Arlen Specter

Former Gov. Tom Kean called U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter's (D-Penn.) decision this week to change his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat a political "tragedy" for both the country and the Republican Party, which he said is becoming too ideologically narrow to retake a congressional majority.

"I think his decision to switch is a tragedy in a number of ways," Kean said.

Specter, a moderate who was elected to the Senate in 1980 - one year before Kean, a fellow moderate Republican, won the New Jersey gubernatorial election -- was facing what looked to be an uphill primary battle against conservative former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey before he announced his party switch on Tuesday.

If Democrat Al Franken ever overcomes former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman's legal appeals in Minnesota, then, combined with Specter's switch, Democrats will have the 60 votes necessary to achieve cloture - at least on paper.  Kean said that it's dangerous when either party reaches a filibuster-ending majority.

"I think it's never good politically for one party to get to the sixty number in the Senate. What happens is they get a little uppity and arrogant and overreach, usually," Kean said.

"It's not good for the country, party or anyone else. Our system is not built to have that kind of majority."

Kean did not fault Specter for making the switch.  He has had a good relationship with the Senator, relying on his help when he chaired the 9/11 commission and even donating $500 to his 1998 reelection campaign - something he does not often do for out-of-state candidates (one of the few non-New Jersey recipients of Kean's contributions has been Sen. Susan Collins [R-ME] who, like Specter, took heat from conservatives for voting for President Obama's stimulus bill).

After serving together for 25 years, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) today welcomed his “friend” Arlen Specter to the Senate Democratic Caucus.  

“New Jersey and Pennsylvania share not only a border, but also many common values and interests.  I am confident that with Senator Specter joining us in the majority party in the Senate, our region will benefit greatly,” Lautenberg said.  

The announcement today that U.S. Senator Arlen Specter is switching parties is of little significance to New Jersey politics, except that it comes at a time when establishment Republicans are engaged in a fierce battle with conservatives for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.  Specter’s decision will likely upset some party leaders who view him as the type of Republican who can win a state that is trending Democratic.  And his switch will probably evoke a sort of “good riddance, rino” attitude from the conservative wing of the New Jersey GOP.

New Jersey, which hasn’t elected a Republican U.S. Senator since Clifford Case won a fourth term in 1972, has tossed two of their last three GOP Senators before the general election: Albert Hawkes was dumped by party leaders in his bid for a second term in 1948, and Case lost the 1978 GOP primary to conservative Jeffrey Bell.  And New Jersey Republicans have tossed one of their last three GOP Governors: incumbent William Cahill was ousted in the 1973 primary by Charles Sandman, a conservative Congressman.  (Another Republican Governor, Christine Todd Whitman, has been battling conservatives in a bid to keep moderates in the Republican Party.)

If he's re-elected, Frank Lautenberg would be 90 at the end of his next term: Getty Images Photo
Three months after former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer held a press conference and said he would not make age an issue in his U.S. Senate run against incumbent Democrat Frank Lautenberg, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson stood in the same State House conference room and brought the issue front and center, making repeated references to the 84-year-old Senator’s senior status.

“If you’re too afraid, too incompetent or too old to campaign, then you’re surely not fit for six more years in the U.S. Senate,” said Wilson. “It’s time to let voters decide whether you’re up to serving in the United States Senate until you’re 90 years old.”

Wilson called the press conference to attack Lautenberg for the way he’s run his campaign – or rather, his lack of a campaign.

Lautenberg, said Wilson, has been missing on the campaign trail, making only a public appearance here and there while giving the media little time for questions and refusing to accept one of the roughly 20 debate invitations that have been issued so far.

By not engaging his opponent or the voters on the issues, Wilson said, Lautenberg has brought attention to his age by raising the question of whether he really is up to the task of serving another six year term, at the end of which he’ll have just turned 91. He contrasted Lautenberg’s public schedule with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.), 78, who although not up for reelection has been holding town hall meetings on behalf of John McCain in every one of his state’s counties.

The U.S. Attorney for Pennsylvania, Patrick Meehan, has announced his resignation.  The word is that Meehan is considering a bid for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2010, when incumbent Edward Rendell is term-limited.   Meehan’s term doesn’t end until January 20, 2009, but apparently he doesn’t think it’s appropriate to explore a possible statewide campaign (he’s also a potential U.S. Senate candidate if Arlen Specter doesn’t seek re-election) while serving as a federal prosecutor.