability to his constituents - and saying he's UNWILLING to be judged by his record.

Specter's been a RINO for years, so this isn't really going to impact anything. However, his statements and perception of the purpose of the Senate is a complete outrage.

Read what he said. He is actually saying that he is unwilling to be judged by the Penn Republican primary electorate

Republican does not equal everyone

Senators are supposed to represent their entire state, not just their political party.

That is the purpose of the Senate.

Talk about hypocrasy.

Spector was just saying a month or so that he would 'never' change parties that he "Thought it important to have a balance in the senate".

I guess getting re-elected is more important than either representing his people or party allegiance.

You mean he is a politician who would lie to get reelected???

Oh my, what ever has become of US politics. :haha::har::haha::har:

Specter is still free to vote against the Dems on a filibuster, just like he was free to vote with them before the switch. So this doesn't really change the balance of power in the Senate.

The bigger worry is that his defection (and the reason for it) shows that there isn't much of a place for moderates in the Republican Party anymore.

That is the problem with being a moderate. Sometimes you are hated by both sides. :)

But apparently he IS willing to be judged by the Penn Democrat party electorate?

I see this as a last ditch effort to save his career. He's not Dem enough for the Democrats.

Sheesh, I looked for a thread on this and couldn't find one. What does this place have against clear thread titles?