Arlen Specter Feb 12, 1930

Senator Arlen Specter, who formally announced his switch to the Democratic Party yesterday, Apr 28, 2009, was born in Wichita, Kansas on Feb 12, 1930, birth time unknown.

Yesterday, as what some would say was a long overdue formal announcement of the moderate Republican's party re-affiliation (Specter was a Dem in his earlier days) transiting Jupiter 23AQ37 was conjunct his natal Sun 23AQ21 (using a Sun-conj-MC chart set for 12:43:42 pm CST) and his natal Venus 24AQ49.

This gives Sen. Specter a self-satisfied Sun-Venus conj natally which indicates one who loves to be loved and liked, and will adjust his personality to assure this. It's a self-dramatizing combination which can have a pompous air due to thinking that his mere presence is enough to merit everyone's attention.

Jupiter-to-Sun signifies a culmination of something begun 12 years before (Jupiter's orbit appr 12 years long) and those who know more of the senator's career and life than I do may know what this refers to - I do know from his Wiki bio that he ended his stint as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Jan 3, 1997 (which may not qualify since it was an ending in itself.)

Jupiter's expansive tendencies to one's ego (Sun) indicates that whatever was begun 12 years ago must now move to a higher level (not NWO plans, I hope) or come to an end. Recognition and honor come along easily with this Jupiter transit but it's better not to get carried away with one's own self-importance now....perhaps an impossible task for a politician, especially one born with a Sun-Venus conjunction!

Jupiter to natal Venus shows an increased desire for luxury, and that there's been an establishment of an important alliance - with Pres. Obama is the obvious guess especially since the president is said to have promised Sen. Specter that he will campaign on his behalf in Pennsylvania in 2010.

Also yesterday, the transiting midpoint of the speculation pair, Jupiter/Neptune 24AQ55 is sitting upon the senator's natal Sun and Venus so we have two pictures...any, all, or none may apply...

Jupiter/Neptune = Venus: optimism in relationship.

Jup/Nep = Sun: trying to capture the essence of things; following a dream (not a NWO dream, I hope); feeling the spirit; potentially misguided states (not PA, I hope); speculation (better political chances as a Dem?); irresponsibility; deceiving or being deceived. (Tyl; Ebertin.)

More current transits include:

natal Mercury 27Cap18 (conj US natal Pluto - in fact, Specter was born in 1930, the year of Pluto's discovery, so his natal degree is the Discovery degree of Pluto - his 17Can52 Rx); tr Sun 8Tau30 at noon is snugged between his NN 5Tau44 and Chiron 9Tau54 indicating something fated and with a wounding quality about his party affiliation switch. Perhaps he dealt a long-coming (North Node) wound (Chiron) to the R Party and may have been feeling wounded (under appreciated) himself.

So here's a midpoint picture in effect for some months now...

Tr Nep/Pluto = n Mercury: communications are other than they appear; deception as a strategy; loss of centering; nervous weakness; many plans incapable of realisation; thinking and acting while under strange influences.

(I noticed that Elizabeth on The View this morning mentioned plaintively that Sen. Specter had said a month ago that he would remain Republican. So much for a politician's promises, eh? Maybe a diss to his pompousness occurred!)

US natal Pluto now has tr Pluto/Chiron midpoint conjunct it and tr Neptune/Pluto midpoint is there as well...Nep/Plu being the signature of the Robber Baron class, Plu/Chiron being plutocrats who oppress with disenfranchisement, fascism, totalitarianism, corporatism, racism, the ruthless list goes on.

Another of yesterday's links with Sen. Specter's natal chart is Mars 4AQ40 being triggered by tr NN...a time when meetings are held to get the job done.

Well, Sen. Specter is a fighter, we know that, so his switch of loyalties - assuming he's not operating as a Trojan horse against the D Party - should be interesting to watch and will perhaps help his prospects in his next re-election battle.

But I have yet to forget Specter's role on the Warren Commission and its whitewashing of the true culprits in the assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy, when a major coup of our government was successfully enjoined.

And saboteur Pluto, with Neptune's obfuscating help, continues bedeviling and undermining America today.

Swine Flu and the GOP; president's presser 4-29-09

By now you've run across some quirky statements from Republicans on the outbreak of Swine Flu and its pandemic possibilities. Why, even Rush Limbaugh is manufacturing what he hopes are GOP-saving theories on this public health issue that requires more thought for the common good than he or other neocon rightwingers can hold within their self-serving peabrains for more than two seconds running.

If you missed it yesterday, check out digby's explanation of the dilemma the GOPers find themselves in.

When we first heard of 'swine flu' in the 70s we weren't ready with vaccines. Now it's 2009 and we're not ready for a pandemic with vaccines (or well-staffed clinics.)

If Rush Limbaugh could manufacture vaccines he'd be useful in a crisis. As it is, what he manufactures is the usual manure and swill from the GOP playbook. Which is not only un-useful - these people don't 'believe' in the common good!

And if the GOP as it stands now had been around for and involved in the founding of America, we wouldn't have a nation or the US Constitution we now cling to.

I also want to assure anyone who thinks I'm torn up about FOX TV choosing not to carry the president's press conference tomorrow night that I would not have watched the presser on FOX anyway.

For me, the only thing the FOX channel is good for is '24' and 'Lie to Me'...and while they'll show the usual episode of 'Lie to Me' at 8:00 pm edt - apologies to the excellent Tim Roth - I'll be watching and listening to Mr. President elsewhere.

Swine Flu Update 11:55 am: Smithfield Farms facility.

National Debt has Facebook page!

NPR just reported that our national debt has a Facebook page and so do I but haven't used it much yet because you're not there...

pandemic flu, stim money, and political swines

The following question concerns a political trickster's grandstanding on behalf of the party but is not a trick question:

What do pandemic flu, 2009's stimulus package money, and political swines have in common?

Hint 1: his initials are KR.

Hint 2: they did it on purpose to undermine our current systems and tattered social fabric more completely - and to ratchet up the fear level among the unwashed masses.

Yes, I'll say it again: the power elite play for keeps.

Machiavelli will inspire you now

Machiavelli's ideas about the difficulties of introducing a
new order of things are part of Jeff Huber's excellent article in which he relates the 'brave new world order' to America's recent changes in perspective and prospects for world domination which by my count, aren't going very well for humankind's sake. But I suppose on a sub-human, reptilian level their plans are slithering like clockwork.

Nicolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on May 11, 1469 (NS = Gregorian calendar; his birth date involves the Florentine calendar as well and his chart details have a Rodden Rating of 'B' from auto/biographical sources.)

Sun 20Tau58, Moon 2AQ50; Mercury 10Gem15; Venus 22Ari34; Mars 11 Pis59; Jupiter 27Can21; chart-ruler Saturn 4Tau56; Uranus Rx 12Lib58; Neptune Rx 7Sco44, and conjunct Pres. Obama's Neptune; Pluto Rx 6Vir01 - conj Pres. Obama's Pluto; Chiron Rx 27Cap53conj BHO's natal Saturn; NN 7AQ13; ASC 11Cap22; MC 8Sco46.

First house contains Chiron, Moon, and North Node, Mars is in 2nd house, Venus and Saturn in 3rd house, Sun in 4th, Mercury in 5th.

Jupiter is in 7th house of Partnerships and Open Enemies (he was out of favor and desperate for some years during his life), Pluto resides in 8th house, leaving Uranus and Neptune in 9th with his Neptune conjunct MC.

You may notice that the old pot-stirrer has recently had a Nodal Return in late March, 2009 a time when new associations may be made, but so far I have no reports of his turning over, sitting up, or appearing at any political events in person.

But he has had public mention (NN) in the above linked article and by my own keyboard tinklings which are now falling silent. My work here is done and Monday house cleaning activities are about to begin...

Oh! except for one thing:

Machiavelli began a new phase of activity on Oct 22, 2008 with a Secondary Progressed New Moon 9Sco47, the place in the zodiac where the transiting Saturn/Pluto midpoint (cruelty; hard labour; cold-heartedness; magicians and adepts) now resides - 9Sco12 this very day. And yes, our charts continue to be triggered long after we're gone!

Saturn/Pluto = Moon: melancholy; a tragic destiny (esp of 'a woman'); frigid feelings; renunciation; giving up giving; abstemiousness.

Saturn/Pluto = Sun: the threat of loss; enforced change; ill health; toil and over-exertion; sparing no pains in one's work; renunciation; privation; a physical separation (Nic is still dead so 'ill health' for him can't be Swine Flu. Too bad.)

In defense of the ultra-rich

Given the enormous income gap in America these days between worker and CEO, is it possible to defend the ultra-rich?

Update 11:09 am edt: this link I nabbed from a (Twitter) tweet by Ashton Kutcher detailing the UK's rich class who are suffering as well with few exceptions. Wonder what Mr. al Fayed knew and when did he know it?