Bold Move, But Now He's Our Problem

And problem he WILL be. Though perhaps a few degrees less conservative than Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

Listening first to Limbaugh and then to Hannity this afternoon on the Arlen Specter party-switch, the gasbags are too too busy crowing "good riddance to bad rubbish" to reflect openly about the huge bag of crap the Republican Party is now left holding ... with the potential now clinched for filibuster-proof Senate votes. Sen. Olympia Snowe certainly gets it.

Unless Specter turns out to be as big a jerk in the Democratic Party as he was a huge waffler in the Republican. He ain't a leader, that's for sure.

But this rumor that Specter got some sort of deal with Pennsylvania Democratic big-wigs to head off major Democratic primary opposition next year is most surprising. Oh, he'll have a primary in the Democratic Party, no doubt, but this source suggests it won't be from any viable candidate.

And meanwhile he'll be facing a hard-right Republican in November 2010. Specter's odds for remaining in the Senate for another six years just improved immensely. Plus he has an opportunity of becoming a hero to Democrats (and the devil incarnate to you know who).