Yesterday we learned that Arlen Specter, the senior senator from my home state of Pennsylvania, has decided to switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat.
At the same time, he said that he will not vote with the Democrats on every issue. And that is no surprise.
I've always had mixed feelings about Senator Specter. There have been many times when he has voted against the Republican majority, and he has sponsored/cosponsored some good legislation related to human rights and other issues near and dear to my heart. On the other hand, there have been many times when he did toe the party line. I would not expect that to change.
But this move does seem to confirm that the Republican party is in a state of chaos and/or moving farther and farther to the extreme right.
It is certainly no longer the party of Lincoln.
It is widely believed that Specter's party switch was a political move, designed to increase his chances for reelection. That is his prerogative, and it will make the 2010 election season all the more interesting to watch.
So I will wrap up by simply saying this:
Hey, Senator McCain, this is what a real maverick looks like.
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