Obama Specter Press Conference Planned For Wednesday Morning

President Obama and Vice President Biden plan to join defecting Senator Arlen Specter at a press conference on Wednesday morning.

From the White House:

In the morning, the President, the Vice President, and Senator Arlen Specter will address the media in the Diplomatic Room. This event is pooled press. Immediately following the meeting, the President will depart the White House to travel to St. Louis, Missouri.

On Tuesday, President Obama called Specter to tell him, "You have my full support" and that we are "thrilled to have you," according to a White House aide.

Comments

[Peter007]

08:23 AM on 04/29/2009

Here is a fact.
25% of all US senators are over 70 years old. Only 10% are under 50 years old.
The Constitution states that one must be 35 years old to be a Senator.
I'm 57 years old and I can notice my memory going. Also, some of the new technology has me at a loss.
What was it I was talking about? .. Oh yes ..... age....
Should we be electing people over 80 years old to be making laws?
Is the Senate becoming a new type of American Royalty?
I typed this on my type writer and my grandson put it on this computer for me.

[SurrealPumpkin]

09:22 AM on 04/29/2009

ageist? Some people have fossilized before they're out of their teens others just keep on going.

Specter = The Energizer Bunny?

[Peter007]

12:53 PM on 04/29/2009

Politicians are like Hollywood actors. Most of what you see is controlled by PR staff people. Image is everything. Remember, Politicians are selling you something. You are the customer. Most of what you see is an advertisement.

[Mixpixlix]

07:54 AM on 04/29/2009

There was a time that MODERATE republicans had a strong voice in their party. It was the moderates of both parties that managed to push through imporant legislation.

While I agree there's a large helping of self-serving in Mr. Specter's decision, you cannot minimized the fact that he as SENORITY in the Senate and senority is clout. And, clout is all in Washington.

I'm sure there was a lot of underwear changing at the GOP yesterday and no matter how much the "leaders" try to minimize the switch, the truth is that it's a party that lost it's way by giving into the fringe.

[Patriot1970]

07:39 AM on 04/29/2009

Waaahh waahh, I'm losing my parties' primary in my state....waahhh waaahhh, I guess i have to pull a Leibermna and try to keep my job.....

PATHETIC!!!!! GO HOME SPECTER....TAKE YOUR TAXPAYER FUNDED PENSION AND GO HOME.

[NALLY]

07:54 AM on 04/29/2009

Typical sour repuke response. See how you people easily throw people under the bus. That's exactly why the republican party is a decreasing breed. You lack humility.

[rich misty]

07:28 AM on 04/29/2009

Respected herbalists state that drinking very strong hemlock tea before s.ex - greatly increases the chances that the children will grow up to be Republicans.

It's a good thing Republicans do not believe in herbs or alternative medical solutuions.

[SurrealPumpkin]

09:29 AM on 04/29/2009

Didn't work for Socrates, did it.

[rain33]

06:56 AM on 04/29/2009

ok, what does this switching represents-saving spector's political butt.i rather look at president obama instead.i believe that governor rendell told spector if he wants to get re-elected, he better supports healthcare,education and unions choice because the voters of pa will kick him out and their issue is the economy as well healthcare.let's see if he changes his mind again, again, again, again or get ready for a hard political fight.

[rich misty]

07:23 AM on 04/29/2009

Wrong

Specter has supported America as long as I have known him.

Modern Republicans cannot stand people who support America.

[dwright]

07:41 AM on 04/29/2009

Specter has been more of a Maverick than the Faux Mav McCain

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:43 AM on 04/29/2009

I've listened to Specter's announcement several times now and came to this conclusion - He was committing political suicide and knew it.

What he was saying was that he wouldn't let the narrow, extremely rigid right end his political career. I'm not sure he expects to survive a democratic primary, but he would rather the end come from an honest contest on issues that matter. In other words, it was a slap in the face of the neocons.

Obama's reaction must have been a big surprise to him. Think about it, Obama treasures Specter's contributions to the legislative process enough to campaign for him.

[1dogs2]

06:59 AM on 04/29/2009

Why would Obama's reaction surprise Specter (or anyone)? Remember Obama's hint to the Senate Democrats after the election that they were not to punish Lieberman and drive him out of the party? Welcoming Specter into the party is both good politics and in keeping with O's principle of inclusiveness and tolerance of principled dissent.

[SurrealPumpkin]

07:04 AM on 04/29/2009

I agree. I don't think Specter expected it though.

[JeanPaulSatire]

07:12 AM on 04/29/2009

It's completely unlikely that Obama's reaction was a surprise to Specter. For several years Biden had been working on Specter to switch and had intensified his efforts since the '08 elections. There's no way that Specter would have switched without knowing what support he could expect from the White House.

[SurrealPumpkin]

09:31 AM on 04/29/2009

Support? yes, campaigning? not so likely.

Watch the video of the entire announcement presser, look at the body language and the tension in his face.

[mergina]

06:24 AM on 04/29/2009

So, he has changed his party label, and still disagrees and will undoubtedly vote against most of what Obama stands for. How is that better? Could he be a double agent? Will he be involved in strategy against his old party? Will what he learns be kept from THEM?

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:44 AM on 04/29/2009

Specter is an honest man. Yes, he will disagree with some of Obama's policies. Obama doesn't seem too worried about it.

[dwright]

07:43 AM on 04/29/2009

Because he will be freer to vote his conscience than Party - I don't mind that at all

[TheInsurgent]

05:57 AM on 04/29/2009

To most, Sen. Specter's defection to the Democratic Party is one more sign of how the Republican Party has lost direction. I actually find it worrisome foreshadowing of Obama’s next four years.
Republican pundits say this is a political move by the senator to avoid a probably loss during the 2010 primaries. Sen. Specter says, "I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans," implying that the Republican Party has gone too far right. Fair enough, any American with an active cerebral cortex would agree. What we should really ask, is how does this reflect on the Democratic Party? In all likelihood, Sen. Specter's political views have not changed much throughout his career; therefore the truth is that the Democrats continue to shuffle right while feigning left.
The Democrats are now like the Republicans Specter fondly remembers from his past. And one seat away from the magic 60, legislation will fly out of Congress like fresh Crispy Crème donuts. Let us pray it’s not what Sen. Specter would want.
Obamaniacs and progressive Dems need wake up. President “Change” continues to delay exiting Iraq, continues bombing innocent Afghanis, avoids exposing war criminals within the CIA, and the list goes on. When it comes to issues that matter, the next four years are starting to look like the past eight.

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:47 AM on 04/29/2009

Specter was always a moderate conservative, more worthy of the maverick label then McCain ever was. The difference between a moderate republican and conservative democrat has never been that great.

[jobecky20]

06:55 AM on 04/29/2009

I agree....I am disappointed that Obama has turned out to be more conservative than liberal. But that said, he is better than Bush. I just wish we were not forging ahead in Afghanistan.

[SurrealPumpkin]

07:06 AM on 04/29/2009

He always was more moderate/centrist then liberal. He never hid the fact that he considers the fight in Afghanistan to be very important. I'm heartened that a large part of his plan includes diplomacy and aid.

[dwright]

07:45 AM on 04/29/2009

Obama was never the liberal the FOX press always tried to make him out to be. Read his book The Audacity of Hope if you want to know how he thinks. You need to thoroughly research WHY he is doing what he is doing in Afgan before you judge that it is wrong.

[drricklippin]

04:36 AM on 04/29/2009

Sebelius Confirmation to HHS and Specter Defection to Democratic Party (both yesterday) is GREAT NEWS for Health Care Reform Prospects this Summer!

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

[boycottrightwingthings]

06:59 AM on 04/29/2009

I am very happy to see a doctor like yourself aboard on that. : )

[kassandrasduplex]

04:01 AM on 04/29/2009

What could they possibly have to talk about? Could it be that they both turned traitor to organized labor and puled their support of EFCA? (Obama has let EFCA support collapse without so much as a word of protest.)
"We will pass the Emp. Free Choice Act. It's not a matter of if---it's a matter of when."
Candidate Obama 2008

[Khirad]

03:58 AM on 04/29/2009

This was surreal. Not just the night before I responded to an angry conservative right here on HuffPo who felt betrayed by Specter, Collins and Snowe. I said, "fine, we'll take 'em!" Next morning... spoooooky! Snowe's coded response today was a little eerie too (in a good way)!

It's amazing they don't understand the concept of broad coalitions and a filibuster-proof majority. Specter will be our party's maverick, but I also suspect that he was being reined in a little too. They just shot themselves in the foot... again. I hope they "purify' the party down to nothing. We should start preparing our strategy to defeat the Libertarian Party as a contingency precaution. -But at least they're easier to reason with. It could be like Labour vs the Lib Dems in the UK minus the Tories if they don't wake up to the David Cameron (or Stephen Harper) example. Joy!

[SurrealPumpkin]

06:54 AM on 04/29/2009

My sense was that he doesn't expect to survive a democratic primary but would rather be taken down by people closer to his beliefs then the litmus test party.

[RJII]

03:45 AM on 04/29/2009

Obama-- three steps ahead of the game.

Don't h8 the player, h8 the game tee hee

[RJII]

03:40 AM on 04/29/2009

twist that kni//fe. I'm going watch.

[adamsmith3]

03:22 AM on 04/29/2009

Classy move. "Hey everyone, look who's on my side. Let's talk about it." The politics of spite.

[1dogs2]

07:07 AM on 04/29/2009

Too bad you can't distinguish spite from inclusiveness and tolerance for principled differences. That's one reason that only 21% of the electorate call themselves Republicans.

[Spencaa]

03:22 AM on 04/29/2009

I donated to Specter's upcoming campaign I was so grateful for his switch