Widwest?  That's a typo, right?

...is here.

What sort of term limit law can be skirted round by changing parties?

I mean, you'd be getting Arnie running for gov as a Dem in 10...

Widwest?

Should be "ulterior" instead of "alterior." :)

Somebody needs to tell Kate Witek that there are already enough Republican politicians in the Democratic Party. We're trying to gid rid of them as it is.

Well, at least you included Nebraska as a tag, but just reading through the posting, I'd have no idea which particular midwestern state the defection was in.

Granted, most of them are just flat and grassy, but the folks there seem to mind.

I thought it was in KS.

I live in Nebraska.  I am less than enthused about the "defection" of Ms. Witek.  I have no idea what her ulterior motives are, but time will most likely reveal what she hopes to accomplish with this manuever.  A couple of weeks ago she had a LTE in the Omaha paper in which she criticized Hagel for his stance on Iraq and praised the bush and condi.  See the following post on one of the local blogs for a little history and dissection of her comments.
http://newnebraska.blogspot.com/2006/08/ envy-in-nebraska-republican-politics.htm l

As for Hagel.  He's long on talk and short on votes to back up his "courageous" Sunday morning blatherings.  When he votes to bring the troups home, then I will believe him.  

Maybe Witek thinks grateful Democrats will give her Nelson's Senate seat one day since they're peas in a pod?

...in the run-up to Lieberman v. Lamont.  Oklahoma state senator Nancy Riley (R-Tulsa), the only one of three GOP candidates for Lt. Gov this year who did not make the run-off in a high-dollar "I'm more regressive than you" media blitz, switched her party affiliation to the Democratic Party at a news conference on August 4.  Due to state laws, her change will not take effect until September 1, but she will caucus with the Democrats and be registered as one before the general election.

The "Oh, the conservatives always win" pundits will not stop saying that they expect the OK Senate to go GOP for the first time in 80 years, but Riley's switch changes the current Senate's composition from 25 Dem-23 Repub to 26 Dem-22 Repub.  And that was just 10 days after Riley got 41,984 votes (23.46%) in the statewide Lt. Gov's race, forcing the run-off between the other two candidates. Before announcing her switch, Riley refused to endorse either of the other two candidates.

As for the announcement itself:

Riley said she had been considering a change since June because the Senate's moderate Republicans are "being pushed to the side by the extreme right wing."

Speaking at a standing-room-only press conference, the 48-year-old former schoolteacher said GOP members refused to listen to her or consider her ideas.

Riley quoted Senate Republican leaders as saying they would "rather be in the majority than be right" and "it's all about making the other side look bad," during the last legislative session.

She described the GOP caucus' "lack of concern" for Oklahomans and its treatment of her as "abhorrent."

"I received no support at all. I had many discussions with Senator Coffee about my frustrations with the caucus but nothing changed."

It's happening all over the country, not just in Kansas because of Kathleen Sebelius.

Riley's switch changes the current Senate's composition from 25 Dem-23 Repub to 26 Dem-22 Repub.

As far as the voting on bills goes, it will still be 25 Dem-23 Repub.

Conservative leopards can change parties, but their spots remain the same.

Since so many Democrats are so worried about the Green Party, it would be much better if some of them jumped to the Democratic Party -- especially since their values are already Democratic ones anyway.

First of all, Witek wasn't term-limited, she opted not to run for re-election (probably because she assumed she was going to become Lt. Governor, since she was running on the Osbourne ticket).  Secondly, I haven't heard anything about her running for re-election as a Democrat.  I don't think that's a legal option, post-primary and all.  I think she did this largely because of disgust with Governor Heinemen and his administration (when Heinemen was State Treasurer, he went on a furniture-flipping rampage through Witek's office), which really hasn't shown any interest at all in solving any of the state's problems.  

Could you please knock off the suspicion of Repu7blican who switch to the Democrats? There wasn't any of that when Democrats switched to the GOP over the last few decase. That's one reason why this ex-Republican became an Independent.

How can this be?  The MSM has me convinced that after the Lieberman purging, the Dems have been taken over by the radical left.  Are these midwest Republicans aware of this?  Are they radicals too?  Sheesh, who would have ever thought so many people in the midwest favored terrorism.

Sitkah, I tried changing the Republican Party for the better here in Georgia.  My efforts were unblemished by success.  GOPpers do not care about the environment, women's rights, racial and religious pluralism, or the working class in general.  They never have.  They never will.  The Greens are hopeless, and the Libertarians are misguided.  I feel that the only the Democratic Party offers a real chance to change America for the better.  

Of course, I was just an activist and still am.  I have never sought public office for myself.  If you were referring solely to officeholders, forgive my sensitivity on the subject.  Peace.

Charley