A year after switching from the Republican party to the Democratic party, Senator Arlen Specter (Pennsylvania) was defeated in yesterday's primary. "Upstart" Rep. Joe Sestak won, and with Rand Paul (R) winning a Senate primary in Kentucky, the Washington Post says, "Tuesday's results were the most powerful indicator to date of the voter anger and dissatisfaction that has shaped the political climate all year." A Democratic strategist admitted to the Daily News, "If the election were held today we'd lose both [the House and the Senate]. Thank goodness it's not being held today - but we still might lose the House." But Politico points out that Republicans "failed spectacularly" in trying to get late Rep. John Murtha's Pennsylvania seat (Democrat Mark Critz won). more ›

Washington is all astir today at the bombshell news that Republican Senator Arlen Specter will leave the GOP and join the Democratic Party, bringing Democrats within reach of a filibuster-proof majority—if and when Al Franken is seated as Minnesota's senator. A 29-year senate veteran and the fifth-oldest senator, Specter is switching his party affiliation now so he can run in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary. more ›

Yesterday, the controversial immigration bill proposed by President Bush stalled in the Senate when both Republicans and Democrats could not come to a final vote. The bill, which neither party liked very much for different reasons, represented a historic to change immigration law, and both parties tried to work on a compromise that would satisfy most Senators. Sixty votes were needed to stop debate and move to a final vote, but there were only 45 votes (37 Democrat - including Senators Schumer and Clinton - 7 Republican and 1 Independent) to break the filibuster. more ›