Snowe says GOP isn’t ‘encouraging’ of ‘moderates,’ will she follow Specter?

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/28/snowe-specter-moderates/

Snowe says GOP isn’t ‘encouraging’ of ‘moderates,’ will she follow Specter?

Following the surprising news that Sen. Arlen Specter is switching his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, Politico writes that one of the last Republican moderates, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), "didn't seem surprised" by Specter's announcement:

"I'm stunned ... I'm very surprised. I had no idea this was coming," said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) "I'm stunned." But Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) a fellow moderate, didn't seem suprised. On the national level, she says, "you haven't certainly heard warm encouraging words of how they view moderates. Either you are with us or against us."

According to Politico, Specter made his "final move" to switch parties after "a recent poll showed him badly losing a Pennsylvania Republican primary next year." Snowe was most recently elected in 2006, so she won't face re-election until 2012.

[Arkana]

1. I was sure that it'd be one of the Maine senators who switched first

before it was Specter--I'm honestly stunned.

[librechik]

5. I was just wondering the same thing--stay in the GOP and be on the side of Official Torture Policy

not many folks who want to get re-elected want that on the banner.

[LakeSamish706]

2. And then there is Senator Collins as well, who knows? n/t

[Schema Thing]

3. I could see her following him in short order.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. I'm gonna take a leap and say "Yes"

Both Maine-ahs will switch. Probably soon.

[TahitiNut]

6. Why not ask if Ben Nelson might switch to the GOP?? (That's how he votes, after all.)

Ben Nelson voted with the Reich more often than Specter, fercrisskaes!


I don't think he will, though ... he'd rather be a turd in the punchbowl instead of the toilet bowl. (He's a turd no matter where he floats.)

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. I would have rather had Snowe than Specter in the first place

At least she hasn't covered up any Presidential Assassinations that I know of.

[Badgerman]

8. Snowe and Nelson have a problem...

Neither one of them are in a locale that has mass defections of the general population to the Democratic Party. Nor are they faced with serious threats in the next elections...Nelson, maybe but certainly not Snowe. It really doesn't matter though, they vote moderate and that 7 times out of 10 is the majority of the Dem legislation.