I’ll admit to having a mini-obsession with the Arlen Specter party switch story. It has drama. One thing that has really shown through is Specter’s arrogant sense of entitlement. He believes he’s entitled to his Senate seat and he’ll do what it takes to keep it. He’s been rubbing loyal Democrats’s nerves raw with some of his proclamations.
On Meet the Press Sunday:
I did not say I am a loyal Democrat.
On Norm Coleman, in an interview with the NYT:
Question: With your departure from the Republican Party, there are no more Jewish Republicans in the Senate. Do you care about that?
Specter: I sure do. There’s still time for the Minnesota courts to do justice and declare Norm Coleman the winner.
When he was asked again by Congressional Quarterly:
“In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates,” he said. “I’m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I’ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke.”
Asked who he’s backing now in elections, Specter said, “I’m looking for more Democratic members. Nothing personal.”
Oopsie!
In that Meet the Press interview, Specter said this about his seniority when David Gregory asked if keeping his seniority was an enducement for the switch:
“No, that’s an entitlement,” Specter responded. “I’ve earned that seniority.”
Well, not so much. I guess the Democratic caucus found their backbone (from The Washington Post):
In a unanimous voice vote, the Senate approved a resolution that added Specter to the Democratic side of the dais on the five committees on which he serves, an expected move that gives Democrats larger margins on key panels such as Judiciary and Appropriations.
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.
…
Tonight’s committee resolution, quickly read on the Senate floor by Reid himself, contradicts Specter’s assertion last Tuesday when he publicly announced his move from the Republican side of the aisle. He told reporters that he retained his seniority both in the overall chamber and in the committees on which he serves. Specter said that becoming chairman of the Appropriations Committee was a personal goal of his, one that would be within reach if he were granted his seniority on the panel and placed as the third-most senior Democrat there.
Specter would have also been 2nd in seniority on the Judicial Committee if allowed to keep his seniority.
I guess Arlen should have gotten that agreement before the switch.