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Chris Cillizza / The Fix:
Specter To Switch Parties — UPDATED, 2:10 p.m. Continue following the story here. — Original Post — Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
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PoliticsPA:
Statement by Senator Arlen Specter — I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the Party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view. While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my Party has not defined who I am.
CNN:
Specter: ‘The disappointment runs in both directions’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) — Veteran Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said Tuesday that he switched from the Republican to the Democratic Party. — “I know I'm disappointing many of my colleagues,” he said at a news conference.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blog:
Specter switching parties — A source involved in the talks confirms that Senator Arlen Specter will switch to the Democratic Party, a dramatic move putting the Democrats within reach of two votes in the Senate. — The move stands to put the White House's agenda on a fast-track …
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The Swamp, www.washingtonexaminer.com, The Huffington Post, Upturned Earth, Hot Air, Buck Naked Politics and Politicker NY
Carl Hulse / The Caucus:
Specter Switches Parties — Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said on Tuesday he would switch to the Democratic party, presenting Democrats with a possible 60th vote and the power to break Senate filibusters as they try to advance the Obama administration's new agenda.
Discussion:
The Politico, The BRAD BLOG, The Plank, Eunomia, Environmental Capital and The Edge of the American West
Lisa Lerer / The Politico:
Two Republicans blame conservatives — Two leading Republicans say Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to become a Democrat highlights the hostility moderates feel from an increasingly conservative GOP. — “You haven't certainly heard warm encouraging words about how [the GOP] views moderates …
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Specter move caught GOP leaders by surprise — Senate Republican leaders said they had received no heads-up from Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) about his decision to leave the Republican Party and run for reelection as a Democrat. — Specter told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) …
The Politico:
Specter: I'm not an automatic 60th vote — Republican Sen. Arlen Specter has decided to switch parties and become a Democrat, stunning his GOP colleagues in the Senate while pushing Democrats and President Barack Obama one step closer to unfettered power in Washington.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias, Michael Calderone's Blog, rubber hose, Reason, Above the Law and Open Left
Michelle Malkin:
Arlen Specter makes it official; Flashback: Specter's denial — Well, it appears that the head of the Turncoat Caucus is finally making it official. Arlen Specter, we have just 10 words for you: — Don't let the door hit you on the way out. … The readers at Human Events give Specter a nice send-off.
Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
What a Specter Shift Means—and Doesn't Mean — A little while ago, my colleague Mike Crowley heard from sources that Arlen Specter is leaving the Republican Party. And I see now that the Washington Post is reporting it, as well. But the headline currently on the Post home page …
Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Specter courts conservatives in Pa. rematch — Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has been laying the groundwork for a grudge rematch against former Rep. Pat Toomey since 2004, when Specter almost lost his seat to the conservative firebrand. — Conservative leaders say that Specter's relationship …
CNN:
Snowe calls Specter move ‘devastating’ — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Olympia Snowe — one of the three moderate Republicans including Arlen Specter who supported President Obama's stimulus package — told CNN Tuesday that she has also been approached many times about becoming a Democrat, but that it hasn't happened for a while.
David Weigel / The Washington Independent:
Club for Growth Speechless on Specter Switch — I just called the Club for Growth for a reaction to Sen. Arlen Specter's (?-Pa.) announcement that he is switching to the Democratic Party and found Nachama Soloveichik, who is about to leave the Club to work for Republican 2010 Pennsylvania primary candidate …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
WHY SPECTER'S SWITCH MATTERS.... Following up on the last item, talk of a “filibuster-proof” Democratic majority is a stretch. For one thing, Norm Coleman just received a powerful reminder incentive to keep his legal fight going for as long as humanly possible.
Eric Kleefeld / TPMDC:
Why Specter Did It — And Had To Do It — So why exactly has Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA D-PA) switched parties? — It really comes down to electability — specifically electability as a Republican. Specter's own statement acknowledged that his support for the stimulus bill has made his position untenable with the GOP:
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:What Specter's switch says about him, the Democrats and our political spectrum
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The Huffington Post
Jeremy P. Jacobs / The Hill's Blog Briefing Room: Sestak refuses to rule out Senate run against Specter
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:Specter and EFCA — Grover Norquist tells the Washington Independent …
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The Washington Independent
Donald G. McNeil Jr / New York Times:
With Swine Flu Cases Rising, Borders Are Tightened — Countries around the world began tightening their border and immigration controls Tuesday as the number of confirmed cases of swine flu continued to rise. — The number of deaths believed attributable to swine flu climbed to as many as 152 …
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Washington Post, Associated Press, The Hill, David Rothkopf, The Lede, The Caucus and Group News Blog
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Emily Kaiser / City Pages:Bachmann: ‘Interesting coincidence’ that Dems in power during swine flu outbreak
Joseph Abrams / Fox News:
Despite Reports, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Was Not Waterboarded 183 Times — The number of times Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded was the focus of major media attention — and highly misleading. — FOXNews.com — The New York Times reported last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed …
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