Specter to Labor: You'll Like How I Vote On EFCA--Labor Skeptical
On Saturday, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) addressed a crowd of union activists in Pittsburgh and answered for his wavering on EFCA.
"You want my vote, I want yours," heckled one of the activists.
"I believe you'll be satisfied with my vote on this issue," Specter said in response. You can watch the video here.
"I understand your job's on the line," Specter told the crowd, which shouted back, "your job's on the line!"
"I think you'll be satisfied with my vote on this issue on union organizing and on first contract just like you've been satisfied with the 22 times I voted for Davis Bacon."
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Wonder if Specter waited too long on this issue. Suspicions have fermented about his dedication.
June 8, 2009 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nah. It's the vote that counts. He can waffle all he wants from now 'till then, and if he finally ends up fully supporting the bill all will be forgiven.
June 8, 2009 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not surprised. The guy flipped his entire party after saying he wouldn't. Now he's flipping on EFCA to win the primary. Why would anyone be surprised? He has zero integrity.
June 8, 2009 9:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, he probably intended to vote for EFCA initially, before he took a stance against it in an attempt to head off a primary from Toomey (back when he was a republican). So arguably, this is a return to his true position, and in fact the more honest thing for him to do.
But I tend to agree w/GTFOOH that he may have waited too long--probably result of being too cocky and ignoring what a quick read of TPM-like blog would have told him 1 day after he switched parties: that he needed swallow his pride and adopt the Dem stance on key issues, and stop jockeying on issues that he doesn't care or feel invested deeply about. This is of course the biggest problems with guys like Spector (and Lieberman, Nelson, McCain to some degree, etc): they get so caught up in the "independent" (or in McCain's case "maverick") narrative they develop that they begin to fear anything resembling a party line stance, and instead they start hedging and opining publicly on every issue that comes their way. And from experience I can say that there's probably just about nothing more annoying to their colleagues.
June 8, 2009 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope Specter votes correctly, but I still prefer Sestak.
June 8, 2009 10:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
I feel so much better knowing that Arlen has our backs
June 8, 2009 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Better check for knife wounds.
June 8, 2009 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
June 8, 2009 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
He should votge for EFCA and then the Democratic voters need to dump his sorry ass in the primary.
June 8, 2009 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Arlen's display is merely a continuation of what most strategists on either the left or the right actually believe--with the right campaign and a believable (note, integrity is not required) candidate, a political victory is assured.
Sestak is right to take on this entrenched belief--or "conventional wisdom". And then comes labor who has been so hoodwinked for so long by the type of candidate who is believable and who can win with the right campaign dictated by well-designed and well-directed PR.
Labor leadership of the "old" unions have been bleeding members and influence for decades. Isn't it time they shook up the political game and threw out opportunists like Arlen?
June 8, 2009 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Somebody name me two un-beholden, honest Senators. Other than Feingold and Sanders. Maybe there are 2 or maybe there are 10. But there ain't 40. Sure as hell aren't 60.
Think about that. Out of 100 Senators, maybe only 2 represent USSS. Maybe only 10. My guess the highest number possible is 20. 80/20 Corporate.
No wonder when faced with huge energy calamities, we basically get nothing done. Healthcare?Stymied. Green Jobs/New Infrastructure/Energy policy? Stymied. Two drifting wars....Drift On. Economic meltdown?BailOut those responsible. Auto industry failing (but could possibly be re-purposed for energy/green jobs/unemployment/dearth of american production) left to dangle and rot.
We are seeing more clearly than ever Who is running this country, and for what purpose.
Partial Solution? Term limits.
Not the answer for everything, but at least let us not have these people making such a secure career out of fleecing us. Let them see how much long-term game playing, and waiting us out they can do with only 1 or 2 terms.
June 8, 2009 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Term limits just changes the names of the corporate servants in the Senate. They will still be corporate servants.
As long as we allow corporations to be treated by law as if they were people, this can't be changed. So, the real solution, and probably an unobtainable solution, is a US Supreme Court ruling that corporations have none of the rights assured to people by the US Constitution. That would allow eliminating the ridiculous ruling that spending money by corporations is a form of constitutionally protected speech.
And, that can lead to a law prohibiting elected officials from accepting jobs, help, gifts, tips, advice, and the time of day from any corporation. Only then will we the people have a shot at being the number one priority of our Senators.
June 8, 2009 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with everything. I still feel that Term Limits is a good idea. It thwarts how easily a Corporatist can tie up a seat. The 'I Will Crush You Incumbency' would evaporate.
It takes away a lot of the posturing and weaseling from re-election politics. All the angles these folks play because of upcoming elections.
Takes away a lot of the self-involved and selfish motivations. Not EVERYONE is a corporatist...yet anyone can succomb to privelege and power and money.
I would rather have a corrupt Leftwing Democracy where our political malefactors enrich themselves off of fleecing a DECENT SYSTEM...than the republican version of Corprotacracy where the political malefactor gets rich selling off people and lands to the bidding of Corporate Juggernauts bent on mining the people and the environment and the financial structure.
June 8, 2009 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Trem limits disable theamount of work an elected officiel can do. Want to limit a reps term, vote him out. Limited terms is to compensate for lazy voters. We need to change the behavior of lazy voters. Then we can change our reps more effectively and they will respond more promptly to the ones who literally elect them.
June 8, 2009 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agree on the Corporate lives forever thing. We are creating these nasty LongLived Juggernauts who just need a few people in place....like a Voltron robot. Just a few figureheads and some MeatPilots.
TermLimits...you can't dismiss that so easily. TermLimits affect amount of work an official can do?...what about the nearly 100% of their time they spend trying to get re-elected? Isn't THAT limiting what they can get done?
If anyone is happy with the amount of work our Senate already get's done, with NO TermLimits, please raise your hand.
Our system was never designed to have built-in life appointment positions.
Why do we have limits for everything else (including tax rates and statutes of limitiation); but no limits for a politician? That is dangerous.
Saying that term limits is an answer for lazy population is no argument against term limits. Waiting for a Perfect Population to come along and save the system is going to be a long wait.
Lastly, a lazy population doesn't cover all that power, money, corporate pull, incumbency can do to affect an election. Even an alert population would have a very hard time countering the array of enemies against the people.
June 8, 2009 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
That is really the most sensible thing. The founding fathers created corporations for a limited amount of time. Then the companies dissolved. Now they are perpetual. Whoa, which means no person can outlive them!
June 8, 2009 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Franken will be close to the example of Feingold and Sanders. I'm certain of this from listening to his radio show (something his critics never bothered to do).
If he wasn't a decent human being, do you think the right-wing would be working so hard to deny him his seat?
June 8, 2009 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've said it before, I'll say it again: Thank you Joe Sestak!
June 8, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Question: Why would anyone trust Arlen Specter about anything?
June 8, 2009 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Answer: Because he looks honest if you limit your comparison to other Republicans.
June 8, 2009 2:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't trust Snarlin' Arlen!!! Two years ago, he supported EFCA. Then he said he wouldn't support it; now he says he will. YOU CAN'T TRUST THIS GUY!!
As soon as he gets back in, he'll go back to being a pain in the ass of his party. We need a real Democrat, not a Democrat of convenience. DUMP HIS ASS!!
Pennsylvania is blue enough to elect a real Democrat.
June 8, 2009 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hear, hear!
June 8, 2009 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Starting to believe the Corporate/Bilderburg/TriLateral Commission/New World Order Thang is starting to work.
Sufficiently globalize world markets, then make sure you are not Solely an American company...that you have a foothold offshore somewhere. Then when you have squeezed the easiest juice out of America....bankrupt and gut her and light out for the new territories. Now you have a world stage where America is you client country and you are free to rape and pillage globally. Really tap that american market that was so protected for so long. The shine is off her now, and you aren't really a citizen....so let's start putting the spurs to her and get down to really mining what is left.
June 8, 2009 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
A very ugly truth.
June 8, 2009 12:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great. If he had done this two months ago, it might have had some kind of impact. Too late now, shitbag.
June 8, 2009 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's Senator Shitbag to you. Until we elect Sestak, then it will be Former Senator Shitbag.
June 8, 2009 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink