VOA标准英语 Top Republican Senator to Switch Parties

Veteran U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania stunned¹ the Washington establishment by announcing he is leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat². The move will bring Democrats³ closer to the 60-vote majority they need to overcome potential Republican roadblocks and move President Barack Obama's agenda through the Senate.
　
Sen. Arlen Specter sits on the Democratic side of the aisle⁴ at a swine flu hearing on Capitol Hill, 28 Apr 2009

Senator Specter, who's been in the Senate for 29 years, would face a difficult reelection contest next year as a Republican in Pennsylvania, a state that backed Barack Obama over Republican John McCain in last year's presidential race.

Public opinion polls showed Specter would fare better as a Democrat.

At a news conference Tuesday, Specter said the decision to leave the Republican party was not an easy one. "This is a painful decision. I know I am disappointing many of my friends and colleagues," he said.

But Specter said he found himself increasingly at odds⁵ with a Republican Party that has moved to the right.

His decision gives Democrats a 59-seat majority, one short of the 60 necessary to overcome Republican attempts to block legislation.

One Senate vacancy⁶ remains⁷ from the state of Minnesota, where an election recount continues. Democrat Al Franken leads Republican incumbent⁸ Norm Coleman, and if he is declared the winner, would become the party's 60th vote.

Specter's announcement was welcomed by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who said Specter's support would be important in implementing⁹ President Obama's economic plan:

"Let me repeat what the president told Senator Specter this morning, that he has the president's full support, that he is thrilled that he switched parties and is a Democrat and that we look forward to working as we have on the Recovery and Reinvestment Plan with Senator Specter," he said.

But while Specter supports Obama's economic initiatives, he made clear he would not be a rubber stamp for Democrats. "I will not be changing my own personal independence or my own approach to individual issues," he said.

Specter has shown his independence as a Republican, most recently by becoming one of only three members of his party to vote for President Obama's economic stimulus¹⁰ package.

Senate Majority Leader Harry¹¹ Reid, a Nevada Democrat, acknowledged Specter's independent streak¹², and said there would continue to be a need for cooperation from Republicans in accomplishing the nation's business.

"Democrats and Republicans must still work together to make health care more affordable¹³, invest in renewable energy and help all people in America to get an education. Democrats and Republicans must still work together to ensure our troops have the resources they need to more effectively fight extremists in the Middle East and around the world," he said.

Reid told reporters he had been making overtures¹⁴ to Specter to join the Democratic Party for some time, even before the senator from Pennsylvania faced a difficult reelection contest.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky expressed his disappointment with Specter's decision, saying it could undermine Republicans' ability to put a check on the Democratic majority.

"I think the threat to the country presented by this defection really relates to the issue of whether or not in the United States of America, our people want the majority to have whatever it wants without restraint, without a check or a balance," he said.

Specter's announcement is the latest setback¹⁵ for Republicans, who lost control of the Senate and House of Representatives in 2006 and lost the White House and more seats in Congress last year.

The 79-year-old Specter was one of the most senior Republicans in the Senate and held influential¹⁶ positions on Judiciary and Appropriations¹⁷ committees. It is not clear if Democrats will assign him committee leadership positions.

Specter has fought Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system, but says his health is restored and he feels fine.

1 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

5 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

6 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

9 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

10 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

11 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

12 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

13 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

14 overtures   

n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲

参考例句：

• Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句

15 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

16 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

17 appropriations   

n.挪用（appropriation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• More commonly, funding controls are imposed in the annual appropriations process. 更普遍的作法是，拨款控制被规定在年度拨款手续中。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Should the president veto the appropriations bill, it goes back to Congress. 假如总统否决了这项拨款提案，就把它退还给国会。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件