I love you in a philosophical way, and I will contribute to Marcy W. as soon as I can, it is a week of looking at spending on business and health way beyond sustainable income (as we live here, which is probably not how anyone anywhere els3e lives there).

I skimmed over 63 thoughtful comments to make the joke that in your sixth paragraph — counting the Specter quote and also identified as your point 1) — the last two sentences would read almost as well if they went, ” They’ve successfully boiled the Republican Party down to a thick sauce of lizard-brained extremists so thoroughly tribal they’re incapable of rational thought. BUSH! “

Your Point 2) is absolutely right on in terms of the creation and distribution of political power, as I was driving home from the late grovery shift tonight I had a fantasy of moving to the Keystone state and declaring my candidacy — I got a brother-in-law outside of Trenton NJ, I could push it if I and the republic needed it.

Specter is probably still holding deep secrets from the Warren Commission, he NEEDS to be opposed by some tough, clear-speaking, established-spiritual-path union member who’s already lived in the Quaker Paradise since birth (my only previous trip there was from NJ to visit the graves of my parents-in-law in an ethnic cemetery in Bucks County), somebody who’s already got settled allegiances to the Steelers/Eagles/Nittany Lions/Phillies/76ers/etc., to really call him out from our side.

“I enthusiastically welcome my good friend Arlen Specter into the Democratic caucus. It will be very good to have the company of yet another independent minded Democrat in the caucus!

“I have always admired Arlen as a man of deep principle who has been a bridge builder to get things done in the Senate. Arlen understands that we get things accomplished when we listen to the vital center of American politics. I know that Arlen will continue to make a major contribution to the Senate and the nation as an effective independent leader and problem solver.”

I rest my case.

The DSCC and Reid will always side with incumbent protection, but that really doesn’t matter.

Specter’s Senate Judiciary Committee chairmanship during Bush/Cheney’s first six years, and as ranking minority member for the past two years will go down in history as the worst betrayal of separation of powers since the Constitution was ratified in 1789.

He’s particularly good at posturing for principle, then voting otherwise. Something he learned from his esteemed Lieberwhore from CT.

The only reason Senator Specter switched to the Democratic party is that his efforts to get the Republican primary change to an open primary failed.

vigorously supports Roe v. Wade as settled law;
told Caspar Weinberger he and Reagan exceeded their authority and violated the Constitution by invading Grenada;
held public hearings about Able Danger and DOD data-mining operations;
prevented Bork’s SCOTUS confirmation;
always says his greatest achievement is the SBT (but no one ever laughs).

(When Weinberger tried to defend their not telling Congress about the invasion, he was white-knuckle gripping a bunch of very sharp pencils, like they were fasces or MIRV nukes – and thus he made his points unambiguously if symbolically.)