It also depends on all Democratic Senators voting with their Party colleagues. Democratic Senator Bayh, for one, may not since he's already shown his independence by breaking Party ranks over the President's budget.
Will Specter vote differently now? Will he be more willing to go along with legislation that he is personally marginally against? Did his Republican handcuffs force his votes at all before? How much so? Liberal Republicans haven't been allowed fully in the party for decades. Republicans do not let party members disagree with each other and its stance on loyalty went to extremes under Bush (I had one friend abandon the party when they said he had to sign an oath of loyalty to go to one of their meetings a couple of years ago). Running for office without party support, especially in a statewide position, is VERY difficult, Specter saw the writing on the wall,
you are out. This cult like craziness is killing the party.
