Thursday, May 07, 2009

Arlen Specter and Brett Favre

Who knew that such diverse people would find their stories intertwined?

A year a go, Brett Favre was faced with losing his "primary". His team was no longer going to support his candidacy as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. And so he changed "parties" and moved to New York. Similarly, Arlen Specter, faced with losing his Republican primary in Pennsylvania, changed teams and moved to the Democrats.

Brett never intended on becoming a Jet - he simply wanted to continue working - to prove that he could still do the job. And so he ran unopposed, in New York. Specter's plan? Run as a Democratic candidate (hopefully) unopposed in his home state of Pennsylvania.

While his new teammates welcomed Brett's experience with open arms, in the locker room, he remained aloof and by the end of the season, his teammates felt that he didn't live up to the hype. His performance was uneven and many of the younger players were suggesting that he be benched.

Spector brings a wealth of experience and a grudge against some of the leadership of his former party. All indications are that he's not really a Democrat and plans on voting against many of the major upcoming legislative initiatives, like Universal Healthcare and EFCA. I suspect that over the course of the next 12 months, he too, will alienate himself from his new teammates.

In the end, it's not about the constituents or the fans.

It's about being selfish. It's all about Arlen Specter and Brett Favre.

Thank you for your service gentlemen. It's time to retire (or be retired).

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