by Thomas Keister

Even though I was impressed by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)'s recent co-sponsorship of the Fair Elections Now Act, the counteraction was swift, as now Specter has crapped all over the strong union backing that helped him just narrowly retain his seat in 2004 by announcing he would help block the Employee Free Choice Act.

Specter's abrupt 180-degree turn is supposed to strengthen his standing in the GOP as he faces a primary challenge next year, but I have a hard time seeing him keep his seat without the support of labor. Labor even told Specter they would back him if he voted for the bill. I'm not even particularly big on unions, but I support the right of workers to make up their own mind about unionizing, without the atypical management bullshit. And if the group most responsible for my political survival told me how important this was, the last thing I would do is think long and hard and then do the exact opposite. Not on an issue like this.

Specter has said he wants to remain a Republican to keep alive a moderate tradition that has historically been friendlier to labor, as reported by John Nichols in the latest issue of The Nation, and somehow, given the GOP line of logic lately, this seems to be right on track. Not questioning the sense of someone who wants to remain a member of a party lost in the woods and shrinking slowly but steadily, according to recent numbers from the Pew Research Center, but I am questioning the sense of someone who calls friendly ignoring the pleas of the children, tossing the bag of kittens into the river, and then inviting them out for ice cream.

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