Apr 28, 2009

Specter breaks with GOP

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter announced this morning that he's leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat. Specter faced a tough challenge from the right in the 2010 senate primary race, so this gives him a chance of winning re-election. In his statement, however, Specter blames the switch on a "schism" that opened when he voted in support of President Barack Obama's stimulus plan. Specter's switch gives Democrats 59 seats in the U.S. Senate - and 60 if Al Franken gets the seat in Minnesota (which he will). Sixty, of course, is the magic number for ending filibusters.

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