What is so angering about the work of Sens. Specter, Snowe, and Collins is their claim to "centrism" and getting things done. At the press conference today, Sen. Specter had the nerve to say that he actually supported the McCain Bill of a stimulus that was roughly $400 of spending, tax cuts, without any of the pork. But what his and his cohorts did today was make it impossible for Republicans who might also back the McCain substitute, or any other bill, of actually negotiating. They did not come together in the middle, they caved to the left. Specter effectively cut the legs out from underneath the Republican Party, making it impossible for Republican leadership to get any of the McCain bill that he said he supported.
What is also maddening is that Obama doesn't need Republicans, its simply window-dressing. If Specter really supported McCain -who by the way is vehemently against this - he would have kept his mouth shut and let Republicans, who together could keep the Dems under 60 votes, work to make this bill closer to what he wanted anyways.
Who will have the stones to take on Specter? If Pennsylvania is going to have a Senator who backs Democrats over Republicans when push comes to shove, it might as well be zilches like Bob Casey.
Dude, seriously? Look at what's happened in Pennsylvania the last few election cycles. It's not good for Republicans.
The sooner we *stop* sabotaging our moderate Republicans in blue states through self-defeating primaries (a la Stephen Laffey), the sooner we can actually get a majority back.
Otherwise, let's all celebrate how happy we'd be once Republicans only represent 30 seats.
Posted by: VA Blogger | February 11, 2009 at 11:32 PM
But what good is a majority if your members are siding with the opposition. We thought when we won the Chambliss race we would have enough votes to block the Democrats on major issues, and we would if the RINO's wouldn't go making deals that undermine the party, the fiscal sanity of this country, and our own future.
A moderate Republican in a blue state is fine, but a Republican from any state who undermines his own caucus is not fine.
Posted by: Willie Deutsch | February 11, 2009 at 11:59 PM
It's amazing that with all the losses we have suffered, some Republicans still whine about protecting turncoat moderates for the sake of the caucus. This significantly killed our base, and ultimately robbed us of our majorities.
How has this worked for Republicans in Congress since 2006 (or even before)?
How about now, with this abominable stimulus?
How has this worked for NOVA Virginia Republicans since the 2004 Warner tax increase? Oh, wait, that's just Bush's fault, right?
Posted by: 200 Grande | February 12, 2009 at 12:38 AM
I know one thing that's President Bush's fault. Tha Arlen Spector is still senator! If he had stayed out of that primary with Pat Toomey and Sen. Spector then we would have Pat Toomey in the senate instead of Sen. Spector.
And now you know reason #670 why I am glad President Bush is back in Crawford, Texas!
Posted by: George Templeton | February 12, 2009 at 12:50 AM
You think Toomey would've been Senator, just like that?
There are these things called general elections. They take place after the primary, and everyone gets to vote in them. Rick Santorum can tell you first hand, Pennsylvania doesn't really react well to right-wing candidates.
I don't like Specter's decision, but replacing him with a Democrat who will never vote for us is the absolutely wrong approach to take.
Posted by: VA Blogger | February 12, 2009 at 01:09 AM
Yes and Toomey would've beaten Joe Hoeffel asily. That was 2004 NOT 2006 or 2008. Rick Santorum (and nearly every other GOP candidate) went down the tubes in Pennsylvania in 2006 because conservatives stay home. On this one VA Blogger you couldn't be more wrong!
Posted by: George Templeton | February 12, 2009 at 02:39 PM
This stimulus is a big problem and either having either a Democrat Senator from Pennsylvania, or Arlen Specter has yielded the same result: a "yes" vote.
This is neither good for Republicans, nor the country.
Posted by: 200 Grande | February 12, 2009 at 07:30 PM
The problem is, and what I was trying to say, was that Specter wasn't even being a moderate. He simply caved into the liberal demands. Moderates try to find middle ground but he simply became a bridge to pass a liberal bill. Thats my problem.
Posted by: Chris | February 12, 2009 at 11:05 PM
No Chris you and your ilk are the problem. This bill was going to go through. Specter Snowe and Collins actually forced the bill to be better.
P.S. VA Blogger is right all of those seats should be Ds I hope you would agree that having them is better than having a D candidate in there
Its your ilk that are the problem wake the %$^& up.
Posted by: novamiddleman | February 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Novamiddleman, why don't you educate us on how "Specter Snowe and Collins actually forced the bill to be better"?
Frankly, the rationalizing of crap like this by you and your ilk rationalizing is the problem and you all need to wake the %$^& up.
Posted by: 200 Grande | February 13, 2009 at 03:41 PM
I would be honored if I had any "ilk."
Snowe and Collins and Specter did not make the bill better . . . they simply allowed it to go through with very little pushback. They completely cut off the Republicans from even being able to mount any sort of opposition on their terms.
Not even John McCain did this. John McCain, certainly a moderate, always tried to actually compromise and take some from both sides to make it work. He never once that I know of completely chop-blocked Republicans so they couldn't even start. What SCS did wasn't compromise.
NVM, I assume that since your defending them by saying "they made the bill better" that you wanted it better. Well why not let the Republicans mount an opposition, offer alternatives (which McCain did and Specter claimed to support), expose some of the real travesties in this Porkulous, and REALLY try and make it better?
THEN let the McCains of the world jump in and put a compromise together. But Specter didn't even let that happen!
Posted by: Chris | February 13, 2009 at 09:00 PM
Because of these three there was about 100 Billion in tax cuts added and 100 billion in spending taken out.
The others Rs were sitting around whining and complaining.
John McCain has always been a fiscal conservative true but there is an economic collapse occuring. Something needed to be done and it was evident both during the campaign and now that McCain has no idea about the economy.
If you total up the remaining pork in the bill it was less than 1% of the total bill.
I'm done trying to convince here. Enjoy being part of the base and becoming a permanent minority party.
Posted by: novamiddleman | February 15, 2009 at 12:18 PM