Arlen Specter to switch parties (2 updates)

Here's your political bombshell for the day -- Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter is switching parties.

The long time moderate Republican is now a Democrat. His statement (which appeared on PoliticsPA and is copied here from Ben Smith's Politico.com blog) --

I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.

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. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.

I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank specially Senators McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.

I am not making this decision because there are no important and interesting opportunities outside the Senate. I take on this complicated run for re-election because I am deeply concerned about the future of our country and I believe I have a significant contribution to make on many of the key issues of the day, especially medical research. NIH funding has saved or lengthened thousands of lives, including mine, and much more needs to be done. And my seniority is very important to continue to bring important projects vital to Pennsylvania’s economy.

I am taking this action now because there are fewer than thirteen months to the 2010 Pennsylvania Primary and there is much to be done in preparation for that election. Upon request, I will return campaign contributions contributed during this cycle.

While each member of the Senate caucuses with his Party, what each of us hopes to accomplish is distinct from his party affiliation. The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation. And no Senator, no matter how loyal he is to his Party, should or would put party loyalty above his duty to the state and nation.

My change in party affiliation does not mean that I will be a party-line voter any more for the Democrats that I have been for the Republicans. Unlike Senator Jeffords’ switch which changed party control, I will not be an automatic 60th vote for cloture. For example, my position on Employees Free Choice (Card Check) will not change.

Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy’s statement that sometimes Party asks too much. When it does, I will continue my independent voting and follow my conscience on what I think is best for Pennsylvania and America.

Specter's move is blatantly political; his chances for success in Pennsylvania in 2010 were becoming more dim by the day. Put more bluntly, his political survival was at stake. A hard-core conservative, Pat Toomey, almost certainly would have grabbed the party's nomination; Mr. Toomey's chances for success in the general election were seen as spotty at best in a hypothetical contest against little known Democrats. Now imagine Toomey against Specter in the general election -- Pennsylvania once again becomes the center of the political universe, in 2010.

But don't take the "blatantly political" comment as a commendation for what he has done. In fact, just the opposite (recognizing that I fall in the middle of the political spectrum). Consider that Joe Lieberman saw his shine in the Democratic Party fading; his move to Independent status allowed him to extend his political career AND to be seen as above the political fray in his state and throughout the country. Sure, some Democrats wanted to vilify him, but he clearly was not welcomed or comfortable with the direction his party was heading.

One could say that Specter has done the same thing.

1st UPDATE:
Vermont Democratic senator Pat Leahy, interviewed by CNN, says that Specter certainly agonized over this decision. Meanwhile, FOX News is reporting that Sen. John McCain said "I regret it" when he learned of the decision.

2nd UPDATE:
The Republican Party's demise in the northeast has been magnified by Sen. Specter's decision to abandon that party. Minus Specter, there are perhaps two Republicans of note in this part of the country.

I've maintained in numerous posts that a shell of a party is not a good thing -- the challenge for the Republican Party is to rebuild its support in the northeast. It won't happen overnight, and if the party continues to tilt to the right then that effort will be all the more difficult.