Arlen Specter's move to the Democratic Party is no victory whatsoever for either true Democratic-progressives, or the Democratic Party itself.
Others here have already diaried about the fact that Specter's goal is to defeat inclusion of "the public option" in any upcoming Health Care bill, and to reject the Employee Free Choice Act. This is a serious problem for the Democratic Party, which will now be inflitrated with yet another pro-Corporate voice who stands to totally obstruct any meaningful change.
But it is much worse then just that..
Arlen Specter has been one of the most corrupt and morally bankrupt public officials in U.S. history.
I. Accessory to the crime.
This is a photo of Warren Commission Counselor Arlen Specter (today a U. S. Senator) creatively aligning the the bodies for (stand-ins representing) President Kennedy and Gov. John Connally to create the myth that 1 single bullet caused all seven non-fatal wounds suffered by Connally (his ribs, wrist, and thigh) as well as the wounds to Kennedy's back and throat. This became known as the fictitious "magic bullet" or "single bullet" theory. It is the whole basis upon which the phony conclusion of a "single-gunman" rests upon.
This is a still frame taken from the Abraham Zapruder film. Notice that Kennedy has obviously already been hit in the throat (a frontal shot, if the truth be told). It is clear that Gov. Connally, however, has not yet been hit. In addition, the bodies are not even aligned in the way that the Warren Commission said that they were at this moment.
Even several frames later on (at frame 272), Gov. Connally is still holding onto his hat and has not yet himself been struck by gunfire.
Thus, Arlen Specter is responsible for perhaps the most shameful, treasonous, embrassing, and easily disprovable lie told in American History.
II. The disgrace of Clarence Thomas.
Arlen Specter is also the guy who saved the nomination of the incompetent, perverted, lapdog at the feet of power, right-wing judge Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court, by attacking and smearing Anita Hill with no basis (and trying to ruin her reputation and career). With this privilege Clarence Thomas, of course, joined forces with the corrupt Antonin Scalia to obstruct the counting of legal, valid votes in Florida 2000, and steal the Presidential election for George W. Bush -- while the popular vote getter, Al Gore, was exiled. One more American Coup d' Etat that we all had to suffer through.
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With allies like Arlen Spector, this Country needs no enemies.
Arlen Specter needs to be Primaried by someone with solid Democratic credentials and principles.
The Democratic Party would be better off without the Arlen Specters, the Ben Nelsons, the Mary Landreus, the Joe Liebremans, the Bill Nelsons, the Evan Bayhs, etc., who only obstruct the opportunities for policy change, and hijack the Party's opportunity for a contrasting message. They violate directly what the Party is supposed to stand for (the people), and they corrupt and taint the image and the effectiveness of the whole Party itself.