Specterama

This is hardly shocking or unprecedented. Back when Republicans were sweeping to power a few moderate Dems came over so there should be no cause for panic on the right. Maybe he doesn't like tea. Besides, he was practically caucusing with the left anyway and made his stand when he thumbed his nose at stopping the stimulus-backdoor appropriation bill.

This just solidifies the filibuster-proof margin the Dems already technically had. Should be a fun remaining term with lots of vigorous snarling Senate debate along with occasional hugs from John McCain and his sidekick Lindsay Graham. They are family and they are civilized there, you know.

That said it's always odd when someone who's called themselves a conservative for an entire career suddenly buddies-up with the people trying to bring socialized medicine, cap and trade taxes based on unproven science, more taxes, other hidden taxes, extra taxes and a truth commission dog and pony show to politically punish elected government officials for trying to keep Pennsylvania from being littered with more smoldering holes... by using...of all things..the excuse their party has become too extreme for their tastes. Popularity and hubris know no boundaries.

Looking back in the archives I've written a few words about the good Senator here and there. Here's what I wrote about him in 2005 as he threatened to investigate Bush about Jose Padilla:

Padilla was captured before the AQ prisoners necessary to testify against him were, therefore they had to hold him somehow (letting him go was not an option). Placing Padilla in the criminal justice system would have required a charge within a reasonable amount of time.

Perhaps Specter is curious as to why Ashcroft didn't go after the same secondary counts he's now faced with at the outset. The most likely answer is because FBI/CIA wanted time to extract intelligence information from him, not entirely possible any other way. If true Specter should know that, which would raise a flag as to his motives here. This is something not to be politicized.

That should have been a clue. And here's what I wrote a year later after he took an impromptu trip to Baghdad to set the idiot Iraqi prosecutor straight in the Saddam trial:

Notice that Specter used the word "blusterbun". I can't find it in the dictionary, but it somehow seems to fit.

Yes. Blusterbun. Bluster coming from someone's buns. Like it.