Benedict Arlen, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins sold their party out by voting for the “stimulus package.” Without their votes, the Democrats would have had to compromise and actually engage in bi-partisanship. The Republicans could have had enormous bargaining power. Instead of a few scraps thrown in the Pelosi plan as sops for the three RINOs, the Democrats would have had to actually negotiate with Republicans, and give up s0me of their pork. But no, those three sold out their party. And now they try to paint the rest of the Republican as the bad guys.
Let’s be clear about one thing. Arlen Specter did not switch parties because “the Republican party left him.” He left because he abandoned his party, and so the Republican voters in Pennsylvania abandoned him. It was this one vote on the stimulus package which caused him to lose support in vast numbers. And he knew before he made the vote that Republicans were overwhelmingly opposed to him voting in favor of the package. Yet he did it anyway.
Let’s assume for the sake of argument that Specter honestly believed that voting for the “Stimulus Package” was the right thing to do. When only two other members of your party agree with you, it is reasonable to at least consider the possibility that you could be wrong. It is also reasonable to consider that perhaps you should compromise your beliefs for the greater good of the party. After all, it was not as if the “Stimulus Package” in some form would not have passed. Rather, the package would have been modified with Republican input. We had the Democrats by the shorthairs, and those three arrogant know-it-alls thought that they would come along and let the Democrats off the hook. Because they knew better than all their constituents, than all the other elected officials in their party.
I’ve read many articles about the Specter defection, and how RINOs are blaming it on the Republican Party being too right-wing. But I believe the two most important articles are at Ace of Spades “What on earth is JPod talking about” and “Patterico’s Pontifications” in “What we can learn from Specter the Defector.” Both are reasonable, and will appeal to RINOs and hard right wingers such as myself. So long as the RINOs do not go in with the attitude that the right-wing Republicans have to bow down and kiss the RINOs and moderates’ asses. “Big tent” works both ways, you arrogant bitches. “Big tent” instead to RINOs and moderates seems to mean “vote for us on our issues/candidates, and we’ll screw you on your issues/candidates.” You can only fuck us so many times before we finally say enough is enough, get the hell out and go be a thorn in the Democrats’ sides instead of ours. Continue reading