Washington, DC – Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter announced yesterday that he was switching to the Democratic Party. The move is widely thought to be one meant to further his political career. Specter, who is 79, was tracking far behind pro-life Republican challenger Pat Toomey for the 2010 election. Specter’s only chance for re-election was to jump ship.
“Specter has always been an enemy of the pro-life movement. His leaving the Republican Party is good riddance, as far as I’m concerned,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “A man who will put his political career above principle and the lives of innocent children is not fit for office. This could give the pro-life candidate a better chance of winning.”
Specter’s betrayal will put the Democrats within one vote of a filibuster-proof majority. If Dem. Al Franken wins his close and hotly contested race in Minnesota,which is currently in litigation, that would put the Republicans at a grave disadvantage in the Senate.
“There’s an old saying that seems appropriate: ‘Give them enough rope and they’ll hang themselves.’ It may be that this will be the best thing for the American people,” said Newman. “With the Democrats unfettered, the American people will see how destructive their policies really are, and there could be a huge backlash against them in 2010.”
