Political Party Defections

Sen. Arlen Specter's defection from the Republican Party drew cheers Tuesday from President Obama and other top Democrats. But some key players in the party base viewed the move with suspicion -- demanding that if Specter wants to call himself a Democrat, he had better start acting like one. As a moderate Republican, Specter maintained friendly relations with Pennsylvania's powerful labor unions, which were glad to have him on their side on many issues.

Sen. Arlen Specter received a hero's welcome at the White House on Wednesday, while the Republican Party he left behind continued to grapple with the implications of his defection. Specter stunned his colleagues Tuesday by announcing he would run as a Democrat in next year's Pennsylvania Senate primary, further decimating the ranks of a party whose popularity has been waning in recent years.

A moderate assemblyman cut ties with the Democratic Party on Tuesday and became an independent, a move that could throw an unexpected curve into the state's budget fight. Fresno Assemblyman Juan Arambula, who has frequently clashed with Democratic leaders, re-registered as decline-to-state.

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.