Specter
His Democrat colleagues don’t like Arlen Specter any more than Republican senators. They’ve voted to treat him as the most junior senator among them:
On a voice vote, the Senate voted to strip Specter of his 29 years of seniority, effectively transforming him in a blink-and-you-missed-it-moment from one of the most senior senators in the body to a lowly freshman on most committees.
“There were concerns about his actions,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, which sets committee assignments.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Specter said that Reid had promised him that he could transfer his seniority to the Democratic Party.
“Sen. Reid assured me that I would keep my committee assignments and that I would have the same seniority as if I had been elected as a Democrat in 1980,” Specter said. “It was understood that the issue of subcommittee chairmanships would not be decided until after the 2010 election. Some members of the caucus have raised concerns about my seniority, so the caucus will vote on my seniority at the same time subcommittee chairmanships are confirmed after the 2010 election. I am confident my seniority will be maintained under the arrangement I worked out with Sen. Reid.”
Specter said in the statement that he would “continue to be a staunch and effective advocate for Pennsylvania¹s and the nation’s priorities.” But as early as Tuesday afternoon, the Pennsylvania Republican-turned-Democrat seemed to know that he’d be doing that from something akin to freshman status.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, just selected to take Specter’s former spot as the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, asked Specter on Tuesday where he would be sitting during committee proceedings.
“At the end of the other side of the aisle,” a dejected Specter responded, according to a first-hand account of the conversation.
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May 6th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
GOOD.
Hats off to the Democrats, for once.
Now I am hoping the Democrats can do what our inept Party couldn’t do-
send this crapweasel to the retirement home.
May 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy LOL!!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I think Specter will fail to find the centrist policies he said that he couldn’t find in the Republican party. He has definitely been duped. It just goes to show why it is important to stand for your principles instead of following the political trade winds. He deserves everything he gets.
May 6th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Lindsey Graham tantrum of the day over Specter’s treatment.
Graham: ‘If we’re going to let the bloggers run the country, then the country’s best days are behind us.’
Maybe Graham will want to government regulate the bloggers?
May 6th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Only Lindsey Graham knows the correct way forward.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
The Democrats will soon turn on Specter. They will support his opponent in the primary and Specter will be done.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Why didn’t Specter just become an independent caucusing with the Dems, ala Lieberman? That way he could have maintained his precious maverick status as well as seniority. Seems like it might have been the better way to go.
But the bottom line is, nobody likes a traitor. Not even the group to which he has betrayed others.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Because of all the work involved (ballot access I believe) to pull that off in PA as an independent. Specter wanted an “easy way out” of his mess, and he may just get it, not sure it’s going to be the result he intended though. Pass the popcorn.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Specter is likely to be challenged in the 2010 Democratic primaries by a pure lefty opponent. Fast Eddie Rendell and even Obama will think twice about going against the Nutroots to support Specter.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Spectacle is going down. Ha Ha.
May 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Turncoat! He’s been playing for the other team long enough, it’s about time he went over to their side. Funny, they stripped him of all his rank, which makes him even less attractive to voters.
He gets what he deserves.