Senator Specter, Retirement Looms

Just watched a very uncomfortable "town hall" meeting in Lebanon, Penn., with Sen. "Benedict" Arlen Specter, who despite all efforts to control the character of the people allowed inside, and the questions they asked, found it couldn't be done.

There was a handful of people who were there to support ObamaCare.

There was a super-majority of those there who despise it.

One woman challenged the senator to defend the U.S. Constitution, to return the country back to the vision of the Founding Fathers. She got a standing ovation.

Specter acknowledged the overwhelming applause, but then got booed when he told her, "That's what I've been doing." He cited a couple of instances in which he opposed President George W. Bush on "signing statements" and "warrantless wiretaps," obvious sops to the Democrat base he must please in order to win a primary next year.

And that's when it became obvious: Arlen Specter's career is nearly over. He cannot serve two masters -- and Arlen doesn't really acknowledge he has a master. He can play to the Democrats that are now his base, and he might narrowly win the primary next year, but will lose the general election. Or he can switch gears and support the people of Pennsylvania who are obviously disgusted with Washington politics and an out-of-control government, and Arlen will get trounced in the Democrat primary.

People are catching on. President Obama has already nearly equalled President Bush in the use of "signing statements" in which he declares his inpretations of bills passed by Congress. President Obama has surpassed President Bush in executive orders, already issuing more in just over six months than Bush did in eight years. If Arlen Specter were consistent, he would be on the floor of the Senate every day denouncing the trouncing of the Constitution.

But he isn't consistent, and people are catching on.

Retirement looms.