Pat Dollard

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As Norm Coleman continues to lose his judicial challenges to Al Franken’s election as Minnesota Senator, it now appears most likely that this abdication of his party by Arlen Specter will hand Obama the 60 vote super-majority needed to guarantee passage of any legislation.

Politico:

Republican Sen. Arlen Specter is switching parties so he can run in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, abandoning his party because he does not want to be “judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.”

Specter, in a Tuesday afternoon statement, said he knows his supporters will be disappointed but says he is “willing to take all comers” in his Senate race. President Obama called Specter this morning when he heard the news and told the Pennsylvania senator that he’s “thrilled” to have Specter on the Democratic side of the aisle.

Two sources said he made his decision after seeing a recent poll showing him badly trailing Toomey in the Republican primary, and concluded that he had no way of winning the GOP nomination.

Republican Senate leaders Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Jon Kyl of Arizona are in an emergency meeting in the Capitol right now discussing the party switch, which would be a devastating blow to a party barely hanging on to a 41-vote minority in the Senate. Specter has long been a moderate Republican and a thorn in his party’s side, but his move to switch parties is a surprising maneuver. Specter trails badly in GOP primary polls and he may have a better chance to win as a Democrat in his home state.

Asked his reaction in an online chat with POLITICO, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) said, “I spoke with Arlen this morning and he explained his reasoning to me. I told him I was deeply disappointed that he felt he had to do it. It is a huge blow to the Republican’s ability to moderate any of Obama’s very liberal proposals. I can only hope that Arlen will be as independent as a Democrat as he has been as a Republican.”

The move stands to put the White House’s agenda on a fast track — and to renew hopes among organized labor for the Employee Free Choice Act.

The move also raises the stakes for the resolution of the Minnesota Senate race and may tempt Republicans to drag that fight on further.

“On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my 29-year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania,” Specter said in a statement. “I have decided to run for reelection in 2010 in the Democratic primary. I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for reelection determined in a general election. I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank specially Sens. McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.”