Podhoretz On Specter

This is very well said I think:

The defection of Arlen Specter from the GOP, following the effort by the Club of Growth to target him for defeat in the Republican primary, is an example of how confused conservative ideologues can get about the nature of the Republican party. Specter is, without question, a political snake of the highest order, and in many ways the worst kind of politician–one who sniffs the air and puts his finger to the wind and then has the colossal temerity to declare that he is doing so out of conviction. But there are lots of snakes in politics. Specter enraged Republicans by voting for the stimulus package. But he is also standing in opposition to the effort by labor unions to end the secret ballot. He wasn’t much, and he wasn’t good, but aiming for his destruction without thinking about the recourse that he might have to resort to is, without question, the most self-destructive act in modern political history. His defection to the Democratic party, which will, in short order, deprive the Republicans of any power whatsoever in the Senate.

Politics is not about casting the easy vote for the person you admire. It’s really about choosing the least bad alternative