From TPM Reader JK …
Your reader MF, while hitting my liberal sensitivities, is entirely off the mark. Specter only became a Republican in order to get through the political machinery of the Philadelphia Democratic Party. He circumvented that by registering as a Republican and even then was pretty moderate. His constant allusions to Reagan are meaningless: who DIDN’T vote for Ronald Reagan?
Specter is pro-choice. He’s pro-gay rights. He’s for unions, regardless of his recent right turn on card check when he was still thinking he had a shot against Toomey. He’s supportive of President Obama’s stimulus proposal. He’s in favor of science, against creationism, in favor of stem cell research, and I’ll damn well bet he’s in favor of universal healthcare. Regardless of his recent rightist sensibilities (newfound and soon to be scrapped now that he no longer has to appease the crazies), he’ll soon be back to where he always was: a Democrat.
Frankly, I never understood why he stayed in the party. Call him stubborn.
