Toomey for Senate

Contact: Nachama Soloveichik or Tim Kelly - 484.809.7994

So Much for Independence

Allentown, PA – When Arlen Specter became a Democrat on April 28, 2009, he promised Pennsylvania voters that he would remain an independent voice in the United States Senate.

Arlen Specter: I will not be changing my own personal independence or my own approach to individual issues. I will not be an automatic 60th vote.

On a May 3rd appearance on Meet the Press, Sen. Specter continued to insist that he would not be a “loyal Democrat.”

David Gregory:  It was reported this week that when you met with the president you said, “I will be a loyal Democrat.  I support your agenda.”

Arlen Specter:  No.  And you misquote me, David.  I did not say I would be a loyal Democrat.  I did not say that. 

There goes another Specter promise. 

In yet another episode of Arlen Specter’s breathtaking political opportunism, Specter has now become the automatic Democratic vote he said he would not be.  But the question remains: For how long?

According to a new analysis by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.Com, Specter has gone from voting with the Democrats 44% of the time when he was a Republican during the first four months of 2009, to 69% shortly after his switch, to 97% of the time after Rep. Joe Sestak (PA-07) announced he was planning to challenge Specter in the Democratic primary (see chart below).  According to Silver, Specter has “basically been behaving like a mainline, liberal Democrat.”

This penchant for blatant hypocrisy is not new.  Specter’s entire career has been marked by a willingness to vote—not based on principle or conscience—but based on his perceived political needs of the moment.  Silver’s analysis notes that when he was still a Republican facing a primary from Pat Toomey, for a one month period this year Specter suddenly veered right, voting with the Democrats only 16% percent of the time.  In four short months, Specter has gone from voting with the Democrats a mere 16% of the time to voting with the Democrats 97% of the time (see chart below).  Along the way, he has switched his position on Card Check and health care.  Who knows what positions will fall victim to Specter’s habitual hypocrisy next?

Voters are starting to ask: What is “independent” about that?

“Over the past couple of months, Arlen Specter has become the poster child for everything that is wrong with Washington today,” said Toomey Communications Director Nachama Soloveichik.  “For too long, Washington has been plagued by rampant political opportunism, with politicians putting their own selfish needs ahead of their constituents and the country.  Arlen Specter has taken this malady to a new level, changing his position so many times voters are beginning to get dizzy.  Pennsylvanians are quickly learning that they cannot trust Sen. Specter from one day to the next.  As Silver’s analysis concludes, ‘It seems to have triggered plenty of fatigue with voters, who just can’t be sure what they’ll get if they vote to re-elect him.’”“Over the past couple of months, Arlen Specter has become the poster child for everything that is wrong with Washington today,” said Toomey Communications Director Nachama Soloveichik.  “For too long, Washington has been plagued by rampant political opportunism, with politicians putting their own selfish needs ahead of their constituents and the country.  Arlen Specter has taken this malady to a new level, changing his position so many times voters are beginning to get dizzy.  Pennsylvanians are quickly learning that they cannot trust Sen. Specter from one day to the next.  As Silver’s analysis concludes, ‘It seems to have triggered plenty of fatigue with voters, who just can’t be sure what they’ll get if they vote to re-elect him.’”