DSCC chairman Bob Menendez has released this statement on Arlen Specter's party switch:

"We welcome Senator Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party. The more the merrier. I just spoke with the Senator on the phone, told him that I look forward to supporting him and making sure this seat stays Democratic in November of 2010.

But today's news is proof positive that the Republican Party is so out of touch with Americans that they're losing one of its most prominent leaders. The Republican leadership in Congress, by obstructing and blocking progress at every turn, has poisoned the Republican party to a point where one of its own has to jump ship.

We thought Republicans may have hit rock bottom in November, but given their current strategy the hole they're digging keeps getting deeper. If Republicans continue to vote against progress and bet against the American economy, today's blow will be nothing compared to the long-term loss they will feel for years to come."