Wonkette
Senator Arlen Specter, the newly minted Democrat from Pennsylvania, is officially one of the most junior members of the five Senate committees he sits on, even though he’s a million and a half years old and has spent a million of those years as a senator. The Senate voted unanimously to strip him of his 30 years of seniority accumulated as a Republican because, ha, he is not a Republican anymore.
Presumably when Specter was negotiating with Joe Biden and whoever else about becoming a TRAITOR to the Republican cause, this was a fairly big question: whether or not he’d be kicked down the ladder and treated like a freshman loser. Because Specter, you might recall, was once a pretty powerful Republican, with his whole Judiciary Committee chair and all. And he certainly believed he would retain his standing in the Senate, given that he blabbed all over Meet the Press about how of COURSE he would not have to start all over as a Democrat.
Now he chairs nothing and will be among the last to ask questions in committee hearings. This not only sucks for Specter, but also for his re-election chances, as one of his big aces in the hole with Pennsylvanians was that he was old and powerful enough to secure lots of goodies for his beloved state.
Now he is just some schmo, and, presumably, INFURIATED.
So why would the Democrats be such dicks? Coupla things: Number one, there’s no way of knowing if the people who “guaranteed” Specter continued seniority if he switched sides were actually the people who would later vote on this decision (i.e. Biden vs. Senate Democrats); number two, Specter already pissed off his new colleagues by saying he wouldn’t be “a loyal Democrat” and declaring that Republican Norm Coleman should return to the Senate; and number three, if you were a Senate Democrat sitting on a committee with Specter, would you really want to give up your own seniority so that ol’ Douchey McTurncoat could have a fancier seat at the table?
Harry Reid’s spokesperson says that the Senate may revisit this decision in the next Congress, which starts up in uh JANUARY 2011, so Specter has lots and lots of time to prove that he is in fact a “loyal Democrat” and capable of winning re-election in Pennsylvania, even though he is now one of the most powerless Democrats in the whole Senate.
(Putting aside that “sixtieth vote” thing, of course.)
Senate Democrats Deny Specter Committee Seniority [Washington Post]
Whatever. Watched some of that movie The Strangers last night - why did that suck so bad?
“I never said I’d be a loyal Democrat.”
Oh, whatever. However, I object to him being lower on the totem pole than Joe Lieberman. If they’d only demote Lieberman to an even lower position, like Senate Chamberpot Boy, I’d be content.
Snark aside, all the fucker had to do was say he’d support card check and he’d be in like Flynn. Stupid and stubborn ain’t the way to act right now.
clearly it’s an anti-christian conspiracy against the specter due to his having plastic man-boobs he neglected to photograph and post to the web. buttseks also.
Also ‘Douchey McTurncoat.’ I will never fail to be LOL amused by this comedic formulation. Fucknutz McJizzface, etc., and also.
Specter said “I never said I’d be a loyal Democrat.”
The Dems said “we never said we’d kiss your ass, turncoat”
hahaha
Specter said “I never said I’d be a loyal Democrat.”
The Dems said “We never said we’d kiss your ass, turncoat”
hahaha
I think Specter should be content with this compromise. He could become a Democrat and start on the bottom rung, or he could remain a Republican and apply for unemployment in January 2011. It’s the best of two bad options, Arlen.
Of course, I’m sure plenty of people would step forward and support you getting all the seniority you want if you’d only come clean about what the Warren Commission really found out. Tell us about Area 51, too.
This is one of those (rare) times I am glad the Senate makes its own rules. Re: filibusters, not so much.
Perhaps he could be made Senior Senate Jester and asked to come up with more jokes about Jews and Bob Dole’s erections.
Shit happens to people who think they’re “entitled.” Also.
archaeo-angel: Win.
The Dems sort of welcomed him like a rich uncle that you haven’t seen for years, but then after a couple of days you realize what a douchehat he is and you can’t wait for him to leave.
Frankly, I say dump him and get someone with some bonafide Democratic Truck Nutz in there. One Lieberman in the caucus is already one too many.
TimesUp: Not nearly often enough.
hobospacejunkie: The correct way to say this, to make your point, is: “I never said I’d be a loyal member of the Democrat Party.”
Welp, Crochety-McDINO, we don’t need another Blue Dog, nor do we need another (D) that votes like an (R), so thxbai!
Yay, Lucy, yank that football!
There is a reason Lucy was more popular than good ol’ Charlie Brown. She was a bitch, but he was a loser. Hooray for the bitches.
freakishlystrong: Aw, c’mon! Democrats don’t get their fates decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary! So why should Republicans? No fair! No fair!
WadISay: Duly noted & thank you. Also. And also.
declaring that Republican Norm Coleman should return to the Senate
Oh come on SKS, I thought we established that was a Jew joke!
I really think they should have done that to Liebernazi last year instead of Specter this year.
Don’t those years working with the Ronettes count for anything?
Remind me to never make a deal with Joe Biden.
They’re not ’stripping’ him of anything. Arlen apparently was not aware of the scientifically determined ratio whereby one year spent as a Democrat is equal to thirty years Republican. It’s simple math Mr.Spector, try to keep up.
Custerwolf: …and in the future I’ll try to remember to spell your name correctly.
Dear Arlen, If you should happen to drop dead before the next election, the whole point would be moot. Just sayin’.
jagorev: Maybe *we* established that, but certain Democrats seemed to take the remark amiss.
One would think you’d make sure you had the seniority thing nailed down before you went off the rails sounding more like Pat Toomey than Pat Toomey after becoming a Democrat.
When Susan Collins or Joe Lieberman disagrees with their party it’s probably because they actually disagree with their party. On prinicipal and shit. Arlen Spector seems to do it on reflext. You know, just to be a dick.
Nelson Point and HA HA!
Note to Arlen: Votes have consequences.
TGY: Exactly. The difference: the Democrats have stripped Specter of his seniority. Lieberman stripped himself of his humanity.
I hated Barkley back when he was a dirty little bitch on the Phoenix Suns, but came around when the Rockets added him to the roster. Not this time, Specter. I hope you get primaried out of existence and you can join your age cohort, eating mush and watching MAAAAAAAATLOCK.
The best part will be when they’re in the middle of a committee hearing, and the chairman interrupts it to tell Arlen to go fetch the can of striped paint or the left-handed monkey wrench.
Anagrams for Lieberman Spectre:
Tripe Resemblance
Permeable Cretins
Presentable Crime
Terminable Creeps
Miserable Percent
Ramble Epicenters
A Climber Pretense
A Bleeper Centrism
A Nimblest Creeper
Celebrate In Sperm
Mister Cable Preen
Cheered me up some!but Arlen probably ain’t done yet.
Custerwolf: He’s a Blue Dog now, so he should try and negotiate senority in dog years?
Y’know, if I were wanting to keep my seniority, I think I would be a LOT more anal poisony with the people who get to decide instead of going around saying “Well, sure I’m a whore, but I get to be choosy about who I service.”
What the hell, he’s just a heterosexual Joe Lieberman.
Now Arlen knows how Benedict Arnold felt after the British reneged on their promise to make him Queen.
So Arlen isn’t Mr. Progressive, but this is definitely going to make other centrist Republicans think twice about switching parties. When Republicans push ideological purity and wank on about pushing centrists away, I think “what a bunch of idiots, forcing themselves into a minority position.” It’s equally idiotic when Democrats do it.
Why are they picking on Arlen Specter (IAS suggests: “Pert Cleanser” but I prefer “Peters Lancer” or “Rectal Preens” for obvious reasons) for being a traitor? Is it the jowls? It’s the jowls. Dammit.
Good way to discourage any other Republitards from leaving the sinking ship. Wait, what?
Bowdoin: If he were smart.
Somewhere along the way, Democrats have learned how not to be push-overs. Kudos.
iburl: Celebrate In Sperm
I seriously doubt those two dribble out anything stronger than watered-down correction fluid these days. Still, it’s a noble sentiment.
i’m so cheered by this.
now he’s on double-super-secret probation
Or any other Republican centrists will think about declaring themselves disloyal Democrats who will basically vote against anything to the left of a capital gains tax cut.
Maybe he’ll learn to be a loyal democrat now and STFU.
Pwnt.
He can still cash on the Free Love, so lighten [TF] up.