You may remember when I wrote about Arlen Spector a few months ago and said I’d most likely never thank him again.  Well I was wrong, cause I am certainly thanking him right now.

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said on Tuesday he would switch to the Democratic party, presenting Democrats with a possible 60th vote and the power to break Senate filibusters as they try to advance the Obama administration’s new agenda.

In a statement issued about noon as the Capitol was digesting the stunning turn of events, Mr. Specter said he had concluded that his party had moved too far to the right, a fact demonstrated by the migration of 200,000 Pennsylvania Republicans to the Democratic Party.

“I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans,” Mr. Specter said, acknowledging that his decision was certain to disappoint colleagues and supporters.

Now I know there’s Swine Flu, and earthquakes, and 9/11 re-enactments in New York, but this news is tremendous — spectacularly huge, as far as political news goes.  Not only does it change the numbers in the Senate in an acutely important way, but it sends such a message of Change, which is what this administration is supposed to be all about.

I’ve been waiting so long for someone in the GOP to do the right thing, which is mainly, prove to its members that its OK to evolve: an entity that fears progress so much will never survive, the world is in a constant state of movement and chaos; whether we like it or not it is not now and will never be simple and still.  And I’m in no way calling for every Republican to switch parties; instead I think this is a healthy reminder that politics is supposed to be fluid, not fixed.  So many members of the GOP have been clinging to heavy issues that are, inevitably, sinking the ship.  They need to stop focusing on religious and social topics, and start to actually talk about the money, which is the one thing you’ve got on your side right now.  I think it was actually Megan McCain who said it best:

I consider myself a progressive Republican. I am liberal on social issues. And I think that the party is at a place where social issues shouldn’t be the issues that define the party. And I have taken heat, but in fairness to me, I am a different generation than the people that are giving me heat….We have a very big generation gap between me and my father….I was raised in an open-minded home. I was raised a Christian, but I was raised open-minded Christian — one to accept people, love people, not pass judgment.

People give Megan McCain a lot of sh*t because, I dunno, she’s young and she’s a female and she obviously looks in the mirror before she leaves the house.  Well f**k them, in all honesty, I think she’s smart.  She and Specter, not afraid of change.  Nice kafiah Megan; I’m loving it.