Specter Now Against EFCA
Arlen Specter, the lone Republican to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act in the last congress, says he’s not longer supporting it. He has a nominal rationale, but I think it’s fair to say that an important consideration is his need to fend off a primary challenge from Pat Toomey. If Specter hews to the anti-union lines, many business-types will support him in the primaries as the candidate more likely to hold the seat for the GOP. But if Specter were to cross big business on EFCA, the nomination would be as good as Toomey’s.
Specter secured substantial union support in his last re-election bid, but after selling labor out on their key priority he now looks like a much more vulnerable general election candidate than he was last time around.
34 Responses to “Specter Now Against EFCA”
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March 24th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I really don’t understand why Specter doesn’t change parties. Hell even a lot of Republicans in his state would be happy with the heft he’d have combining his seniority with being in the majority. And he’d no longer have to cringe whenever he’s forced to nod along with the latest nonsense emanating from Sen. Boehner.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I pledge the max to whoever Specter’s Democratic opponent will be. I might even give to Toomey, if it does not appear that he’s dropping out in exchange for the filibuster.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
His people are in Harrisburg right now lobbying the state Senate to open the primary voting process to independents. That’s a sign. FWIW, I doubt that tactic is going to work, and Pat Toomey is a clown. Its looking more and more like the seat will go to a Democrat in the next general election.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
самое интересное…
He has a nominal rationale, but I think it’s fair to say that an important consideration is his need to[...]…
March 24th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
And he’d no longer have to cringe whenever he’s forced to nod along with the latest nonsense emanating from Sen. Boehner.
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Actually, Boehner’s in the House, but whatever.
Maybe this success at pressuring Spector will give more impetus to Democrat designs on fratricide by running primary challenges from the left in ‘10.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Matt- why do liberals repeatedly unilaterally disarm themselves when it comes the fighting over the rhetorical high ground? EFCA is a meaningless acronym unknown to about 90% of the voters. Why not use the bill’s full name and thus reiterate the goals of the legislation.
It’s not so many extra characters to type to just spell out the name of the measure: Employee Free Choice Act.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
the pa democratic party will have to really screw up to not win his seat now. He has won the battle (republican primary) at the cost of the war. Republicans should remember Pat Toomey when the dems add a few more senate seats next election.
Once more the only republican moderate are rustbelt democrats, ie. Senator Bob Casey.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Wups I’m dumb thanks Campesino; Mitch is generally somewhat more reasonable.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Ah yes, if only supporters would fully type out the name, more people would support the EFCA. In which bill, let us not forget, “Free Choice” means the potential to have a union forced on you without ever getting a vote.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I’m skeptical of Specter’s chances to forestall a primary challenge, even if more apostasies are forthcoming. But this vote would seem to foreclose any chance that he intends to change parties. Which means democrats have plenty of opportunity to convince a strong candidate to run, since they will either be running against a weak Toomey or a weakened Specter.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
So will it be Senator Rendell then?
March 24th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
hehe, so, basically, he can say goodbye to the Senate. and good riddance. I never understood people who could fully comprehend the evils of the Republican & conservative belief systems, yet participate fully in them & with considerable relish at the same time. and let’s face it, he’s been pretty fake about it the whole time anyway. better to have a loony in there who won’t vote with us than a two-faced sleaze who won’t vote with us.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Ah the trolls have arrived, and as usual, they’ve brought teh stoopid.
You know, nothing is worse than having higher pay, better conditions, benefits, vacation time and the like just FORCED ON YOU!!! when do I get to vote against my interests!? I’m an AMERICAN for GOD’S sake, that’s what we do!!!
March 24th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Why oh why can’t Ed Rendell run against his former boss.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Didn’t Obama win Pennsylvania? They should get a Democrat in there.
Oh I forgot, I’m just an Obama groupie so my opinions don’t matter.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Preston – I hate defending Matthew on anything, but 2 key points to refute your moronic posting.
1) Anyone reading this blog probably knows what EFCA means. 90% of the public might not know, but 90% of the public is not reading this blog.
2) For those who don’t, they can read the first sentence and figure out what EFCA means “Arlen Specter, the lone Republican to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act in the last congress”
March 24th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Doesn’t this mean that the bill is almost certain not to get passed now?
March 24th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Jaime Says:
March 24th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Doesn’t this mean that the bill is almost certain not to get passed now?
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I think that’s the conventional wisdom
March 24th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
People who aren’t familiar with Specter ocassionally misunderstand his principles, especially if he has recently said or done something they approved of. Arlen Specter has no principle except the re-election of Arlen Specter.
I don’t especially have a problem with this; he’s not Rick Santorum. His agenda (”Arlen Specter!”) is modest and accessible. I also definitely wouldn’t write him off in his next election. He’s a real survivor.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
#17:
It would seem fairly likely that it will be put off until 2011 now, yes, unless they’re going to go nuclear. Although knowing Specter he may well oppose it until the second he beats Tooney and then vote for it in summer 2010 so the unions back him. That seems like something he’d do. If not though, the likely 3-5 seat Democratic pickup will do it shortly after.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Also, I’d like to point out that I have absolutely, positively no doubt he wouldn’t be opposing this if Tooney weren’t in the race. Just so none of the conservatives here think he actually has any principles.
March 24th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Why can’t he just reverse flip-flop after the primary is over?
March 24th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Dilan, I’m sure he will. Here’s the problem: he’s only a reliable vote for Democratic policies when it doesn’t matter. When he becomes the self-described “decisive vote,” he’ll always support the Republicans.
After the primary, many Senators are going to be too scared of Chamber backlash shortly before the general election to allow it to come to a vote.
And after the elections, Democrats may well have 60 solid votes in the Senate. Or they might not. And if you look at the House, it may well be close enough that the Chamber will just redirect its efforts at buying off slimey Blue Dogs.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
“It’s not so many extra characters to type to just spell out the name of the measure”
Matt can’t type the stuff he actually tries to say. Please don’t encourage himto type more.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
And those of you counting on 60 Dems votes seem to forget that 7 to 10 of those “Democrats” are determined to be the standard bearers for Reagan/Bush Republicanism, no matter how discredited by current events or repudiated by the American public.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
In retrospect, does this mean that American workers would be better off today if their unions had lowered their dues instead of spending so much money on the EFCA lobbying and ad campaigns?
March 24th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Ah, Scottish Haggis, what a man of integrity you are.
Though we’ll see whether winning the primary kills him in the general. Depends on the general mood and the recruiting efforts of the DSCC.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Alexandria, no more than, say, your parents investing all their money in a 401k instead of putting half of it into a checking account and the rest into hookers and blow.
Plus, the fight ain’t over yet–spending in Senate races has long, residual effects. A dollar spent to elect Hagan in 2008 will still be valuable in 2011.
I would agree, though, that unions invested way too heavily on the Presidential side and not enough for races like GA-Sen (where Martin would’ve been an assured vote on EFCA and pretty much all worker-friendly legislation).
March 24th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
As Harry Reid said, “We don’t have moderate Republicans in the Senate anymore. The only one we have is Olympia Snowe. As I say in my book, Arlen Specter is with us whenever we don’t need him.”
March 24th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
You’re not fooling anyone, ‘Zephyrus’.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
You’re not fooling anyone, ‘Zephyrus’.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:24 am
Spector revealed himself to be a scumbag when he defended Clarence Thomas and then voted to confirm Thomas on the Supreme Court. It is amazing that anyone is surprized by his lack of integrity.
March 25th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Specter’s opposition to basic workplace fairness shows the power of wealthy donors. Like the rest of the GOP politicians, his votes are for sale to the highest bidder.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
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