Sen. Arlen Specter was unexpectedly stripped of his seniority Tuesday night in a humiliating blow from Democrats who earlier had welcomed the former Pennsylvania Republican"™s defection from the GOP.
The move not only strips the five-term senator of his legislative clout but also hampers his ability to persuade voters he can still bring influence to issues in Pennsylvania as he approaches election there in 2010.
Specter lashed back Wednesday, strongly suggesting he had been betrayed.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Specter said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had promised him that his seniority would be preserved.
"śSen. (Harry) 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,"ť Specter said. "śIt 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."ť
Specter added that he would "ścontinue to be a staunch and effective advocate for PennsylvaniaÂąs and the nation's priorities."ť
The likelihood that Specter would lose a Republican primary prompted him to jump to the Democrats. Now, although President Barack Obama has promised to campaign for him, Specter could face a Democratic challenger in that party"™s primary. After that, he may be up against former Gov. Tom Ridge, the state"™s most popular Republican, in the general election.
The Senate vote stripping him of rank came after Specter made a huge faux pas against his new party when he told The New York Times Tuesday that he hoped Republican Norm Coleman wins the protracted court battle over the Minnesota Senate seat. Democrats want candidate Al Franken to prevail over Coleman so the party can attain a filibuster-proof majority of 60 in the Senate.
Politico reported that Specter has managed to alienate Democrats just a week after his much bally-hooed announcement.
"Since declaring himself a Democrat last Tuesday, Specter has defied Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the White House on virtually everything that"™s come down the pike: the budget, mortgage reform, the Al Franken-Norm Coleman race, even President Barack Obama"™s appointment of Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department"™s Office of Legal Counsel," Politico reported. "All while quibbling over whether he said he"™d be a 'loyal Democrat' "” and insisting that he had an 'entitlement' to transfer his Senate seniority from one side of the aisle to the other."
Reid read a resolution on the Senate floor Tuesday making Specter the most junior Democrat on four of his five committee assignments. It stood in stark contrast to Reid's alleged promise that Specter would retain his seniority if he switched from the Republican to the Democratic party.
Specter serves on the Appropriations, Judiciary, Veterans Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and Special Aging committees. He had been the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, which is preparing for hearings on a Supreme Court nominee to replace the retiring Justice David Souter.
When Republicans were in the majority, Specter chaired the confirmation hearings for Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. He now will have to wait in line to question the nominee, the Associated Press reported. Specter also was the top Republican on the subcommittee that funds the National Institutes of Health. The issue is a personal one for him because he has twice battled cancer.
The move came only a day after Specter boasted of the power he had through seniority to voters in Pennsylvania.
"My senior position on Appropriations has enabled me to bring a lot of jobs and a lot of federal funding to this state," Specter said at a town hall meeting on Monday, according to CNN.
Over and over, CNN reported, Specter made a point of telling an auditorium filled with medical faculty and staff about the hundreds of millions of dollars he delivered to the Keystone State, thanks to the power he's accumulated in his 29 years in the Senate.
"Pennsylvania has a big interest in my seniority, a big interest," he said.
Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Specter said that it's an "entitlement" for him to retain his seniority on those committees.
"I was elected in 1980. I think that's not a bribe or a give for something extraordinary," he said. "I'll be treated as a Democrat as if I was elected as a Democrat."
Specter could have a chance to reclaim his seniority on influential committees such as the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees after the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats have suggested.
Perhaps realizing the consequences his Coleman remarks, Specter quickly changed his tune. He told Congressional Quarterly on Tuesday that he would like to see more Democratic members elected in the 2010 midterms.
"In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates," Specter said. "I"™m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I"™ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke."
But Democrats have not only stripped Specter of his clout, they"™ve used his defection from the GOP to attack his former party colleagues. In a new Web ad from the Democratic National Committee, they parody the TV show "śSurvivor to highlight "the continued disunity" within the GOP.
The final result is that Arlen Specter has betrayed the party that supported him for decades, only to be apparently betrayed by the party that seduced him to defect.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
I believe he got about what he had coming to him. I don't think that once voted in by one party, a representative should not be able to switch parties without running again. It was the republicans who elected him.
Nothing says you can't change parties or when and how you should change parties. What these guys are SUPPOSED to do is follow their own judgment and vote in what they deem their constituents best interest -- notwithstanding what the constituents themselves think or say. For a long time, it would seem, Specter voted as he thought best for his constituents -- contrary to his party's party line. This change of party affiliation is merely making his party affiliation match his voting disposition. Having said all that, I'm a Republican and suspect most of his votes are contrary to my positions. I was definitely against the "stimulus" bill. I assume Specter is anti-gun (just an assumption, but maybe I'm wrong -- I have no data one way or the other); I am pro second amendment.
Seems the Democrats are being petty. Isn't it enough that the guy votes with them on just about every issue -- take the "stimulus" vote -- what do they care if he doesn't stick to the teleprompter script verbatim? Not a very tolerant bunch those Democrats.
What these guys are SUPPOSED to do is follow their own judgment and vote in what they deem their constituents best interest -- notwithstanding what the constituents themselves think or say.
Here is the flaw in your arguement. Senators have no constituents in the sense they aren't there to represent a single person from their state. Senators are there to represent their state and do what's best for their state.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
This is funny. I hate the fact that spector jumped ship simply to gain advantage in the election back home...what a schmuck. Serves him right if he has to be plebe now AND is soundly defeated anyway.
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Looney tunes deductive reasoning:
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--EEEOOOWWW!!!!!
What these guys are SUPPOSED to do is follow their own judgment and vote in what they deem their constituents best interest -- notwithstanding what the constituents themselves think or say.
Here is the flaw in your arguement. Senators have no constituents in the sense they aren't there to represent a single person from their state. Senators are there to represent their state and do what's best for their state.
Let me amend my statement then . . . "What those guys are SUPPOSED to do is follow their own judgment and vote in what they deem their state's best interest -- notwithstanding what the citizens of their states think or say." Thus, I am distinguishing between the best interests of a state, and by implication the interests of the citizens of the state, and the opinions of the citizens of the state. The way it is supposed to work is the elected official is not a puppet pulled every which way by the ill-informed, changeable public. Some folks would disagree with this characterization of our form of government and would argue that in fact it is a radical democracy and the elected officials ought to vote -- in every case -- precisely as an accurate poll of their citizens's will. My point is Specter's obligation is not to a party but to principle -- specifically to the best interests, as he can best apprehend them, of his state. I'm not saying his judgment is sound in achieving this end: I'm not his apologist. I'm just saying his changing parties is his business.
And by the way, perhaps it is a moot point, but I would argue that US Senators do indeed have constituents -- the citizens of their state. Thus, Specters's constituents are all the citzens of Pennsylvania.
The 17th Amendment did away with all the ambiguity with a simple premise "” the Senators would be chosen by the people, just as Representatives are. Of course, since the candidates now had to cater to hundreds of thousands, or millions, of people instead of just a few hundred, other issues, such as campaign finances, were introduced. The 17th is not a panacea, but it brings government closer to the people. The Amendment was passed by Congress on May 13, 1912, and was ratified on April 8, 1913 (330 days).
To switch parties or even have one seems to me to indicate that foundationaly they are wacked. The constitution they are supposed to be governed by has no party. Some how the people have been douped into thinking they are governd by parties not the constituton reguardless of how much they cry about it being violated.
I do hope right prevails and loudly and as importantly people soberly learn the lesson from it. For him to switch is so far outside his elected responsibilities,pity is all he should receive. Not many have the foundation to understand that, those that do feel the same pity for the country.
He commited suicide,I hope he gets a proper funeral, not belet to live assome kind of zombie which he is now. Guys dead, he doesn't know it and many others have propped him up as a puppet using him much like some countries leave a mutilated corpse lie in the street. He's begining to stink and the country doesn't see what's wrong or care with this freak show.
Alsatian, in respect to party no arguement there. However, in respect to constituents, it's the state to owe their voting to. We have gotten away from that due to the 17th amendment and that has been crushing the individual/power of the State government. It was stupid in the first place that States would give up such power. I would like to see the 17th amendment repealed and go back to state leglislatures choosing their representation on the federal level. This one move would be a huge step in the right direction of curtailing our power grabingfederal government.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
Specter this is too funny!
