This is huge. WaPo:
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, according to sources informed of the decision.
Specter’s decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next senator from Minnesota. (Former senator Norm Coleman is appealing Franken’s victory in the state Supreme Court.)
With a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, Dems will have incredible power to pass legislation. With 41 votes, Republicans still had enough to block cloture, a motion requiring 60 votes that brings debate to an end. Even if a bill has majority support in the Senate, say 57 votes, it can’t be voted up or down until cloture is invoked to cut off debate. In effect, it takes 60 votes to pass controversial legislation in the Senate. Dems will have that when Al Franken is seated.
Welcome to one-party rule.
