Respect is earned, not demanded.

I think Arlen may be going a little senile if he placed his trust in the likes of Reid who has yet to show any real leadership. OTOH, Reid may be showing how crafty he actually is by keeping Specter dangling until his true stripes come out (e.g.: his Coleman statement to the NYT). I can't tell which is true, crafty leader or non-leader.

Ugh. I'm one of those people who has been willing to give Specter the benefit of the doubt. When I read the story about his support for Norm Coleman and then read the actual quote, I thought for sure that he was joking and argued so here. Now it's become clear that he wasn't joking (or at least the reporter didn't think so) and it seems to me now that losing seniority is the least that he deserves. Give him a few more months to drive his foot further into his mouth and Sestak could roll him over.

Dear Arlen,

If you have any hope at all of getting your seniority back, you must become a loyal Democrat on every big issue.

Of course, that will require some major flipflopping, but you have already proven that you're great at that.

All the best,

Rich

Wait a second ... Harry Reid did something right? On purpose?

He'll get them back, and here's why (I think, anyway).
The administration has a very real reason to treat Arlen Specter nicely and with respect.

(I posted this at Eunomia, regarding Specter and Moderates in the the Republican party):

Larison said: ... perhaps forcing Specter to jump ship before the primary is all part of a cunning grand strategy to make the Democrats run a badly flawed candidate in a race they would otherwise almost be sure to win.

I personally thing there is a long term “grand strategy” but it’s not the Republicans, it's from the Democrats.
I think the real play is for the ladies of the north, Collins and Snowe.

I think that grabbing Specter was a precursor to those two doing the same thing, and jumping ship, and saying they are forced out as the party turns harder right, and purges the moderates (which will have more than a grain of truth to it). Remember, they have TREMENDOUS popularity in their state, and don’t need to switch in the face of primary challenges.
So getting them to switch (and I think they’d go as a pair) would give a huge boost to the administration. It’ll take awhile, but look for it.

The Democrats took this bet (bringing him aboard) and now have the chance to portray Specter as the irascible old uncle, and prove to everyone out there that see, the Democratic party can handle internal dissent, and accept it, while the Republicans simply purges moderates and call them traitors.

That gives the super majority and then some to the Democrats, reinforces the irrelevance of Republicans, and in 2010 they go up a seat or more.

Then the arguments are between moderate Dems and the progressive wing of the Democratic party… with the Republicans waving their hands and going to tea-parties, and shouting socialism, or fascism, or communism or whatever.
So Specter could be a huge game changer, IMHO.
And cherchez les femmes.

To that I would add:
Snowe and Collins both have voting records in the 40's.
No way is that acceptable to the base.
While they don't have primary challengers at this point, they just might feel that to get something done and to look into getting positions of power after the next presidential election cycle (assuming we don't blow it by then) I see them moving over.

Think of it: A large wing of very conservative democrats arguing with the progressive wing, but all caucusing together.
They, and Ben Nelson, Specter, Casey, Liberman, along with the blue dog's in the house could wield some very considerable power, particularly if Obama stays 8 years.

This makes the party look and be more robust and appealing to independents, mollifies fiscally conservative social liberals, and may very well be the force that makes the president really try to tackle the huge debt we're taking on after we get out of the mess we are in right now.
Attacking the debt alone takes away one of the only qualms that many independents and moderates have with him and could put the Democratic party in solid shape for a generation.
Dare to dream!
So keep the long game in sight.