Update: See “Specter Could Face Challengers in Democratic Primary

Yesterday a long series of negotiations came to an end and Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter switched his affiliation from the Republican to Democrat Party while every high-ranking donkey raced to take credit for their role. While the media jumped on the notion of a “60 vote majority” the reality is that this switch changes little for our country. Specter, Olympia Snow, Susan Collins and some other Republican Senators guaranteed that majority anyway and switching the R near Specter’s name to a D doesn’t really change any dynamics. The big change isn’t for the nation or for the Republican Party but for Democrat voters in Pennsylvania who were handed their default nominee for the coming election.

We know little about what was promised to Specter, who faced sure defeat in the Republican primary, but we do know the President has said he will campaign and can assume plenty of money will flow into his coffers. Add to this the awesome onslaught of media coverage that has occurred in the last twenty-four hours, a high-level roll-out with the President and Vice President today and undoubtedly more to come and you now have a Democrat candidate whose publicity level makes him the one to beat. In short, the national Democrats bypassed Pennsylvania voters and handed the nomination to a Republican.

Much has been made about the fact that Specter has risen the ire of Republican’s who found an ally in him only fifty percent of the time. Labeled a Republican in Name Only (RINO) the Senator gave conservatives and Party followers an endless supply of shame, outrage and lingering feelings of hostility. There is of course a flip-side to this coin, Democrats will now have to live with their own fair weather Senator. Unless a titanic shift has taken place in the old dog, his very old tricks won’t be well liked by his new Party followers or the rabid left. Harry Reid has handed his Party a Democrat who is truly there in name only, a man who has admitted he is making the shift not because of ideology but for the posterity of his power. Someone who is capitalizing on a temporary revival of the Democrat brand thanks to a very popular President.

For Republicans the economic stimulus bill represented a piece of legislation fundamentally opposed by our ideology; legislation the PA Senator’s support assured passage. For union families and union sympathetic Democrats, especially throughout Pennsylvania, Card-Check and the general strengthening of labor unions is a fundamental ideological issue and Specter is on the opposing side. Unless a vote in favor of card check and other union-friendly legislation is part of his acceptance by national Democrats, his vote will no doubt enrage the monied interests who will run advertising and put boots on the ground in the coming campaign.

While so much attention has been paid to the effect on the Republican Party, so little has been paid to the future fight for Specter himself. While the Senator could have easily chosen to become an Independent he chose the Democrat Party and the money and popularity he was no doubt promised for his choice. The Senator is opening himself up to the same kind of ideology vs. Specter primary fight from the left that he faced from the right. All it would take is a major vote where the Senator chooses independence and he will be left defending his political life from an enraged left.

In such a fight the Democrat Party might actually benefit, if a candidate appears in opposition from their state ranks he or she could sharpen their teeth during the primary season building a brand they could take to the general. Any Democrat feeling worthy enough to challenge someone attempting to usurp their nomination would instantly gain notoriety and endless media buzz. If such a person could motivate Party donors it would leave Specter in an even worse position than he faced on the right.

There is no reason to mourn this loss, rather the Republican Party should celebrate it. We have handed the problem of Arlen Specter to the Democrats and in return we now have a highly motivated reason to donate time, energy and money to this race. We have the potential to place a true Republican in the seat and possibly even watch Specter get defeated in the Democrat primary, what more could we ask for?

Put simply, he is their problem now.