isany1listening

It was just announced that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is changing his political party affiliation from Repblican to Democrat.  I just read his speech on Politico.  This is a shock to me.  He has been in the Senate so long, serving as a Republican, I never thought I would see the day when he changed his party.

I don’t want to get bogged down with the politics of this decision.  That is to say, that I don’t want to waste space by throwing it in the GOP’s face, and warning that this may be a sign of other serious things to come.  I feel there is nothing gained from it.

Instead, Senator Specter’s statement gave me something to think about.  He said, “While each member of the Senate caucuses with his Party, what each of us hopes to accomplish is distinct from his party affiliation. The American people do not care which Party solves the problems confronting our nation. And no Senator, no matter how loyal he is to his Party, should or would put party loyalty above his duty to the state and nation.” 

I think Specter hits on something very important.  Our country is in a real crisis at the moment, and the President and Congress are trying to put out multiple fires at the same time.  It is important that our leaders keep in mind that the people of this country are not concerned with the politics and partisanship of how it gets done, but just that it gets done.  That is there job after all.  This is a time when our elected officials should be concerned with how to fix our problems, and the last thing that should be on their minds when making decisions, is party loyalty.  The loyalty for any politician or elected official should be to the office they hold and the people they serve.  This is not about backroom deals and trying to smite the other party.  We need serious people and leaders who are committed to finding solutions, not to vindictive politics. 

I support and applaud Specter’s decision and not because I am a Democrat and feel that we have “won” something.  Rather, I respect him for acting according to his conscience and helping the people of his state and his country.

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