Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter has switched from the Republican to Democratic party, which will give the Democrats a filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats if Al Franken prevails in court in his ongoing race against incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/specter-will-run-as-a-democrat-in-2010/?hp" title="From The New York Times”>From The New York Times:
“Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats,” Mr. Specter said in a statement. “I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.”
<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21798.html" title="POLITICO points out that the move is not surprising”>POLITICO points out that the move is not surprising, since recent polls show that Specter faced an uphill primary challenge against Rep. Pat Toomey, who is considered more conservative.
Two sources said he made his decision after seeing a recent poll showing him badly trailing Toomey in the Republican primary, and concluded that he had no way of winning the GOP nomination.
Specter was one of just three Republicans to support President Obama’s stimulus plan. And if Franken is seated, and Specter votes with the Dems, the GOP won’t be able to stall sweeping initiatives such as health care reform and the organized labor-backed Employee Free Choice Act.