Party switcher draws rebuke of Lamar

Pennsylvania senator's switch from GOP to Democrat prompts Alexander to decry 'tyranny of the majority'

Lamar Alexander

04-28-2009 2:03 PM —

Today's shocking news out of Washington, D.C. has Tennessee's senior U.S. Senator a bit "disappointed" to say the least.

Five-term incumbent U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania has announced that he leaving the Republican Party and will now serve as a Democrat, giving that party a likely filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate.

We say "likely" because the results of last November's U.S. Senate elections in November between Democratic comedian-turned-politician Al Franken and incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman are the subject of an intense challenge. Currently, Franken has a slim lead in the polls despite a number of legal challenges by Coleman.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the number three ranking member of the Senate Republican Caucus, was contacted by NashvillePost.com for comment on Specter's move.

Alexander's statement, delivered via his staff: "I am very disappointed for the country, because it will make more difficult the Senate's ability to restrain one-party rule. Historically, Americans have not liked what Alexis de Tocqueville called a 'tyranny of the majority,' and they are now more likely to get a taste of it."

For local reaction to the Specter switch, read NashvillePost.com's blog Post Politics.

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lipka@jdcinc.com States:

Posted on 4/28/2009 4:03 pm

Sen. Alexander's disappointment is certainly warranted! After all, what happened when one party controlled the Executive and Legislative branches of government between 2001 and 2007? Not to mention significant Conservative control of the Judicial branch.

gblackburn States:

Posted on 4/28/2009 5:43 pm

Winston Churchill switched parties twice.
So how does Lamar feel about the late Democrat turned Dixiecrat turned Republican Strom Thurmond?

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