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The Spectacle Blog
Former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter passed away today after a long battle with cancer. He was 82.
Born in Kansas, his family eventually settled in Philadelphia. After serving in the Korean War, Specter attended Yale Law School graduating in 1956.
Specter first attracted attention as an attorney for the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy. He was partially responsible for devising the “single bullet theory”.
After a lengthy stint as Philadelphia’s District Attorney, Specter sought the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate in 1976 but was bested by John Heinz. Four years later, however, he garned the GOP nomination and rode the Reagan wave into office in November 1980.
Specter was at odds with more conservative members of his party for much of his tenure. He played a significant role in thwarting Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court. However, he strongly defended Clarence Thomas and was particularly sharp in his questioning of Anita Hill during Thomas’ confirmation hearings. He also clashed with President Bush concerning Supreme Court nominees and other matters although when Specter was challenged in the 2004 GOP primary by Pat Toomey, he strongly backed Specter. After his re-election, Specter saw to it that both the nominations of Samuel Alito and John Roberts were confirmed in his role as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
However, Republican patience with Specter wore thin when he supported President Obama’s Stimulus Bill. Pat Toomey once again announced he would challenge Specter in the 2010 GOP primary. Realizing he would not prevail, Specter switched back to the Democratic Party (he started out as a Democrat). However, he would be successfully challenged for the Democratic nomination by Congressman Joe Sestak (who subsequently was defeated by Toomey in the 2010 mid-terms). This ended Specter’s three decade long tenure in the U.S. Senate.
Specter was amongst the few Jewish Republicans in Congress and for many years was the lone Jewish Republican in Congress.
View all comments (19) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/10/14/arlen-specter-rip
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Oldefarte| 10.14.12 @ 2:19PM
Although I did not agree with his politics mostly, I am saddened by his death. As said, may he rest in peace!!!!!
chuck| 10.15.12 @ 9:05PM
He was vote number 60 for Obamacare.
R.I.P.??????
If this Obamacare is not repealed, how many deaths can be laid at the feet of this POS, and the rest of the Democrat Senators?
JmsA| 10.14.12 @ 2:51PM
Rest in Peace, Mr. Spector.
JmsA| 10.14.12 @ 6:43PM
Apologies: Rest in Peace, Mr. Specter.
Marc Epstein| 10.14.12 @ 3:00PM
Both Warren Rudman and Rudy Boschwitz were Republicans and Jewish. They served alongside Specter.
Aaron Goldstein| 10.14.12 @ 4:40PM
You are correct. I have amended the post accordingly. Thank you.
Occam's Tool| 10.15.12 @ 12:12PM
And Norman Coleman.
CJW| 10.14.12 @ 3:10PM
RIP.
Specter did one great job, he led the fight to confirm Justice Thomas, and during the debate he told Teddy the Swimmer, "If you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you." Teddy slunk away, quietly.
JonH| 10.15.12 @ 12:12AM
John Heinz was originally elected to the U.S. Senate in 1976, not 1978. He served until he died in a plane crash in 1991.
Quartermaster| 10.15.12 @ 7:57AM
I think it is very unlikely Snarlin'Arlen would have come to the defense of Thomas if he had not been seriously burned over the Bork matter. There isn't much difference between the judicial philosophy of Thomas and Bork.
The only people that will remember Specter fondly are probably among the GOP establishment and the Democrats. The death of a man is sad, but his political death was something to be devoutly hoped for.
Bob K| 10.15.12 @ 8:48AM
He didn't get the nickname "Snarlin' Arlen" without earning it. Perhaps the most curious and misleading editorial about him is from the Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call. "Loss of political civility was Specter's lament."
In his last speech on the Senate floor which he described as his "closing argument" he "descried a loss of civility among his colleagues" and............ "delivered a stinging evaluation of his colleagues and their partisanship."
This about a guy who was well known for his own incivility and personal nastiness, especially to people who worked for him.
The favorable columns he is receiving now from papers throughout PA is just more evidence that the press will reward those who suck up to them.
He was a major figure in the US Senate for 30 years, entering it in the Reagan landslide and his years thereafter correspond with America's economic decline from the greatness it achieved then.
He started as a Reagan Republican and ended as an Obama Democrat! That says it all!
Seek| 10.15.12 @ 1:11PM
About a decade ago, a local Washington magazine published the results of the nastiest, most abusive members of Congress to work for. At or near the top of the list was Arlen Specter. Annual staff turnover was sky high -- he managed to alienate almost everyone who worked for him. He was pretty decent as a senator, right on the issues about two-thirds of the time. But "Snarlin' Arlen," as he was known, was a nightmare as a boss.
Last year there was a witty movie comedy called "Horrible Bosses." If one day there is a Capitol Hill sequel, Specter could serve as a role model.
Hey, maybe he "mellowed." Stranger things have happened. R.I.P.
John Navratil| 10.15.12 @ 10:45AM
Quartermaster,
I second the sentiment. One can respect and mourn the passing of a human life while holding his political life in disdain. The Republican's loss was the Conservative's gain.
Rich D| 10.15.12 @ 10:26AM
I can't forgive what he did to Judge Bork.
Occam's Tool| 10.15.12 @ 12:13PM
He will not be missed. Dog wouldn't hunt.
Crassus| 10.15.12 @ 1:38PM
I won't miss the man who looked like Al Bundy and talked like Edward G. Robinson one damn bit. He was that rare bird who managed to antagonize and alienate both sides of the political spectrum. He had no friends in Washington on either side of the aisle and deservedly so. Specter was just a nasty and pathetic human being.
Third Army| 10.15.12 @ 4:24PM
I have no sadness at all about his passing. He had his mouth down in the public trough for years and was nasty as they come. He did help out Justice Thomas, but he was cowardly when it came to Judge Bork. This guy did not accomplish very much and is a good example why there should be term limits in the Senate.
Rich Rostrom| 10.15.12 @ 10:20PM
Specter served from 1981 to 2011.
During that time, his Jewish Republican colleagues in Congress included:
Representative Benjamin Gilman (R-NY, 1973-2003)
Senator Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN, 1978-1991)
Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH, 1980-1993)
Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA, 2001- )
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN, 2003-2009)
So Specter was never "the lone Jewish Republican in Congress" at all, much less "for many years".