Specter Won't Back Public Health Care Or Employee Free Choice Act (VIDEO)

Democrats eager to see what kind of Senator Arlen Specter would be now that he has left the Republican Party likely weren't counting their blessings after watching his appearance on "Meet the Press" this Sunday.

The Pennsylvanian, while insisting that his switch in party affiliation was driven as much by values as politics, nevertheless came out forcefully against two of progressives' most cherished policies.

On the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow for easier unionization, Specter strongly suggested -- as he did during the speech announcing his party switch -- that he would support a filibuster of the legislation. "I'm still against that bill," he said. "Democrats are all for it. Republicans are all against it. I'm the critical vote. If I see that there are other issues where I feel a matter of conscience, I will continue a filibuster against legislation."

On a public option for health insurance -- which conservatives claim will end the private market, but most observers say could bring down the costs of coverage for millions of Americans -- Specter said he would be in opposition. "That's what I said and that's what I meant," he added later, when asked if he would vote "no" on public health care.

At several other points, Specter did lay out areas in which he had "diverged materially from the Republican line," including raising the minimum wage, the stimulus package and abortion rights. But he went to great lengths to insist that he did not, as reported, tell Democratic leadership or the White House that he would be a loyal party member.

"I did not say," he told host David Gregory, "I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that."

Perhaps the strongest evidence of where Specter's sentiments currently lie came when he lamented the fact that, because the GOP lacked a Senate majority from 2006 through 2008, "34 Republican judges" were "left on the table unconfirmed."

"The [conservative] Club for Growth has undertaken campaigns to defeat moderate Republicans in the primaries knowing that they would lose in the general election. Take one case that was slightly different on procedure and that was Linc[oln] Chafee. The Club for Growth beat Linc Chafee, made him spend his money on the primary," Specter explained. "Had Linc Chaffee been elected in 2006, the Republican Party would have controlled the Senate in 2007 and 2008 and would have confirmed 34 Republican judges which were left on the table unconfirmed. I think that my colleague senator Olympia Snowe had it right in her New York Times op-ed piece, that you have to have a big tent."

Watch:

Comments

[Imee Malabonga]

07:31 AM on 05/07/2009

This guy really amuses me. Sometimes he acts like such a Republican (which he is), and at other times his Democrat side shows. Here, he's somewhere in the middle. I'm never for the whole party versus party thing, but dude, you HAVE to make a decision at one point or another!

IMEE
http://www.cashgrants.org/

[DCDemInsider]

08:58 AM on 05/05/2009

The White House have sent out 538's Nate Silver to to kneecap Sestak. Silver attempts this by sayinghow "statistics show" that the "new" Arlen Specter will change and be more liberal as a Democratic Senator than Joe Sestak would be. Its bogus, but it shows the White House will now try to slander a good Dem like Sestak to defend Specter.

Silver falsely used Sestak's score on controversial issues that were decided by narrow margins, but on less controversial issues, Sestak comes out considerably more liberal. Also, Silver, compares Sestak to Specter based on his PROJECTION that Specter will move to the left after switching parties. However, given Specter's age (80) and health (2x cancer survivor), he is unlikely to seek reelection in 2016 and thus will not face the pressure pressure of future party primaries that forced other switchers to move toward the median of their new party. Indeed, if and when Specter survives the primary and general elections of 2010, he will be a free agent for the next 6 years, and we can expect him to remain right where he has been all alone, a moderate Republican, sometimes more in voice than in vote.

We must protest and demand that they stop this farce. We have the right to a open primary. Email www.whitehouse.gov to tell the White House that they must stay out of our State's primary and allow the chance to choose for ourselves, who our own Senator should be.

[BluePrideStephen]

10:21 PM on 05/04/2009

Democrats, jus' say to him: 'thanks, but no thanks.'

if he beats any dem in the primary there'll be two republican'ts running for the office, right and righter.

[barbarica]

02:52 PM on 05/04/2009

Specter leading in PA, card check going down in flames. Obama and the Dems are geniuses, they couldn't say no to Big Labor so they will let Specter do it for them.

[Buffyboy]

08:14 PM on 05/04/2009

Specter leading what? Polls show any democrat crushes the republican in the PA senate race, and hopefully a real democrat will beat Specter the chameleon. If they don't get card check now, they will get it after the next election, or the one after that. The Rethugs are of the past. It's inevitable.

[ReedYoung]

02:49 PM on 05/04/2009

Weird strategy. I wonder what he thinks it will get him. I mean, campaign contributions from a corporation or two, obviously -- if any are left -- but I do not believe he can win any popular vote, particularly not in the northeast, with that kind of policy position.

[bascombe]

02:37 PM on 05/04/2009

as usual, spectre is only here to help the ruling class.

[DrJulienArbor]

02:27 PM on 05/04/2009

ANY U.S. government elected representative who is not in support of providing health care for the very same U.S. government citizens that elected them into office, and hence provided THEM with health care, should be DENIED that health care themselves!

It is a shame that Mr. Specter chose to throw so much good money after bad by giving his financial support to the very government agencies that back traditional Cancer research, go out of their way.... as a result of their incestuous relationships with the FDA, pharmaceutical companies, and a failing allopathic "health care" system.... to deny natural, holistic, safe, effective and cost-efficient treatments... and who have done such a horrendous job of taking care of the health and well being of U.S. citizens... INCLUDING MR. SPECTER!

He himself has had YEARS of ineffective cancer treatments that have more than likely resulted in the development of additional health problems... and yet he speaks of being "cured" of cancer! This man not been CURED of anything... and anyone who would celebrate his last chemo treatment with a martini and dinner in your typical upscale restaurant is NO ONE who should be backing a "health care" system that wouldn't have taught him any better than that!

[DrJulienArbor]

02:30 PM on 05/04/2009

Mr. Specter has had brain tumors and then heart disease and then Hogkins lymphoma (including a relapse in a form of cancer that has one of the highest cure rates even in its later stages), a horrendous history of accompanying complications and drug and treatment side-effects, and he's STILL in poor health... and yet he supports and promotes the very same "health" care system and medical research that failed him in the first place!

Perhaps Mr. Specter is suffering from CHEMOBRAIN... yet another form of an Acquired Brain Injury...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061006072544.htm

http://chemobrainboston.wordpress.com/the-cloud-over-chemotherapy-globe-magazine/

There ARE people who have not only truly CURED their cancer... but gone on to live even HEALTHIER and MORE PRODUCTIVE lives afterwards... but they did NOT do it by using the SLASH, BURN & POISON medicine of the allopathic "health care" system! They did it by turning to safer, more natural, holistic treatments and therapies that not only successfully addressed their cancer... but also introduced them to healthier lifestyles and PREVENTED future health conditions!

[DrJulienArbor]

02:36 PM on 05/04/2009

As long as there are so many conflicts of interest between government agencies, politicians, educational institutions, research facilities, and the various sectors of the allopathic "health care" system... and so much money to be made off of SICKNESS... their will NEVER be a true HEALTH CARE system in the U.S.!

The FACT is there HAVE BEEN many safe and effective treatments for NUMEROUS conditions that were pulled from the market YEARS ago when they were instead replaced with synthetic PATENTABLE alternatives that allowed for increased PROFIT... at the expense of the health and well being of American citizens! Perhaps if the U.S. government had not imported, sheltered, employed, and allowed so much influence of Nazi and Unit 731 scientists... WAR CRIMINALS... the U.S. "health care" system wouldn't be in the disastrous MESS its in! Then again... had the U.S. not engaged in such things as atomic testing, human plutonium injection experiments, and ongoing uranium mining... there probably wouldn't be NEARLY as much cancer as there is!!!

http://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/doe/lanl/pubs/00326640.pdf

http://www.ccnr.org/uranium_deadliest.html

[wvinvent]

02:01 PM on 05/04/2009

I just sent Joe Sestak a nice sized contribution and an email asking him to run. I suggest everyone who wants a real "D" senator for PA do the same.

[DCDemInsider]

09:01 AM on 05/05/2009

Email www.whitehouse.gov to tell the White House that they must stay out of our State's primary and allow us the chance to choose for ourselves who our Senator should be.

[snesich]

01:18 PM on 05/04/2009

"I did not say," he told host David Gregory, "I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that."

So Specter wants to continue voting with the Republicans on critical issues while expecting Democratic support for his re-election?

Do you think we're that stupid, Mr. Specter?

Hey Arlen, in the words of Judas Priest, "You've Got Another Thing Coming"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RRoCkncvYo

[barbarica]

02:55 PM on 05/04/2009

Vote for Ridge if you don't like it. lol

[EvenSteven88]

12:44 PM on 05/04/2009

Can we please take back the public health care that saved this guy's life? Then we'll see how he chooses to vote.

Sorry, I know that sounds harsh, but these guys have to start learning we're not going to take any B.S. from them.

[Billar]

11:44 AM on 05/04/2009

Note to Ed Rendell, Joe Biden and President Obama: Specter's done in the 2010 primary. Can you say JOE SESTAK!

[PAposter]

12:34 PM on 05/04/2009

Can you say party line voter?

[DCDemInsider]

09:02 AM on 05/05/2009

Email www.whitehouse.gov to tell the White House that they must stay out of our State's primary and allow us the chance to choose for ourselves who our Senator should be.

[DCDemInsider]

11:27 AM on 05/04/2009

The Runaway -
The New Republic

When Arlen Specter went to the WhiteHous after he announced he was leaving the RepublicanParty, the occasion had the feel of a wedding ceremony. President Obama pledged Specter his "full commitment,"

Specter is a clear-eyed realist about the nature of this union. Democrats are not. Although Obama and Biden can hardly be faulted for welcoming Specter into the fold, their actions leave something to be desired--namely their decision to offer Specter their full support in next year's Democratic Senate primary.

But, with Obama already vowing to campaign and fund-raise for him, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Specter to assume he can vote in ways that displease Democratic voters (and even the White House) on critical issues like health care since, at the end of the day, he has the ultimate political trump card: the support of Obama, whose approval rating in Pennsylvania is almost ten points higher than Specter's.

That is why it's essential that Specter not run unopposed in the Democratic primary. Right now, prominent Democrats-are working to clear the field for Specter. The politician under the greatest pressure to get out of Specter's way is Joe Sestak, has indicated he won't bow to that pressure and is one of the only elected Democrats to speak critically of Specter since his party switch. But even men who were once three-star admirals have their limit, and it's not hard to imagine that, if the pressure continues, Sestak will buckle.

[USCitizenforever]

11:31 AM on 05/04/2009

I agree. Team Obama will make sure of that.

[USCitizenforever]

10:22 AM on 05/04/2009

Obama will sway with the political winds on this one as he does on all of the other positions he takes.

[DCDemInsider]

11:45 AM on 05/04/2009

Hes gonna pretend he has nothing to o with this, watch as all the leftie anger goes to Specter (and not him) and the WH will pressure Sestak and his supporters until they withdraw.

From what I read here, few blame Obama at all, that plan will work out just fine.

[theclosetconservative2]

10:06 AM on 05/04/2009

SHashio224, you hate how the Republicans demonize unions? I'm glad that they did what they did during the industrial revolution leading up to the 30's. At one time in history they were relevent. But they got in bed with the mob and things changed. You haven't had a raise, and the state of New Jersey is threatening to take more of your pay and benefits away. New Jersey is and has been a blue state for several years. The banks are getting away with what they're getting away with while Obama's in the White House and the Democrats control both houses. How are the Republicans responsible. Some of the biggest richest Wall Street businessmen are Democrats. Something wrong with this picture? http://theclosetconservative.com

[olmossy]

12:25 PM on 05/04/2009

Name them,

[Spud777]

09:54 AM on 05/04/2009

Then go back to the repugs. Democrats will take the seat in 2010.