Top Items:
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.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Reason, Washington Post, CNN, Associated Press, The Hill, MSNBC, The New Ledger, Capitol Briefing, Daily Kos, Fox News, The Campaign Spot, Think Progress, Taegan Goddard's …, Grist, Hot Air, Climate Progress, PoliGazette, Politics Daily, Balloon Juice, Real Clear Politics, Pajamas Media, Swampland, Off the Kuff, Open Left, Greg's Opinion, Election Law, The Next Right, Raw Story, Sister Toldjah, Commentary, Townhall.com, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Truthdig, Liberal Values, ONTD: Politics and Matthew Yglesias
RELATED:
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.
Discussion:
George's Bottom Line, NPR Blogs, The Swamp, The New Republic, MSNBC, The Note, Opinion L.A., On Deadline, Macleans.ca, Time, Newshoggers.com, The Moderate Voice, Political Punch, The Atlantic Politics Channel, Devil's Advocate, City Pages, Newsweek Blogs, Hotline On Call, Brendan Calling, TPMDC, ONTD: Politics and The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
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 …
The New Republic:
Unprincipled Hack (D-PA) — When a politician switches parties, it's customary for the party he's abandoned to denounce him as an unprincipled hack, and the party he's joined to praise him as a brave convert who's genuinely seen the light. But I think it's pretty clear that Specter is an unprincipled hack.
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.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Daily Dish, Taylor Marsh, Daniel W. Drezner and JONATHAN TURLEY
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.
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 …
Discussion:
www.washingtonexaminer.com, The Swamp, Buck Naked Politics, Hot Air, Upturned Earth and Politicker NY
The Huffington Post:
Snowe: GOP Has Abandoned Principles; Specter Switch “Devastating” — Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, one of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the Senate, said Tuesday that Arlen Specter's abandonment of the GOP is “devastating,” both “personally and I think for the party.”
The New Majority:
Another Triumph for the Club for Growth — With Arlen Specter's defection, all that stands between the Democrats and a 60-seat Senate majority are Norman Coleman's lawyers. I wish them every success - but they have not exactly been on an winning streak to date.
Amanda Terkel / Think Progress:
CNN's Rick Sanchez calls out DeMint's vapid talking point: ‘What the hell does that mean?’ — Today, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) appeared on CNN to talk about Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic party. Host Rick Sanchez asked DeMint about Specter's statement that the Republican party …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
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.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
What Specter's switch says about him, the Democrats and our political spectrum — (updated below - Update II) — I just contributed my thoughts on Arlen Specter's party switch to the New York Times' “Room for Debate” segment, so I'll post the link to that once that is available (see Update II) …
The Huffington Post:Limbaugh To Specter: Take McCain And His Daughter With You
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland
David Waldman / Daily Kos:Memo to GOP: Seat Franken or we'll keep Specter's committee seats
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News
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 …
RELATED:
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:Brian Ross spread the same falsehoods about the Khalid Sheik Mohammed interrogation
Discussion:
TVNewser, The Washington Independent, The New Republic, Newshoggers.com and Democrats.com
Ramesh Ponnuru / The Corner:
Specter on Jeffords — When Jim Jeffords became an “Independent” in 2001, Specter wasn't happy. He said, “I intend to propose a rule change which would preclude a future recurrence of a Senator's change in parties, in midsession, organizing with the opposition, to cause the upheaval which is now resulting.”
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
RELATED:
Emily Kaiser / City Pages:
Bachmann: ‘Interesting coincidence’ that Dems in power during swine flu outbreak — Rep. Michele Bachmann came up with another doozy during her interview Monday with Pajamas TV. Does anyone think it's “interesting” that the last time we saw swine flu was during another Democratic president?
RELATED:
Sylvia A Smith / The Journal Gazette:
Lugar to support IU law professor's nomination — First in GOP to back Obama's pick to head internal law office — WASHINGTON - Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said Tuesday he will support the nomination of an Indiana University law professor to head the Obama administration's internal law office.
WDBJ-TV:
News7 Poll: Terry McAuliffe holds double digit lead over Brian Moran & Creigh Deeds — A new poll gives Terry McAuliffe a double digit lead over Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds, his Democratic rivals for Governor. — But a majority of likely Democratic voters who responded to the News7 SurveyUSA poll …
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
