More on Senator Specter (O-PA)

From the Hill Newspaper on March 17 (this year) - the newest member of the Opportunist Party made a pretty definitive statement- " (The Democrats) are trying very hard for the 60th vote. Got to give them credit for trying. But the answer is no.

I'm not going to discuss private talks I had with other people who may or may not be considered influential. But since those three people are in the public domain, I think it is appropriative to respond to those questions.

I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system. That's the basis of politics in America. I'm afraid we are becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party with so little representation of the northeast or in the middle atlantic. I think as a governmental matter, it is very important to have a check and balance. That's a very important principle in the operation of our government. In the constitution on Separation of powers." That was then.

In a then in 2001 he took a quite different stance in relation to the change made by Senator Jeffords from Vermont - "If somebody wants to change parties, they can do that. But that kind of instability is not good for governance of the country and the Senate."

When Jeffords made the switch, it had the effect of changing control of the Senate. And at the time Specter proposed a rule change which would punish such switches. In this case the change does not make a change in the leadership of the Senate.