Rebuttal: Pablo Fanque, are you out of your f***ing mind? Arlen Specter: Hero?

By Jack Brummet
All This Is That Arts and Lifestyles Editor

In Pablo Fanque's misguided recent posting on Arlen Specter (Celebrate! Sen. Arlen Specter extricates himself from The Hive--> The GOP begins to succumb to The Sickness) on All This Is That, Pablo makes the error of postulating Arlen Specter's party-switch as an heroic act. In fact, Pablo, Arlen Specter has explicitly stated that he switched parties to save his own skin. He was basically run out of his own party on a rail, and faced a primary battle which pollsters said he was sure to lose. So he jumped ship, and came on over to our party. And within one day, admitted he may not follow his new party's line, on Senate procedural issues a/k/a The Filibuster), or on whomever BHO nominates for the Supreme Court Associate Justice slot. That's possibly OK. It's not just the G.O.P. who like their mavericks. We like people to get "mavericky" too. But, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein, "a rat is a rat is a rat."




Arlen Specter has always been one of my favorite Republicans, mostly because he would cross the aisle, and has co-sponsored bills with Democrats like Joe Biden. He is an intelligent man. I've never quite forgiven him for what he did to Anita Hill in the Thomas confirmation hearings.

He's no Hero, Pablo, and certainly not deserving of the halo you awarded him. Sure, I'm glad he's on our side; but let's face it, he's on our side as long as it suits his purposes (e.g., being re-elected at all costs). He jumped to our party because he has nowhere else to go.

I recommend we welcome him into the party, and "trust, but verify." In short, sure, bring him in, but don't trust him any further than you can throw him. What's to say he won't jump ship on us once the prevailing winds change direction? For now, let's bring him along. . .even if he ends up as a double agent. But let's not call him a hero. He's a politician, with all the treachery, ambition, and madness that entails.

Pablo, I wonder, from your anointing of Senator Specter, if you don't have a Republican streak yourself? And, as for you Arlen Specter, if you're going to abandon ship, why not jump the shark and become a full-blooded Yellow Dog Democrat? You'll be leaving behind the festering cadaver of the G.O.P., but you'll be gaining a brother and sisterhood of The Right Stuff.
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