Arlen Specter denied seniority

[Thump553]

Arlen Specter is now officially on the Democratic side of the aisle, but they have voted to stripe him of all his seniority until the end of this term. This makes Specter the most junior senator, puts him at the bottom for succession in the judiciary committee (which he chaired during the Bush years) and removew him completely from the Appropriations Committee (which gives Senators the all-important sugar daddy power).

It's looking to me like the Dem leadership is turning a victory into a defeat with their own missteps. In PA (as in many states) the moderates have feld the GOP in record numbers (in my state only 11% of new registrations last year were GOP). Almost certainly Specter would have been defeated by a bible thumping, right wing wacko in the GOP primary. And almost as certainly, whoever the Dem candidate was, he or she would have handily won in the general election.

Now we will have a crippled Specter running on the Dem side in the general. Plus the Dems can't count on Specter's support, either before the election or after. Wouldn't have it made more sense for the Dems to let the GOP kill off Specter, bemoan their continued radicalism and elect a more party-oriented Senator?

I have always liked and admired Specter (except for his Iraq War stance) but this looks like a blunder to me.

Specter stripped of seniority

 

[heyheybooboo]

I wouldn't be so sure about the 'blunder' - you mostly answered the issue ...

Senator Specter 'jumped ship' in mid-term and has nearly 2 years prior to the seating of the new Senate. It remains to be seen as to his work with the Dem caucus and there is no reason to expect his re-election is a 'slam-dunk'.

I don't really expect him to march lockstep with the leadership and don't really care. If he brings moderation with conservative leanings to the Blue Team I think that's great. It's a big tent not afraid of dissenting opinion. Shoot, man ... you can't really get democrats to unanimously agree on much of anything - LOL

 

[Bitek]

He didn't do himself much good arguing in Sunday he was not going to be a loyal Dem, that he never told Obama that, despite what a couple of well respected journalists may have heard.

Between that and his speech explaining his actions, he's come off looking like a opportunistic turncoat.

Considering he is a 80+yo 2x cancer survivor, why would Dems want to put all the eggs in his basket? How many more terms does he have left anyway, and how reliable?
Perhaps defeating him in the Dem primary to a young guy like Sestack or whomever, and crushing a right-wing nut in the general would be better, and would set Dems to control all of PA's Senate votes for many many years.

Perhaps the Dems aren't being as dumb as you think, and managed to the GOP to toss out one of their few remaining moderates w/ little cost. They won't be wanting Spector back. Spector has managed to win friends that are willing to be just as loyal as he is. Opps. Don't count on the ME senators to jump ship anytime soon now tho. (this is prolly good evidence they weren't coming anyway.)

 

[RightIsWrong]

It's a simple case of them wanting him to prove himself before they bestow any real committee power to him.

Would the Republicans automatically grant Ted Kennedy a chairmanship if he switched without making sure that the switch was for real?

 

[Genx87]

I would type a well thought out argument but the tears for old Arlen are getting in the way.

 

[RightIsWrong]

Originally posted by: Genx87
I would type a well thought out argument but the tears for old Arlen are getting in the way.

LOL....

That just might be the best post I've ever read on here from you GenX! Well played.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
It's a simple case of them wanting him to prove himself before they bestow any real committee power to him.

Would the Republicans automatically grant Ted Kennedy a chairmanship if he switched without making sure that the switch was for real?

There's a vast difference between Ted Kennedy and Arlen Specter. Ted has always been far left and no one in their 'right' mind would believe he truly changed sides. Specter has always been a guy pretty much in the middle who just happened to have a certain party name on his name plate. It's no different today.

*EDIT* Oh, and I agree he should have been stripped of all seniority. After all, he IS the youngest Senator on that side of the aisle now.

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: Bitek
Between that and his speech explaining his actions, he's come off looking like a opportunistic turncoat.

Which is exactly what he is. The Dems are smart to be wary of his loyalty. His only true allegiance is to himself.

 

[her209]

Arlen Specter on Meet The Press last Sunday

MR. GREGORY: I want to move on, though, to the question of what it took for the Democrats to get you. What were you offered? What inducements have you been given to switch parties?

SEN. SPECTER: None.

MR. GREGORY: None.

SEN. SPECTER: None.

MR. GREGORY: You won't retain your seniority, as you move over, on, on key committees?

SEN. SPECTER: Well, that is, that is, that is true. But...

MR. GREGORY: That's not an inducement, Senator?

SEN. SPECTER: Well, no, that's an entitlement. I've earned, I've earned the seniority. I was elected in 1980. And I think that's, that's not a bribe or a gift or something extraordinary. I will be treated by the Democrats as if I'd been elected as a Democrat.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: Mursilis
The Dems are smart to be wary of his loyalty. His only true allegiance is to himself.

Agreed, it was a good move to be cautious with this guy.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Mursilis

Originally posted by: Bitek
Between that and his speech explaining his actions, he's come off looking like a opportunistic turncoat.

Which is exactly what he is. The Dems are smart to be wary of his loyalty. His only true allegiance is to himself.

hmm the media would have you think that the GOP was imploding and that is why Sphincter went to the democrats.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Mursilis

Originally posted by: Bitek
Between that and his speech explaining his actions, he's come off looking like a opportunistic turncoat.

Which is exactly what he is. The Dems are smart to be wary of his loyalty. His only true allegiance is to himself.

hmm the media would have you think that the GOP was imploding and that is why Sphincter went to the democrats.

He is a man of honor and principal just like our president, his contributions and leadership in the republican party will be greatly missed.

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: Budmantom
He is a man of honor and principal just like our president, his contributions and leadership in the republican party will be greatly missed.

I presume you are being sarcastic, but can you name one member of the GOP that would have done a better job heading the Senate Judiciary Committee than Specter did? He got a lot of people confirmed that a more partisan head would have failed at.

I like Specter (as far as you can for a self admitted ornery SOB) and respect him, but I still think the Dems made a tactical error bringing him over.

 

[dphantom]

Originally posted by: Budmantom

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Mursilis

Originally posted by: Bitek
Between that and his speech explaining his actions, he's come off looking like a opportunistic turncoat.

Which is exactly what he is. The Dems are smart to be wary of his loyalty. His only true allegiance is to himself.

hmm the media would have you think that the GOP was imploding and that is why Sphincter went to the democrats.

He is a man of honor and principal just like our president, his contributions and leadership in the republican party will be greatly missed.

:laugh:

 

[GooeyGUI]

I think he would have had some glimpse of this possibility when he made the switch. Maybe as an 80-year old he wants a less demanding job for a while. His income won't change and that's what he needs to make an honest living while he's on a semi-vacation.

But Democrats placed Specter in one of the two most junior slots on each of the five committees for the remainder of this Congress, which goes through December 2010. Democrats have suggested that they will consider revisiting Specter's seniority claim at the committee level only after the midterm elections next year.

 

[Farang]

Not a blunder at all, Toomey will walk the Republican primary and a uber-liberal will win the general. Dems want to use Specter for a health care vote and throw him out, especially when he does stupid shit like call for Norm Coleman to be seated.

 

[GooeyGUI]

Originally posted by: Farang
Not a blunder at all, Toomey will walk the Republican primary and a uber-liberal will win the general. Dems want to use Specter for a health care vote and throw him out, especially when he does stupid shit like call for Norm Coleman to be seated.

Give up Coleman!

http://despair.com/giveup.html

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: Farang
Not a blunder at all, Toomey will walk the Republican primary and a uber-liberal will win the general. Dems want to use Specter for a health care vote and throw him out, especially when he does stupid shit like call for Norm Coleman to be seated.

There's been a lot of talk about Ridge entering the race, if he does I don't think that Toomey would have a chance.

 

[Lemon law]

We somewhat have to note, Specter was not elected as a democrat. Somewhat of distinction was made on Seniority, if Specter wins his 2010 Senate election as a democrat , he may get his Seniority back, either wholly or partially.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: GooeyGUI

Originally posted by: Farang
Not a blunder at all, Toomey will walk the Republican primary and a uber-liberal will win the general. Dems want to use Specter for a health care vote and throw him out, especially when he does stupid shit like call for Norm Coleman to be seated.

Give up Coleman!

http://despair.com/giveup.html

Not to hijack but since it came up: the blame for the sleaze in theColeman issue lies not primarily with Coleman, but with the national Republican Party who are payng for his bills.

 

[racolvin]

Considering Specter was the one who came up with the single-bullet theory for the JFK assassination and the Warren Commission back in the day, I'd be perfectly happy if he got stripped of his seniority completely and had to start over from scratch.

 

[fskimospy]

Not a bad move by them at all really. They want a hammer to hold over him. Specter can't go back to the Republican Party and so the Democrats can pretty much do what they want to him. I imagine they will trade some chairmanships or whatever for his votes on a few key issues.

 

[Thump553]

My main concern is that the Dems will be running a crippled Specter in the next election-he won't be able to point to his seniority and accordant power as a reason to keep him. If a viable candidate like Ridge runs against him (as opposed to some rightwing wacko) the Dems could have trouble retaining this seat.

Maybe it's too early to tell but I'm not really seeing a clear cut benefit to the Dems by officially taking Specter in, and the governor and Obama already coming out and saying they will support him in the election.

 

[fskimospy]

Originally posted by: Thump553
My main concern is that the Dems will be running a crippled Specter in the next election-he won't be able to point to his seniority and accordant power as a reason to keep him. If a viable candidate like Ridge runs against him (as opposed to some rightwing wacko) the Dems could have trouble retaining this seat.

Maybe it's too early to tell but I'm not really seeing a clear cut benefit to the Dems by officially taking Specter in, and the governor and Obama already coming out and saying they will support him in the election.

The clear cut benefit is what I mentioned in the first thread about Specter switching. Now that he's a member of the Democratic caucus, the Democrats have means by which to push him to vote the way they want. In this case, committee assignments. I bet they can strongarm him into voting for some USSC nominations or for some legislation that he wouldn't have voted for otherwise due to this.

 

[Lemon law]

The other point to understand is that the democrats already made the committee assignments months ago, and now if they give a jonney come lately Specter
full seniority, they have to rejigger all committee assignments thereby screwing countless other more recently elected democrats.

Would that be fair?

Get a damn life, if nothing else, ole Arlan's quality of life has vastly improved, he no longer has to listen to an idiot like Mitch McConnell hector him daily about toeing the GOP party line.