MoveOn.org to Specter: Be a Democrat or Be Gone in a Primary
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Arlen Specter left the GOP under threat of a primary threat from the right and with the understanding (he said) that he would retain seniority. First we learned that he'll have to wait on seniority (and as one of the TV talking heads observed, what makes him think that 85 percent of his Democratic colleagues will, in effect, vote to reduce their own seniority by honoring his?).
Now MoveOn.org, the liberal activist group that brought you the Democratic primary defeat of the unsinkable Joe Lieberman, has released the results of a new poll and ad threatening Specter with...a primary from the left.
MoveOn claims approximately 170,000 Pennsylvania members, and, the group says, 85 percent of them will consider opposing Specter in a primary if he doesn't "support President Obama's progressive agenda." Rep. Joe Sestak is widely seen as a Specter challenger. TPMDC reported earlier this week that other netroots groups are gauging interest in a Sestak run.
And it only makes sense from the progressive point of view: Why give Specter a free ride? His choices are win a Democratic primary or retire. Plus, he is famously flexible when it comes to principles and self-preservation (see, most recently, his opposition to card-check when he was still a Republican—how'd that work out?).
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Tags: Democrats | elections | politics | Arlen Specter
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Reader Comments
Joe Sestak
Sestak could beat Specter in the primary if he came out in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act, but Sestak switched his position, and he is now against the EFCA.
WOW
This country has turned into a socialist republic of do what I want you to do. Does no one else see this as a dangerous threat to the US Constitution? This is not NATZI Germany. This is the United States of America. If Alrene wants to move to a different party then he has that right. He should have know what the repercussions were when he moved.
If MoveOn.org has something to do with the move them BONUS. But this kind of power threat from an invisible group is dangerous.
Will Mr. Spectors exit from public life change anything in DC? The stupidity will continue without him. As for his exit, the people of PA will make that choice. Choose wisely. The grass might seem greener, but is it really?
Tolerance
I am no fan of Arlen Specter and see him as somewhat of an opportunist who should retire already [though I guess they'll determine his merit in Pennsylvania]. However, the Democrats won't be doing our country any favors if they also become a party full of hardened and angry partisans who see their vision as the only vision [kind of like what Rush is to Republicans] and everyone else as obstacles to their myopic view and agenda. Republicans were often ugly when they were in power and called those disagreeing with any detail of our War policy as "anti-American". Some "progressives" ironically are saying the same about those who oppose their spendthrift ideology and dangerous government expansion policies. There's nothing inherently wrong with being progressive or very conservative, it just polarizes and angers everyone when one or both parties is hijacked by an extreme wing.
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