But with the majority comes all the benefits. The majority party chairs all the committees and sets the agenda, the majority decides which bills even come to the floor for a vote, the majority is in the Senate's driver's seat. That advantage can't be overstated. And the Republican party is one more seat away from getting back in that seat. The already unrealistic task of taking back the Senate in 2010 just became a little more so. It's entirely possible that, throughout his first term, Barack Obama will have a majority in both houses of congress -- the House of Representatives is probably lost for Republicans for several election cycles. Retaking the Senate was the only thing they had that was close to a realistic hope.
The GOP's biggest problem here is their base. Ideological puritans, they actually greeted the news that Specter had jumped ship with joy. "The Club for Growth PAC enthusiastically endorsed Pat Toomey for Senate in Pennsylvania when Specter was pretending to be a Republican," the influential anti-tax group Club for Growth said in a statement. "Club members will be even more committed to Toomey’s candidacy now that Specter has revealed his true identity."
After actively trying to chase Specter out of the Republican party, Club for Growth now says he's "unprincipled" and "cynical" for doing exactly what they wanted him to do -- leaving the GOP... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]
