Specter switches, making 60 Democrats in Senate — with Franken

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter announced today that he is switching from the Republican to the Democratic Party. That means Minnesota’s empty U.S. Senate seat could become the Democrats’ sixtieth — the number needed to break a Republican filibuster. Specter’s move increases the pressure enormously on Minnesota officials in a position to control the outcome of the disputed Senate election between Norm Coleman and Al Franken.