At the top of this post are two video clips. The first is Part 1 of Arlen Specter’s whining good bye speech to the Senate. During this speech, Specter complained that, unless elected officials governed in accordance with the wishes of the governed, they might be voted out of office. He complained that the Judicial Branch, a co-equal branch in our system of checks and balances, would not allow our Legislative Branch unlimited authority in its quest to disregard the Constitution. He called our electoral process cannibalistic, and lamented the fact that we the people were able to see what our elected officials were up to, and actually had the temerity to hold those officials accountable for their actions. He blamed that accountability for his own electoral defeat, and took the further step to actually state that such accountability, on which our nation is actually based, was counter productive to our own well being. The second video clip shows Arlen’s Town Hall Meeting during the summer of 2009, and coincidentally the reason for his electoral demise.

Let me say right here, thank you to the people of Pennsylvania for removing Mr. Specter from office. Mr. Specter’s farewell speech illuminates one thing clearly. Arlen feels as though his seat at the table of power is his birthright. He feels entitled to being a member of the ruling class. He is somewhat bitter at the prospect of reality proving once again that the people he governs do indeed have a say in how they are going to be governed. The electoral process is not cannibalistic, it is our recourse. During the summer of 2009, Mr. Specter and 534 other federal legislators faced angry voters back home, away from Washington, who told them in very clear terms, do not pass Obamacare. Stop these pork laden Stimulus packages which stimulate nothing. We want nothing more to do with bailouts. The spin doctors went to work feverishly to tell us that the town halls we were attending were actually, “AstroTurf.” In the meantime, SEIU and Acorn thugs were being flown and bussed around the country to show support for the very things the rest of us were against. So, in 2010, the Specter’s of the governing ranks were fired. I have watched Arlen’s speech a couple of times, with a certain amount of satisfaction. Not at Arlen’s obvious pain, but with the knowledge that We the People can indeed do something about it.

Arlen has been the greatest example of Rino around. A registered Democrat his entire life, Arlen knew the competition was too tough to win a Democrat primary in Philadelphia. He switched parties, but never his views. Yes, he had the R next to his name, but he voted against the GOP on every single vote that mattered. In 2010, the conservatives in this country stated very clearly that we are tired of it. I also must disagree with Angry Arlen on another point. It is not counter productive for compromise to not be accomplished because people stick to their principles. It is healthy, healthy that is for the elected to realize that they are accountable to the people who elected them. For those in Office now, capitulate at your peril.

(cross posted from: Musings of a Mad Conservative)