How do you think Specter will vote now?

[mvd]

Poll question: How do you think Specter will vote now?

I think "a combination of the above." I think his votes will be slightly more liberal, with a case of "depends on how the wind blows."

[Andy823]

1. If he wants

Support from the democrats next year in the elections, I think he will be voting more on the dems side, at least till after the elections. He may also want a chairmans spot on some committee which may help him vote more on the side of the democrats. Just a guess.

[iamthebandfanman]

2. im pretty sure hes

already proclaimed himself a right leaning moderate.

[CTyankee]

3. I want to be an optimist but I think it'll be a mixed bag.

I'm hopeful that we'll get his vote on health care but I fear what he'll do on unions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

[Aloha Spirit]

4. Under Bush, he voted with his party about 74% of the time.

Under Clinton, it was about 70% of the time.
So far this year, he's only voted with his party 65% of the time.
So I'm going to guess he'll be voting with Republicans less than 50% of the time starting now.

[mvd]

5. That's reasonable

:thumbsup:

[Aloha Spirit]

6. Thanks! Another thing that made me feel better specifically about labor law reform,

was reading this piece he wrote last year for a Harvard Policy journal:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jol/vol45_2/311-334_Specter-Nguyen.pdf

and the fact that he voted FOR the EFCA in 2007.

[Occam Bandage]

7. I think "more liberal" and "how the wind blows" are going to be the same thing,

for the next few years at least.

[mvd]

8. Yep - that's how I see it

I think any wind moving Specter the other way should be minor, and then change direction once another issue comes up.

[quiller4]

9. His votes will be very slightly more liberal.

In the last few weeks he has cast some atypical votes trying to curry favor with Rs. That behavior will stop. His voting pattern is likely to be more like it was during the first of the Clinton years which would be slightly more liberal==great on health issues, better on foreign policy and human rights issues, good on woman's issues and so-so on labor issues. In those years he had a 65-72% labor record and a 100% record according to the American Public Health Association and the Americacn Nurses Association. The insurance industry gave him a only 38% record in 1994.