I do think that Colin Powell should follow Arlen Specter out the door and follow his example, by joining the Democratic Party.
But it's not for the reasons that Limbaugh has stated, which are that he endorsed Obama solely based on race.
I have no comment on that point.
No, Powell should join the Democrats because the Bush Administration royally screwed him during the build-up to the Iraq War, using Powell to press the case for military action against Iraq and sending him before the U.N. Security Council with false information. CIA did Colin Powell no favors and set him up, when they knew they didn't have the evidence that Powell was pressing for to show that Iraq possessed WMDs.
If anyone has a right to be p.o.'ed by what was done to him, it's Powell. I wouldn't blame him if he never appeared at a GOP event again. Who wouldn't be angry by being set up like Powell was by his own party and his own President?
Powell will always be remembered as the Secretary of State who sat before the Security Council and told them that Iraq had WMDs and offered proof of mobile weapons labs, which U.S. and U.K. intelligence services had already discounted but didn't tell Powell about.
On the political side, he belongs to the Democratic wing of the Republican Party. I think he's burned too many bridges to simply go back and continue on as if his endorsement never happened. His pro-choice leanings are incompatible with what has been a pro-life party. He's got more in common with the Democrats than the Republicans these days; I'm surprised he didn't switch when he endorsed Obama.
I don't know if he'll ever be able to live down his actions as Secretary of State. I'm also uncertain if he'll ever return to politics, so his switching sides won't damage the Republicans any more than they already are.
Showing posts with label arlen specter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arlen specter. Show all posts
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Democrat Specter Gets Put Into His Place: Dems Reduce His Seniority on Five Committees to Junior Status
Did Senator Specter really expect to keep his seniority when he switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party?
If he was, his hopes were dashed when the Senate demoted him on his committees from the top of the totem pole to the bottom on four of the committees on which he sits, and near the bottom on the fifth committee.
The Democrats did keep his seniority intact outside the committees and in the Senate, but that's all that's left.
I'm sure the Democrats are making him feel welcome, especially when he goes off the reservation like he did a few days ago when he said that the GOP might still win the open Minnesota seat currently being contested by Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D). He discounted his statements as being due from switching parties and not shifting gears quickly enough.
The Democrats were said to be annoyed with the comments.
Democrats in Pennsylvania are lining up to challenge him. And his GOP rival had a 20 point lead on him when he quit the Republican Party. Specter's wish to hold onto power may be dashed by his new friends if he doesn't start parroting the new party line.
And no one seems to be sure if the Democrats are done with reducing Specter's power. But he has less to promise to his new constituents than he did when he was a Republican.
If he was, his hopes were dashed when the Senate demoted him on his committees from the top of the totem pole to the bottom on four of the committees on which he sits, and near the bottom on the fifth committee.
The Democrats did keep his seniority intact outside the committees and in the Senate, but that's all that's left.
I'm sure the Democrats are making him feel welcome, especially when he goes off the reservation like he did a few days ago when he said that the GOP might still win the open Minnesota seat currently being contested by Norm Coleman (R) and Al Franken (D). He discounted his statements as being due from switching parties and not shifting gears quickly enough.
The Democrats were said to be annoyed with the comments.
Democrats in Pennsylvania are lining up to challenge him. And his GOP rival had a 20 point lead on him when he quit the Republican Party. Specter's wish to hold onto power may be dashed by his new friends if he doesn't start parroting the new party line.
And no one seems to be sure if the Democrats are done with reducing Specter's power. But he has less to promise to his new constituents than he did when he was a Republican.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Arlen Specter Joins the Democratic Party: All Pro-Choice Republicans Do the Same Thing
Pro-choice Republicans should follow Senator Arlen Spectre out the door and join the Democratic Party.
They're closet Democrats anyways.
The only part of his defection that I disagree with is that he isn't resigning his seat and running under his new party's banner, as a few others have done in the past.
The following senators decided to switch parties and resigned before running for the same seat under their new party (and won the special election):
Wayne Morris (Oregon)
Strom Thurmond (South Carolina)
The following Representatives did the same thing:
Albert Watson (South Carolina)
Phil Gramm (Texas)
Specter was getting killed in the polls against his primary challenger, so this may be a large part of why he's doing this now. And for giving the Democrats their supermajority, they may have offered a deal to Specter in exchange for his defection.
Good riddance.
They're closet Democrats anyways.
The only part of his defection that I disagree with is that he isn't resigning his seat and running under his new party's banner, as a few others have done in the past.
The following senators decided to switch parties and resigned before running for the same seat under their new party (and won the special election):
Wayne Morris (Oregon)
Strom Thurmond (South Carolina)
The following Representatives did the same thing:
Albert Watson (South Carolina)
Phil Gramm (Texas)
Specter was getting killed in the polls against his primary challenger, so this may be a large part of why he's doing this now. And for giving the Democrats their supermajority, they may have offered a deal to Specter in exchange for his defection.
Good riddance.
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