WASHINGTON — Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to switch parties Tuesday further erodes the GOP's legislative power and adds a key player to the Democrats' quest for a filibuster-proof majority to propel President Obama's ambitious agenda.
Specter, a moderate who had rejected the antiabortion, anti-spending, pro-gun-rights conservatism that now dominates the Republican Party, said bluntly that he was making the switch because he was facing a stiff primary challenge from conservative former House member Pat Toomey, and concluded that he could only win reelection as a Democrat.
If, as expected, a contested Minnesota Senate election is decided in favor of Democrat Al Franken over Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, Specter would give the Democrats 58 members in the Senate. Adding the two independents who usually align with them would create the 60-vote margin required to block a filibuster -- the minority party's most powerful tool for stalling legislation.
That does not guarantee a sweeping change in the balance of power in the Senate. For example, Specter restated his opposition Tuesday to organized labor's top priority, a bill to make it easier to unionize workplaces. And under Republican presidents, he has supported conservative judicial nominees.
"I will not be an automatic 60th vote," Specter declared.
Still, he has been a reliable ally for Democrats on such matters as health research funding and abortion rights. According to an analysis by Congressional Quarterly, Specter voted with the majority of the GOP in only 62% of party-line votes.
He demonstrated the power of his vote early this year when he provided one of only three Republican votes for Obama's $787-billion economic stimulus bill.
The announcement caught most of official Washington by surprise. Democrats were jubilant, while Republicans insisted it was a matter of Pennsylvania politics, not a sign of a change in national politics.
Nonetheless, Specter's change of party affiliation reflected both his calculation of the present situation in his home state and what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada described as a five-year effort by Democratic leaders to win him over.
Before going public with his decision, Specter won commitments of support from Obama and Reid. Obama said that if asked, he would campaign for Specter in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary -- a venture into local politics that presidents usually avoid because it can lead to bruised feelings and divisions within the party.
