Obama To Specter: We Are Thrilled To Have You

White House aides said on Tuesday that they had no advanced knowledge that Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter would be switching party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. Once told, however, the president reached Specter to express his thrill at having him in the party and to offer his full support.

According to a White House aide, the president found out about the switch at 10:25 AM while in the Oval Office receiving his Economic Daily Briefing.

The president was handed a note, the aide said, that read: "Specter is announcing he is changing parties."

Seven minutes later, President Obama reached Specter to tell him, according to the aide, "You have my full support" and that we are "thrilled to have you."

The White House released a photo Tuesday of the president on the phone with Specter:

Become a fan of HuffPost Politics on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Comments

[KareninSac]

This is just so friggin' cool. Now seat Al Franken and let's get the country moving!!!

[Goefel]

Specter was scared that Chris Matthews was going to take his seat in 2010, so he switched parties.
This is not a day for celebration, more like a case for self-preservation.

http://www.rbr.com/media-news/washington-beat/13948.html

[PocketWatch]

There are probably many, many people in Congress that joined either party that had no strong affiliations either way. They just went to the party that would support their run for office at the time. I think it happens all the time. I'm not sure, but I think Specter was a Democrat at one time. So was Reagan, a BIG advocate for unions (he was President of SAG, if I remember correctly). I don't expect the Sen. Specter will vote 100% with teh Democrats on everything, just as I wouldn't expect anyone to. But I believe he will know what side of the bread the butter is on. As far as I can tell, he's been a fairly straight up guy for most of his carreer.

[Goefel]

your ineptness is duly appreciated.

Spector gets the last laugh on this one, as the crowd cheers his final act.
The political winds are changing and Spector needs to preserve his own skin.

[JustLeftOfRight]

Good revisionism. Raygun the actor loved unions. Raygun the GOP politician hated unions. He thought they were the first notch down the slippery slope to communism.

[genia]

self preservation? How's that Coleman thing going?

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

Actually, he was more afraid of losing the primary race to Toomey, which was a real possibility. Matthews had already announced he wasn't running.

Arlen and Fast Eddie Rendel are old buds. Expect Arlen to walk through the dem primary and then trounce Toomey in the general election when the fringers of the GOP are less of a factor.

[ChelseaC]

Senator Arlen Specter:
Welcome aboard!
It's about time!

[Cunningham]

Just in time to save his MagicBulletButt. It's all about Arlen.

If the Dems can use him, what the heck, we've got another Lieberman.

[ChelseaC]

I hope he won't be another Judas Lieberman. Yikes.............

[hyjanks]

That's Liebfraumilch, Cunningham, a sickening sweet German white whine that changes it's color from white to Red State red at the drop of a hat.
He's toast in 2010, anyhow; not much time left to kiss up to you losers.

[greatlardini]

I believe the change of party affiliation by Senator Specter was caused as much by the strong leadership President Obama has shown the last three months as by anything else.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

Reaching across the aisle and pulling them into the Dem. party

[PoliticalAmazon]

I hope Obama is not proud that the Democratic Party is now a party that Arlen Specter feels comfortable changing to.

If Arlen Specter feels comfortable in a political party, I know I don't belong in that party.

[bugsbonzai]

Really? Have you felt you belong to the Democratic party even though Lieberman is in it?

[Marcospinelli]

Joe Lieberman is a registered Independent. He caucuses with the Democrats because the Democrats are the majority party and control committee chairmanships, which Lieberman wanted.

[Marcospinelli]

You're exactly correct. This is what I predicted and have been talking about for years.

The plan is to marginalize the evangelical rightwing that controls the Republican Party and marginalize the Democratic Party's base, the liberals, by making the Democratic Party more Republican-like and push the liberals out. Then, the Democratic Party becomes a majority party for a thousand years, and a safe home for corporate politicians.

This is not a good day for *real* Democrats.

[filleAbelard]

Hogwash.

[PiscesPrincess]

I have been doing a happy dance for the past minute since I brought up Huffpost.com
Oh, Happy Day thank you Arlen Spector for finally waking up to where you belong. Bet it was the torture stuff. loving this. Oh happy happy Day.

[patriotgames]

I can't say I am that surprised. He won't last a GOP primary challenge, but Specter has a lot to answer for in terms of keeping all the Bush wrongdoings swept under the rug while still in office as head of the judiciary committee until the Dems took over in the Senate in 2006. FISA and warrantless wiretapping among them.

http://7mesh.com

[pewty]

sour grapes/gripes?

[R2D2-51]

It just goes to show you that not everyone in the political domain is a robot.

[wherriott2]

Next up Susan Collins and Olympia Snow!!!

[PoliticalAmazon]

NO. If the swine flu was any more fatal than it is, Collins would have been responsible for stopping planning that could have saved thousands of deaths in America.

[Topfeeder]

I'm doing my happy dance!

[j0em0mma]

G.agging
O.n
P.ennsylvania

Go Specter!

[genia]

Every once in a while....Karma comes along and smacks you in the face.
How sweet is this story?

[Vee]

of all the republicans, we got one of the most ethical one switching to our side. Very sweet indeed.

[biglover]

Sweet as you know what (can't say here)

[donbrown]

All the more reason to seat Al Franken now, so we can leave the obstructionist Republicans in the dust and get something done in these perilous times.

[alby91]

welcome specter...you have finally seen the light

[curiousdemo]

To quote the great Howell Cossell, Down goes Republican!..Down goes Republican!....Down goes Republican!

[Actongue]

It sounds like Specter saw the light just like Barry Goldwater did in regards to the Far right

Quote...Barry GoldWater

Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them.
November 1994, Conservatives Without Conscience, John Dean


When you say "radical right" today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson and others who are trying to take the Republican Party away from the Republican Party, and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye.
The Washington Post (28 July 1994

Endquotes

[mcantwell]

That quote pretty much sums it up. The Repubs are the same as they've been for the last two decades.

[Actongue]

Mr Goldwater knew that the Far right would be the Demise of the Republican party

I laugh at all the Palin Supporters that want her to be the next Reagan.


We can thank Reagan for this mess we are in with his Reaganomics. His Economy Advisor said that Reagan was clueless on the ecoomy and now we are bearing the fruit of it.

[silverball]

....think most of the world.....just sayin'......and "we" were NOT "born a christian nation"....we were born to practice ANY religion.....means: good for you, i got mine...or NOT....doesn't mean: do what i say (not what i do, often)....