Open Left

But... but... (4.00 / 2)

Hmm. I wish I could find the flaw in your logic, but there isn't any.

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by: Malacandra @ Thu May 07, 2009 at 19:53:57 PM CDT

There is a slight one... (4.00 / 1)

Specter got the deal he got partly because he's Specter, he had massive seniority in the GOP caucus, so he expected some sort of seniority in the Dems. I imagine in that context the Dems view Specter's new gavel as a demotion (rightly or wrongly). A freshman backbencher who decided to switch probably wouldn't get to chair anything.

But even without the chair, the promise of no primary and the complete lack of any voting obligation is still a pretty sweet deal. You also get the extra benefit of being able to position yourself on the teevee as a moderate iconoclast who bucks the establishment, Specter/Lieberman style! Maybe they'll invite you on Fox News to talk about how extremist the Dems are being!

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by: Marcelo @ Thu May 07, 2009 at 20:03:47 PM CDT

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well (4.00 / 1)

I've seen more than one pundit on MSNBC and CNN saying that they just can't imagine the Democratic caucus giving Arlen Specter his full seniority after the 2010 elections. They'd have to actually vote against their own best interests by putting him in front of them. Mikulski for sure would vote no.

Of course, I can foresee a scenario where word comes down from on high (Obama) that they should give him his seat, and Specter will sweeten the deal by threatening to jump back to the GOP if they don't, in which case the Dems fold. We just saw this happen with Lieberman.

But as least Lieberman votes with us 70% of the time or so. Specter needs to prove himself, and fast.

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by: existenz @ Thu May 07, 2009 at 20:46:25 PM CDT

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Jump back to the GOP? (4.00 / 1)

Good luck with that..

He still has to deal with an impending primary over on that side...

And they still can't offer him jack...

REID: Voting against us was never part of our arrangement!
SPECTER: I am altering the deal! Pray I don't alter it any further!
REID: This deal keeps getting worse all the time!

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by: lord_mike @ Thu May 07, 2009 at 20:51:58 PM CDT

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Here's a partial list of who's interests are served (4.00 / 2)

By not circumventing the Senate seniority system.

The most senior three Senate Democrats without a chairmanship are Barbara Mikulski, Russ Feingold, and Patty Murray, in that order.

Then you have the Senators he moved immediately ahead of on the powerful Judiciary and Appropriations committees: Harkin and Mikulski on Appropriations and Kohl, Feinstein, and Feingold on Judiciary.  Then, you have Kohl, Akaka, and Boxer, who have chair committees where Specter would have outranked them.

Then, you have the Senators like Dorgan (Indian Affairs), Landrieu (Small Business), or Kent Conrad (Budget) who don't want Specter to start a game of musical chairs, especially if it makes them chairless.

Then, you have the some Senators who might not like Specter for pure ideological or partisan reasons.

Of course, my idea of compromise is to give Specter Veteran Affairs and move Akaka to Homeland Security while kicking Lieberman out, because screwing with the perfidious Joe gives me more pleasure than stripping Specter of seniority.  

Things You Don't Talk About in Polite Company: Religion, Politics, the Occasional Intersection of Both

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by: Anthony de Jesus @ Fri May 08, 2009 at 00:02:40 AM CDT

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