Some mixed messages on the rightwing blogs today:

Max Twain at Race42012:

BREAKING: RINO BECOMES DINO - Specter Switches Parties

The Democrats have been given absolute power over our lives with the treason of Arlen Specter.  The voters of Pennsylvania should force a recall on this pathetic excuse for a human being.  Too gutless to face the very voters he betrayed, Specter crawls off to the Democrat Party in hopes of hanging on to his job.  I just donated to Pat Toomey, you should as well.

Alex Knepper at Race42012:

Something tells me that the Democrats are celebrating this, not clenching their fists over Specter's ideological impurity. Why? Because they have another senator in their ranks. We just lost one.

Hope you're happy, hardliners.

Jeff Emanuel at Redstate seems to be reserving judgment but reminds us of this ditty from Specter back in March:

Just over a month ago, Specter told The Hill "I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role -- a more important role -- to play there. I think the United States desparately needs a two party system. It is the basis of politics in America. I think each of the 41 Republican Senators, in a sense, and I don't want to overstate this, is a national asset, because if one was gone you would only have 40. The Democrats would have 60 and they would control all of the mechanisms of government."

Erik Erikson at Redstate on the other hand:

I just gave money to Pat Toomey. Why don't you do the same?

Jim Geraghty at The Campaign Spot:

With Specter saying he won't change his position on Card Check, any Democratic official could run in the Senate primary and could at least count on the support of the unions. The reader adds, "If  opposed, Arlen will loses the primary after his opponent runs a few hundred points of ads showing him arm in arm with Bush and Cheney. Hell, if I were Toomey, I'd run those ads."

A diarist at The Next Right:

I imagine that a lot of people here and elsewhere will wish him a good riddance.  Given the frustration conservatives have felt with his decisions on many occasions, it's only natural.  However, all the whining about Specter, the primary challenges and the general abuse hurled towards this man has left us without enough votes to filibuster and yet another seat to claw back come the next election.

Congrats, guys.  We're a little more ideologically pure and a little smaller.  Funny how that works.

@PatrickRuffini on Twitter:

Initial thoughts. If you're a Dem, why would trust Specter any more than Republicans? He would be very vulnerable in a Dem primary.

Update [2009-4-28 13:25:24 by Todd Beeton]:The Club For Growth is speechless.

Michael Steele is defiant:

Some in the Republican Party are happy about this. I am not. Let’s be honest-Senator Specter didn’t leave the GOP based on principles of any kind. He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record. Republicans look forward to beating Sen. Specter in 2010, assuming the Democrats don’t do it first.