Specter becomes Democrat; 60-vote majority is near

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 4:51 p.m. CDT

WASHINGTON — Veteran Republican Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched parties Tuesday with a suddenness that seemed to stun the Senate, a moderate's defection that pushed Democrats to within a vote of the 60 needed to overcome filibusters and enact President Barack Obama's top legislative priorities.

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