Arlen Specter: Case Study for Term Limits

Senator Arlen Specter does not seem a bad man and seems raised in good 'ol Midwestern values. That doesn't mean that Nacilburpera always agrees with his stances on the issues as he has repeatedly failed to protect the lives of the unborn. Yet this Republican Party of ours is a nationwide party full of different and yes, conflicting ideas. And although themostsearched didn't support him in the '96 Presidential-election Republican primary themostsearched was glad to see him run and listened to his calm, reasonable approach to the issues.

Specter severely irked themostsearched with his party line-crossing vote of passing this year's so-called "stimulus" bill (aka spending bill) which was a bunch of our money wasted by congress that eventually will have to be repaid. It seemed Specter was becoming increasingly less in common with themostsearched values.

Obviously the Republicans of Pennsylvania have had enough of Specter and polls show they are ready to vote him out in the upcoming primaries. Good riddance, we say.

Specter's answer is to switch parties to (he hopes) get elected to a 6th term. His actions demonstrate his primary concern is for power and to get reelected, not to represent the people of his party who have elected him time and time again. It doesn't bother themostsearched as much that he switch for ideological purposes, but it does bother themostsearched that he switch for reelection purposes: "In the course of the last several months ... I have traveled the state and surveyed the sentiments of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and public opinion polls, observed other public opinion polls and have found that the prospects for winning a Republican primary are bleak." (CNN) Where is the statesmanship? Where is representation of the people? Can't you see that the people are so frustrated they are turning to tea parties?

Obviously Specter is not a regular subscriber of themostsearched and doesn't understand that themostsearched is serious about things and when we say we support term limits, that means we support term limits. Indeed in 2012 should our longtime dear and great Senator Hatch--whom we greatly respect and whom has fought many a valiant battle--seek reelection, themostsearched will be purposely seeking another candidate. themostsearched feels that when these elected officials become endeared to their power it closes down accountability to the people for managing the power the people have entrusted to their elected officials.

Yet one more point remains: his switching potentially alters the Senate to a Democratic filibuster-proof majority. That hands the Democrats complete control of the legislative and executive branches of government. I can feel the ire of Republicans who voted for Specter four years ago to have him switch parties at a time such as this, the last remaining Republican small check on government? I would feel entirely betrayed and would really go to work now on working on defeating his 2010 re-election bid.

Specter demonstrates that he is obsessed with retaining his power and chairmanship and provides us a good example for the case for term limits. themostsearched urges the good people of Pennsylvania to elect a better Senator than Specter.