From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Does one senator make a political trend?

Hello again, I'm Aron Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

On his 100th day in office, President Obama today reviewed his accomplishments and said it would take hard work to achieve the rest of his goals. Yesterday, he got a boost in that direction when Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter switched parties. Or did he? Spector drove a hard bargain, as we'll hear today, and skeptics say he'll be no more reliable as a Democrat than he was as a Republican.

But while Specter might have been a Republican in name only, is he leaving behind a party that's now so ideologically pure its nominees can't win general elections?

On reporter's notebook later on, melting ice and international politics in the Arctic.

First, here's the news.

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and its campaign for American workers. More at rockfound.org. Hello again, Warren Alney, back with

To the Point. On his 100th day, President Obama said today he was thrilled that Pennsylvania

Senator Arlen Spector switched parties. Will Specter be a better Democrat than he was a Republican?

Has the GOP gone so far to the right that it can't appeal to the centrists and independents who

decide most elections? On reporters' notebook, the Eight Nation Arctic Council is meeting in Norway

with the U.S. calling for win-win approaches to the consequences of rapid ice melting.

First, this news update, the first death from swine

flu in the United States has been confirmed. A 23-year-old infant brought from Mexico for treatment

died Monday in Houston, Texas. Here's Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director of the Centers for Disease

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