manbirdexperiment wrote: 
This is disappointing. I really thought he was going to join the Insane Clown Posse.

 manbirdexperiment wrote: 
Yo!

Arlen Specter to join the Wu-Tang Clan

This afternoon Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania) announced he is
joining the Wu-Tang Clan, a prominent, loosely organized group
of hardcore rappers that first formed in the early '90s.

At a press conference with all 9 original members, including the
RZA, GZA (pronounced "Rizza" and "Jizza") and Method Man,
a visibly disoriented Specter read from a prepared statement:

"My life had got no better, same damn 'Lo sweater. Times is
rough and tough like leather," said the senior senator of his
29-year membership with the GOP. "I figured out I went the
wrong route. So I got with a sick tight clique and went all out."

Maine panel endorses gay marriages

 romeotuma wrote: 

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) is becoming a Democrat.

"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."

"Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

The move will give Democrats a filibuster-proof 60 vote majority in the Senate, presuming Minnesota's Al Franken is eventually seated. However, in his statement Specter said his opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act — widely seen as a defense against a Republican primary challenge — will not change.

Polls had shown that, despite his shift on EFCA, Specter was on his way to losing his seat if he stayed in the GOP. A Rasmussen survey from last Friday had former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey beating the Senator by 21 points in the primary.

Sources told the AP that an announcement could come later in the day — or Wednesday.

Vice President Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell have urged Specter to switch parties in the past.

President Obama called Specter Tuesday to say Democrats "are thrilled to have you."

 phineas wrote: 
It's 5:54 a.m. here and my day has begun with this image in my mind.

 Rod wrote: 
I didn't get the details either — I refuse to leave the shower and my rubbing alcohol sponge bath.

 Rod wrote: 
make sure you keep the faucet running on full. apparently, that's important to the german germs.

I heard about Phil Spector and Arlen Specter flying low over Manhattan in a jumbo jet dropping the swine flu virus? Something like that, I was only half paying attention to the news this morning while I continually washed my hands.

 dionysius wrote: 
That, and I rarely watch the news.  Usually depresses or pisses me off.

 oldslabsides wrote: 
Well, in OK you have real things to worry about, like thunderstorms, tornados and flying cows. In NYC, they're just...jumpy, I guess.

 dionysius wrote: 
Guess I missed the whole thing.

 n4ku wrote: 

Seen it. Did the outrage. Heard the official apology.

 n4ku wrote: 
So I stretched. Sue me.

Anyway I didn't detect any panickable events today, so I thought I'd recycle one from yesterday.

 Alafia wrote: 
btw, regarding Specter, saw the following on Electoral Vote dot com:

Toomey Has Huge Lead over Specter in Pennsylvania     Permalink

First one poll then another poll have shown Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) trailing former congressman Pat Toomey by double-digit margins. The Rasmussen poll published yesterday puts Toomey ahead 51% to 30%.

Specter's real problem was the Democratic presidential primary in 2008. With the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama still raging last April, hundreds of thousands of moderate Republicans in Pennsylvania switched registration to vote in the Democratic primary. Most of these people normally voted for Specter. Now they are officially Democrats. With a big primary looming on the Democratic side in 2010, probably most of them will remain Democrats to vote in the Democratic primary. Thus the center of gravity of what is left of the Pennsylvania Republican Party has moved far to the right—towards Toomey and away from Specter. Under far less favorable circumstances, Toomey came within 1.7% of beating Specter in the 2004 senatorial primary. Now with the wind at his back and Specter unpopular with the right wing of the Republican Party for his occasional roll call votes with the Democrats, Toomey has an excellent chance of winning the nomination. Unfortunately, he has almost no chance of winning the general election against any of the numerous Democrats trying for their party's nomination. He is simply far too conservative for a state Obama carried by 11 points. Thus a Toomey win in the primary means that Pennsylvania will very likely flip and give the Democrats their 60th seat in the Senate (assuming Franken is seated by January 2011).

 Zep wrote: 
Hardly breaking news. That's SO yesterday. And talked to death here, there, and everywhere.

 Alafia wrote: 
These guys never heard of photoshop?

 Zep wrote: 
Man.  What the FARK were they thinking?

"It seemed like a good idea at the time.'

 Zep wrote: 

The Party of No is becoming the Party of No(ne).