Video: Senator Specter faces the Netroots Nation and Nate Silver's 'Spectorometer'

FiveThirtyEight.com blog post from Friday on the state of the Democratic primary challenge to Senator Specter in PA, and Democratic Governor John Corzine's challenge in New Jersey.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but I'm tellin' ya

From Think Pogress:

In January, Sandy Tsao, an army officer based out of St. Louis, MO, told her superiors that she is gay — a violation of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. Tsao then wrote to President Obama, urging him to change the DADT policy: “I do hope, Mr. President, that you will help us to win the war against prejudice.” On May 5, Tsao received a handwritten letter from Obama with a pledge to repeal DADT at some point:

Rachel Maddow had more on this story as well as a discussion with Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), who is also a retired Admiral. Sestak is also contemplating challenging newly minted Democrat Senator Arlen Specter for his Pennsylvania Senate Seat in 2010.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Unfortunate Sense

Bob Herbert talks some unfortunate sense regarding the Grand Old Party. I'm actually rooting for the Republican party to return, minus the nah nah nuh boo boo politics.

It’s not a party; it’s a cult. I’m no fan of Arlen Specter, but if I were a Republican, I wouldn’t be shoving him out the door and waving good riddance. This is the party of Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Newt (“I’m trying to rise from the ashes”) Gingrich, and the dark force who can’t seem to exit the public stage or modify his medieval ways, Dick Cheney.

It is losing all credibility with the public because it is not offering anything — anything at all — that could be viewed as helpful or constructive in a time of national crisis. And it has been unwilling to take responsibility for its role in bringing that crisis about.

please read more here

Congressman Joe Sestak(D-PA) not counting out, nor pulling out of a race against newly minted Democratic Senator Arlen Specter

Update: Saturday, May 02, 2009, 1:54 PM: Nate Silver has a post entitled Is Sestak the Right Choice for the Left?

In fact, it's plausible that he could be a bit worse. ProgressivePunch.org ranks Sestak as the 158th most progressive member out of 221 non-freshman Democrats, and notes that he's an order of magnitude or so more conservative than you'd expect of a Congressman from his Democratic-leaning district. Sestak's DW-NOMINATE score in the 110th Congress was -.287 on a scale that runs from -1 for extremely liberal to 0 for moderate; this is actually slightly more conservative than the score that we'd projected for Specter, which was -.303. The National Journal, moreover, found that Sestak took the liberal position only 63 percent of the time in the votes they tracked in 2007.

But wait! Nate has more here!

I am not so sure about Senator Specter 'The Democrat'. I also know I'm not the only one, so it was good to see Joe Sestak talk about his take, since Sestak may be the man to take on Arlen Specter in 2010 if the need should arise.

We shall see.

On The Ed Show, Congressman Joe Sestak talks about Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party and Sestak's plans to run for that Senate seat in 2010. 4/28/09

May 01, 2009: Bill Maher Opening and New Rules

Jack Cafferty on the Republican Party and the Brink of Irrelevance

Yesterday in 100 Seconds

Wedesday, 100th Day, Happy 100th, Newest Democrat, One Tough Hombre, Join US, Pleased With This Change, 1993, Republican Revolution, Rock Bottom, Gettin' a Little Dizzy, Report Card Day, Donald Trump, Wrong Direction, Right Track, Wrong Track, A Plus For Shootin' The Pirates, Swagga, Swagger, Billy D, Shaft, Pick Ourselves Up, Dust Ourselves Up, Happy Hundred Days Everybody

Video: Senator Olympia Snow (R-Maine) speaks out on 'the state of denial' in the Republican party

Recognizing reality does not seem to be a strong suit of the Republican party these days. Good luck with that though. Democrats have been there before. A lot of us still remember what it felt like too.

The First 100 Days: The Republicans

ThinkProgress's Victor Zapanta compiled a video report on the radical right's 100 days of opposition. Watch it:

I like Bernie Sanders

Wowzy Wow Day in 100 Seconds

Tuesday, Swine Flu, Modulate, Fox News Alert, Breaking News, Arlen Specter, Switch Parties, Huge, Huge, Huge, Huge in a Huge Way, Bomb Shell, Shell Shock, Huge, Balance of Power, 60 Democratic Votes, 60, Jumping for Joy, Excited, Thrilled, Celebration at The White House, Michael Steele, Flip the Bird, Long Time Friendships Broke, Welcome Arlen, Lousy Poll Numbers, Rebellion, The Tent of Freedom, What the Hell Does That Mean, You Gotta Do Better Than That

Seat Al Franken

Kos blogger David Waldman suggests this:

Memo to GOP: Seat Franken or we'll keep Specter's committee seats

Democrats should demand Republican agreement to seat Franken and give him his committee assignments now, or they'll just block a new organizing resolution until he arrives, and change it as they see fit later on. After all, with 60 Democrats (once Franken is finally seated), they can give themselves any ratios they want, whether they opt to remain true to the 60/40 split in the Senate or not, since there won't be enough votes to filibuster an unfair organizing resolution.

Senator Demint: The biggest tent of all is the tent of freedom

I keep thinking as I listen to these interviews with Republican leadership and/or surrogates, that these comments are coming from the guys who had control of of the Congress and the Presidency for most of the last eight years, and got us into the fix that we're in. That I am certainly not forgetting.

Funny stuff begins around 2:56

Demint says, 'The biggest tent of all is the tent of freedom.' Sanchez responds with what the hell does that mean?

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has a challenger

This is interesting, remembering that Senator Specter was one of the three Republican Senators who voted in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Yesterday Senator Specter told reporters at the State Capitol that the economy was worse than was publicly known and that the economy is on 'the bring of a depression.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Peg Luksik, who ran for governor three times in the 1990s, plans to challenge Arlen Specter for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010 and said Tuesday she wouldn't back down if fellow conservative Pat Toomey decides to join the race.

"This is not about hitting Specter," Luksik said in a telephone interview. "This is about giving families a voice in the U.S. Senate." source: Examiner.com

And here is Specter's Republican challenger.

On the 'brink of a depression'

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, one of the three Republicans who voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, told reporters at the state Capitol in PA that the nation is on the 'brink of a depression'.

"Our economic problems are enormously serious - more serious than is publicly disclosed. And I think we're on the brink of a depression," he told reporters at the state Capitol. source: Examiner - Indianapolis

Senator Specter also remarked that he believed the stimulus package has a 'reasonable chance' of easing the situation.

From Obama for America Blog: Congress Passes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Post from Obama for America:

By Christopher Hass - Feb 13th, 2009 at 11:22 pm EST

At approximately 10:50 pm eastern tonight, Senator Sherrod Brown returned to the Capitol from his mother's wake in Ohio to cast the 60th and deciding vote in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Three Republican Senators, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, were among the sixty votes required for passage. Earlier in the day, the House of Representatives passed the same version by a vote of 246-183.

The bill will now be sent to President Obama to be signed into law.

Moderate Republicans trying to do the right thing, get ad kudos from labor group

There are some in the Senate who have worked in a bipartisan way with the Democratic majority. Very few, but some.

Labor Group Launches Radio Ads Thanking Specter, Collins, Snowe, Nelson

Americans United For Change, the labor-backed group that has run attack ads tying anti-stimulus Republicans to Rush Limbaugh, now has a set of new positive ads thanking Senators Ben Nelson, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Arlen Specter for their work in writing the compromise bill. Here's the radio ad praising Specter: source: Talking Points Memo

Rasmussen Poll matching up Hardball's host Chris Matthews against Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)

It was pretty clear (at least to me) during the primaries and subsequent general election cycle, that Chris Matthews was fairly oddly and Democratically 'jazzed'. Not typical Matthews jazz-ma-tazz. There was something different about it.

It was as if he was Obamatized; not like in drinking one candidates koolaid or another though. It was and is more like Matthews was making a connection to his youth and the inspiration that was derived from the Presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

I also wonder if Matthews feels duped by the activities of the Bush Administration in the last eight years. I hope so.

Polling is underway. Life is interesting even still.

I was born in PA and have family there still. I don't always like Chris Matthews, but I do think he's a good guy. I think it would be great if Matthews took a run for the Senate.

Chris I think you should go for it!

Republican Senator Arlen Specter is potentially vulnerable in his 2010 bid for re-election. A Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Pennsylvania voters finds Specter leading MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews by just three percentage points, 46% to 43%, in a match-up that may foreshadow one of the nation's most closely-watched Senate races.

Matthews, whose handling of the presidential campaign drew loud complaints of bias from Republicans, has expressed interest in the race. His contract with MSNBC expires next year.

While Specter attracts support from 32% of Democrats, only 70% of Republicans say they would vote for him.

Trouble with Republicans is nothing new for Specter. In 2004, he barely survived a Republican Primary challenge from Pat Toomey.
While it is always troubling for an incumbent to poll below the 50% level when seeking re-election, much could happen to reshape this campaign with nearly two years to go.

The 68-year-old Specter has served 28 years in the Senate.

When asked about a possible challenge from Matthews, the senator said on CNN's "Late Edition," "I never look over my shoulder, never look behind. Somebody may be gaining on me. I run with blinders. I'll be prepared, whoever my opponents are."

Before his media career, Matthews, a 62-year-old native of Pennsylvania, worked for President Jimmy Carter and House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr. read more here

Obama Administration Rumors: Dick Lugar, Secretary of State? Lawrence Summers, Treasury Secretary?

I can't see Dick Lugar being willing to serve in an Obama Administration. I think Obama is most definitely wise to consider Lugar.

I also get the impression that Dick Lugar enjoys being a Senator of the State of Indiana. Nothing wrong with that.

I am also biased living in the Hoosier state. Dick Lugar is my Senator. Not real anxious to lose him.

We shall see.

Cabinet rumors: Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) says he isn’t interested in becoming Secretary of State. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who is reportedly being considered for health secretary, says he’d consider a potential position. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers is a leading contender to return to that post.

for TP source - click here

Josh at TPM is not so sure about Larry Summers as Treasury Secretary (again).

Just at the level of optics, since the economy is issue number one right now (and not just the real economy of jobs and living standards but the financial architecture itself) and you're trying to look forward not back, why would you pick someone for Treasury who was not only in the Clinton administration but was actually Treasury Secretary in the Clinton administration. Not understanding that.

Next, management shortcomings and controversial statements about women's brains that got him canned as President of Harvard

And on top of that, the new Treasury Secretary will be charged with instituting a beefed up framework of financial sector regulation. But Summers was a key player in the 1990s deregulatory consensus that laid the groundwork for a lot of these problems. Not that that makes him verboten -- a lot of other people did too. But it does create an element of of cognitive dissonance going into the job.

for TPM source - click here

Joe Biden receives congratulations and praise from Republican Senators

Republican Senators Praise Senator Biden

by Amanda Scott, Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 11:37 AM

This morning, Republican Senators are praising Barack's choice in picking Senator Biden as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. Here are what some of them are saying...

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel: U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel issued the following statement today following Senator Barack Obama's selection of Senator Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic Vice Presidential nominee: "Joe Biden is the right partner for Barack Obama. His many years of distinguished service to America, his seasoned judgment and his vast experience in foreign policy and national security will match up well with the unique challenges of the 21st Century. An Obama-Biden ticket is a very impressive and strong team. Biden's selection is good news for Obama and America," Hagel said.

Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar: U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar made the following statement today en route to Tbilisi. "I congratulate Senator Barack Obama on his selection of my friend, Senator Joe Biden, to be his vice-presidential running mate. I have enjoyed for many years the opportunity to work with Joe Biden to bring strong bipartisan support to United States foreign policy…"

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter: Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, a Republican who serves on the Judiciary Committee with Biden and often rides Amtrak with him to Washington, also offered praise. "No one on the Democratic side knows more about foreign policy than Sen. Biden," Specter said. "He's been an articulate spokesman on the subject. He also knows about domestic policy. He's been a leader on crime control."

read more here