Oh, sure. I put up a politics-related post, and some misfit senator has to go and make a party switch. Way to go, Arlen Specter. Thanks for ensuring that you’re the only political thing anyone wants to read about on a day when I posted about something entirely else.
Aw, who am I kidding? It’s pretty sweet. The Senate has another Democrat. Admittedly, it’s a guy who was the Dems’ easiest target when they needed to win a vote from across the aisle, but it serves to send the message that the Republican Party is increasingly becoming a minority party simply due to their incessant attempts to play to the hysterical far-right base.
This switch doesn’t mean that much in terms of the actual votes. Sure, the Republicans don’t really have the option to threaten a filibuster any more (especially if/when Coleman runs out of options and Franken finally gets seated), but Specter and the other more moderate Senators on both sides will still be voting their consciences rather than sticking to the party line. Otherwise, nobody would actually give a flying fuck about Senator Nelson other than his Nebraska constituents.
What this means, perhaps crucially, is that in 2010, when Specter is up for re-election, he will probably get the Democratic party nomination and beat Pat Toomey handily. Had he stayed Republican, Toomey would probably have beaten him out in the primary and the Senate would have lost a longtime voice of reason. (NB: by ‘reason’, I mean an intelligent, level-headed moderate. I don’t always agree with Specter, but I don’t hold with extreme ideologues on either side.)
Despite the general inclination to vote his conscience, though… in order to consolidate his position as a Democrat, Specter may throw his backing behind some of the more crucial reforms of the Obama agenda which he otherwise might not have; this would make it all the more likely that he gets the nod in ’10.
So welcome to the party of Yes, Arlen Specter. Good to have you.
Now if we could just get Norm Coleman to FREAKING QUIT ALREADY. YOU LOST. GET OVER IT.
That Other Blog, Way Over There 
No kidding. I can’t wait until Franken gets the damn seat. Norm is such a cry baby loser.
Norm is going to fight to the death. I think we know what that means.
Though if there are any law enforcement officials reading this, I obviously mean nothing more than “forever.”
Anybody remember Franken’s old SNL skit about the ‘Year of Franken’?
Hmmm………I wonder what Al is doing right now?
I wonder what his boy is up to?
@sekanblogger
Getting grumpy about the wait, it sounds like. And who can blame him?
Come on, number 60…
@f.B
A lot depends on Gov. Tim Pawlenty, but he’s got his ’10 re-election campaign to think about.
@SisyphusFragment
Sort of amusing to think of a man who wore diapers on national television as being more dignified than his political opponent. And yet, Franken has Coleman well beaten in that regard.