Dear Sen. Specter,
I applaud your wisdom and welcome you to the Democratic Party. There have been many people here saying this was the smartest move since November. It still is. I hope that you will be a more productive member of the Senate without having to worry about Pat Toomey trying to gut you from the right. However, some things have changed since November, and not all those things are good...
I am concerned about the changes over the last five months because I am a citizen of Pennsylvania. I hail from Pittsburgh, which is on the opposite end of the state that is your base of power and your home, and oftentimes Pittsburgh and Philadelphia do not see eye to eye. (Frankly, though, you must admit that the Flyers' got everything they deserved over the weekend.) Even so, I am your constituent, and you answer to me, and the rest of the citizens of Pennsylvania.
When I learned of your switch to the Democratic Party, I was heartened because I hoped you had realized that you saw more in common with the Democrats than the Republicans. When I read your statement, you yourself expressed my sentiment brilliantly: "I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans." So what, then, is my concern?
My concern is that you have changed your political philosophy since November. My concern is that prior to deciding to switch, you attempted the less drastic (and, with pun certainly intended, more conservative) approach of tempering your political and policy views to more closely match the Republican base you would have to win over in May 2010.
You changed your mind on EFCA, saying you were against it. You changed your mind on EFCA after Pat Toomey declared he would compete against you in the Republican primary. You changed your mind on EFCA after being a co-sponsor of a very similar bill the previous year. You changed your mind on EFCA despite nearly one million workers in PA belonging to a union. You changed your mind on EFCA despite union jobs being a driving factor of PA's economy.
Why? I think, and it seems logical and supported by facts, that you changed your mind on EFCA to bend to the political will of your Republican colleagues and the Republican citizens of Pennsylvania who oppose it. This made political sense. It does not make sense for you as a sitting United States senator, however. As you wrote beautifully in your statement, "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." You do have a duty to your state, to your constituents, those "little people" who vote for you and put you in power. Increasingly, your constituents are not Republicans, and increasingly, your constituents are union members.
Let me tell you what your conscience should be saying on what is best for Pennsylvania: Support, Vote for, and Pass EFCA. You have fought for similar bills before. You know and I know and everyone who follows you knows you believe in EFCA and believe it is right and good.
Sincerely,
Geffdee
A constituent