wrote in message
...
I have no idea what it has led to in PA, but outside of PA,
he sounds like a nut with all the "and THAT is THE reason I switched" on a
wide
variety of un-related topics, when just about everyone knows the biggest
reason
he switched because it was his only real chance of get re-elected.

First, I don't know how it's playing in the Deep South, but it's playing
just fine here in PA. A weekend poll vs. possible challengers shows Specter
beating any Republican, including Ridge. He would, is the election were held
now, hammer Toomey by 22 percent. The fact is, I suspect Specter, nor much
of anyone in Pennsylvania cares what is thought of him in MS. Nor should
they. We don't get too exercised over YOUR Senators, after all.


Would he be in any real danger - moreso than he is - if he had just said,
"look,
sure, mainly I'm switching to get re-elected, but it's a lot easier given
the
way the GOP appears to be headed..." and then stuck to it and shut up? I
guess
what I'm asking is that if he has fairly broad support in the voters
overall,
why all the bull****?

because, despite the fact YOU think so, it ISN'T bull****.
He sincerely feels that way, and wishes to speak his mind. If you think this
is so simple as to be only about getting elected, you: 1) don't know Arlen
Specter, 2) don't understand half of what he's been subjected to from his
own 'fellow Republicans' and 3) don't realize that he probably COULD have
won as a Republican. I know it, and thus, he darn well knows it. Hell, Rick,
I even spelled out to you how it might have happened, and probably would
have. Apparently, he wanted to do this, for a complex mix of reasons. Good
for him!
Tom