The (Shamokin) News-Item

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter’s abrupt switch of parties should not be viewed as a win for Democrats or a loss for Republicans. It’s a loss for all of us.

While an accomplished leader and quality human being, Specter, like many today in Washington and Harrisburg, is so ingrained in the process of politics that he’d do anything — without shame — to win re-election.

At 79 years old, survivor of several battles with cancer, and after nearly 30 years in the U.S. Senate, Specter, under challenge for the Republican nomination in the 2010 primary election, could have recognized that his time had come, that he should bow out gracefully. Instead, he was guided by, what, ego? Greed? The promise of money and support from President Obama and the Democrats? No matter the answer, it had nothing to do with legislation, or with the common constituent that he is sworn to serve.

The argument continues to be made that veteran legislators are valuable because they know the issues, they know the people, the process and the politics, knowledge that a rookie lawmaker would take years to acquire. More and more, however, that argument is exactly why we DO need term limits. Those who serve for decades on end begin to believe they are larger than the system itself, and, with that, spending and bureaucracy simply grow further out of control.

Suburban Philadelphia resident Joe Torsella, the only declared Democratic candidate for Specter’s seat, may have said it best in his reaction to the news of Specter’s switch: “I believe we need new leadership, new ideas and new approaches in Washington ... Nothing about today’s news regarding Sen. Specter changes that.”

The Associated Press