Arlen Specter's Party Switch

This one actually caught me by surprise. It's all over the news, but here's a link to the USA Today article.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-04-28-specter-party-switch_N.htm

I should note that I think their math is a little off. Even if I work under the assumption that Al Franken will win the court battle, I just can't count two independents as democrats even if they lean a little to the left. This could affect a filibuster, but there's still only 58 democrats in the Senate.

Still though, it sounds like big news to me. I have been watching the stories...okay I'll admit I laughed at Republicans at times while I was reading them...and how they've been struggling to find a solid leader and restore some of the power that's been lost to the party. Seeing the way its been splitting itself, especially over social issues, reaffirms my belief in universal karma.

That doesn't mean I'm pro-Democrat either. The Dems could certainly learn a little something regarding fiscal conservation from their friends across the aisle. The reality is I am often disenfranchised with both parties and am often cynical of politicians. It's funny, but I don't see as much of a difference between the two, just their modus operandi.

For example, I see a Democrat as much more likely to accept a bribe outright, while a Republican would more likely try and work it into a framework that's legal, but morally reprehensible. They're both taking a bribe, just going about it in slightly different manner and neither one should be doing it to begin with.

Senator Specter's comments regarding his decision seem to indicate some of the challenges Republicans are facing as a party; mainly regarding right-wing social issues. They have a real problem and no easy solution. Leaving the center behind and staying to the right makes it very difficult to woo any new members, but going to the center would definitely hurt their current base. Perhaps they shouldn't have been quite so pandering to conservatives, but hindsight is always 20/20 and their base really did get them where they were.

I remember lessons given on American Political Science when I went to school. When we got to partisan politics we were given the mission statements and political ideologies of each major party and I'll never forget what my school textbook gave at the time for the Republican party. I can't remember word for word anymore and I can't find it, but the basic gist was that Republicans believed in smaller government and taxes, fiscal responsibility and individual freedom. I'll never forget it because it resonated with me much more than any other political party I was reading about.

However policy and practice are two different things, Republicans give me the impression to this day that they believe in smaller government (unless we're dealing with social issues), they believe in lower taxes (but mostly for the rich), and they believe in individual freedom (but only for themselves, it shouldn't be granted to people who don't think and act like they do). The statement I read seemed vastly different than what I actually saw growing up and even today. I know I'm not alone in expressing disappointment with the party, since a large portion of voters seem to agree with me at present. If Republicans want a moderate like me to be more supportive of them, I would highly recommend they revisit history and take a hard look at how the party has changed to disenfranchise so many voters.

Assuming that the Dems can muster enough votes to break a filibuster regularly, Republicans will lose another political outlet to ensure that their minority voice is heard properly. Perhaps this is a lesson they should learn from. Humility...often times forced humility...can make one seriously question their beliefs and their methods. I hope that Republicans can take that humility and channel it into a constructive debate in their strongest category; fiscal conservatism and responsibility. We have a President that is pushing major initiatives the like haven't been seen since FDR and the New Deal. We need the other party to take some hard looks and some better recommendations, but make sure that you have some new ideas to go along with the criticism, you can't simply become the party of 'no'.

As for Democrats...don't get cocky! Yes, you've been given a great opportunity to give voice to your political ideals and can push legislative measures through with much less resistance, but that only means you should be even more careful. If you have an issue that is completely split by party lines, make sure you let Republican Senators and Congressmen have floor time. Make sure that the committees have a real mix of political ideals and don't stifle the dissenting voice. Remember that the responsibility of the majority is to insure that you don't diminish the voice of the minority. The Republicans have their constituents and last I checked, those constituents are tax-paying American citizens too. To take away their voice is simply un-American.