Senate Dem Staffer: "Senator Specter Has Not Helped Himself" With Recent Actions
So how exactly did Arlen Specter manage to be the hero of the Democratic Party on Tuesday of last week, the day that he switched, only to end up losing his seniority seven days later? And can he earn it back?
Here's what a Senate Democratic staffer told us: "Senator Specter has not helped himself recently with some of his recent actions. But he has a year and half to try to make the case to the rest of the caucus."
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
The more this goes on the more all I can think of is this ps2 strategy game where one of your menu items involved convincing the enemy to switch sides...
Specter doesn't seem to be giving the Democrats a lot, but the Democrats don't seem to be giving a lot back either-- Specter seems to be blowing up his career and all he's getting in return is promises of institutional support in one primary, from institutions that may not be the thing that decide primary elections at this point anyway.
May 6, 2009 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Last week, the Democrats were giving Specter EVERYTHING. The president, veep, PA governor, majority leader, majority whip gave him a big welcome, said they'd fundraise and campaign for him.
Then the loyal Specterite poked his finger in their eyes saying he's not a loyal Democrat, he's entitled to seniority, he won't vote for clocture on ECFA, won't support a public option for healthcare, voted against the budget and the bankruptcy bill.
He forgot where he was and got ahead of himself. For 30 years, the Republicans couldn't do anything to him because he was so senior and kept winning elections. It's a whole new ball game on the other side of the aisle. Specter needs the Dems a lot more than the Dems need him.
May 6, 2009 6:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Congressional Matters" (part of Kos, and an excellent blog for what's happening in Congress) picks this up from CQ: "Under the two organizing resolutions — one for the majority (SR 130) and one for the minority (SR 131) — approved Tuesday evening, no additional GOP members will be added to the five panels, and Specter will simply be counted as a Democrat rather than a Republican.
That approach will give Democrats a six-member edge, rather than four, on Appropriations; their margin on Judiciary, Environment and Public Works, Veterans’ Affairs and Special Aging grows from three to five members on each committee."
May 6, 2009 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's 79. You have to wonder...
May 6, 2009 7:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's right. That's what we're dealing with here.
May 6, 2009 7:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
The short-term memory is first to go. Specter keeps forgetting that Obama is president and only remembers the 8 years prior, when Democrats would roll over and do whatever a Republican asked.
May 6, 2009 7:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Arlen "Magic Bullet" Specter?
Nope: R-E-T-I-R-E.
He really is scum, just like his buddies Lieberman, McCain, et al.
May 6, 2009 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Meh. I have to say the Specter spectacle isn't all that spectacular for this spectator.
May 6, 2009 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, your just calling it like you see it!
May 6, 2009 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or, alternatively, "you're" just calling it like you see it!
May 6, 2009 8:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Only while wearing my spectacles, of course!
May 7, 2009 12:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Waits for answerfrog to come in and tell us that staffer doesn't know what he's talking about.
May 6, 2009 9:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can you talk about a 79 year old man having a career to blow? He has already had a way longer career than most people - he's more than a decade past normal retirement age.
This is what I find so bizarre- at his age, he cares so much about spending another six years in the Senate that he will do anything to get reelected. Spare us a six year geriatric ego trip, please!
May 6, 2009 10:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
In my opinion, with his health history, he needs to stay on for the health insurance .... that can turn out to be a million dollar reason!
May 7, 2009 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Eric needs to make a separate blog for this -TPMSpectorloathing. Maybe he can cherry pick a few more quotes to support his thesis. Then we can all growl and snarl at the daily outrages.
May 7, 2009 9:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
This soap opera is going to go on for some time, but it's really no news news. Put simply, Specter is, effectively, on probation for the next two years. If he behaves himself, he'll get party support in 2010. If not...sayonara.
May 7, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink