A political opportunist using the memory of a political hero (IMHO) to further his own opportunities. Goldberg's title was completely appropriate.

I daresay this counts as negative class.

This is nothing new... for a democrat.

Now that he's one of them, he can use their playbook and get a pass from the press.

They've been talking this way for years. "If only _______ Christopher Reeve could walk again" etc...

Imagine if an actual Republican said, "If Obama wasn't in charge, ________ wouldn't have died."

Now that the Dem's are in charge, the Republicans could use any celebrity's death for their own agenda and blame it on the supermajority. But they don't operate that way.

But democrats do. And the press lets it go.

It didn't take Specter long to get into the groove. Now all he has to do is start ranting about corporate greed and "Big ___________ (insert any industry here)"

The Democrats have cleverly adopted this meme: "Republicans are anti-science", largely I think from two issues: 1) general conservative antipathy toward Global Warming alarmism and 2) Social conservative opposition to embryonic stem-cell research.

They are beating that meme loudly right now. This is just another example. Specter must have received the official playbook.

I read this in the transcript from Face the Nation (I haven't read Goldberg's column, but I assume that this is the quote he has written about). It was quite surprising to read. I know it wasn't a joke, but in my head I thought, "too soon."

Assuming, for a second, that he's right, it's still not appropriate. The man hasn't even been buried yet, let's not spend the time of mourning pointing fingers at who is responsible. This isn't The Sopranos - this is reality.

Now, assuming that he's wrong - what an idiot thing to say. Seriously. That's something that I would think could only come from Biden. In observing the two of those men, I think that I might have what it takes to serve in the US Senate (I just turned 30, so I guess I'm qualified). I think I would have more tact/consideration/sensitivity than the two of those people put together.

Wow. I just watched the video from Meet The Press (Specter appeared on two Sunday morning shows) and he said the exact same thing about Kemp.

This means that it was not a slip of the tongue and may even have been concocted as a talking point about a web site he's developed (which seems to me a campaign ploy).

Congatulations Specter - even the likes of Eleanor Clift are singing Kemp's praises, mourning his death and celebrating his life. You're using him to try and get elected - just like you used Republican funds to stay in office for the past twenty-plus years and will try and use Democrat money to do the same. Jack Kemp isn't an honorable American to you, he's political capital.

Absolutely disgusting.

There is no euphemism for a character like Specter's. "Opportunist" just doesn't reach the nadir of contempt to which he has debased himself. He is well-surnamed. Filibuster majority or no, Republicans suffer no loss at the departure of such a negative.

He and Obama are cut from the same soiled cloth. A waste of perfectly good hemoglobin.

Now excuse me, I have to ask for forgiveness for my attitude in violation of Matthew 5:22.

**Heavy Sigh**