Specter is Stripped of Seniority. Didn't take long for that honeymoon to end lol
By Taskr36
@Taskr36 (13963)
United States
May 6, 2009 12:56pm CST
Senators have unanimously voted to strip him of his seniority affecting his position on several committees. He now ranks at the bottom of the Senate Judiciary committee and more importantly, at the bottom of the Senate Appropriations Committee where the money is doled out.
"Specter has been citing his seniority on the Appropriations Committee as he hits the campaign trail as a Democrat.
"My senior position on appropriations has enabled me to bring a lot of jobs and a lot of federal funding to this state," Specter said at a town hall meeting on Monday.
Over and over, he made a point of telling an auditorium filled with medical faculty and staff about the hundreds of millions of dollars he delivered to the Keystone State, thanks to the power he's accumulated in his 29 years in the Senate.
"Pennsylvania has a big interest in my seniority, a big interest," he said.
A day later, the Senate has stripped him of that seniority. The resolution, which set out committee assignments for the entire Senate, was approved on a unanimous voice vote."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/06/senate-strips-specter-of-seniority-after-party-switch/
Wow, that's gotta hurt.
1 person likes this
3 responses
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 May 09
I was a bit disturbed by how he claimed to David Gregory that his seniority was an entitlement. If he were allowed to retain his seniority as though he'd been elected as a Democrat in 1980 he'd go ahead of something like all but 4 or 5 Democrats and get chairmanships - and "bragging rights" - that would have gone to them.
When the announcement first came last week about his switch I was thinking he may not have much of a problem in PA but I'm not so sure anymore. If he gets challenged in the primary and it's a good candidate he may not make it to the general. Our primaries don't usually get a very big turnout in a non-Presidential year so it's hard to say.
Annie
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
7 May 09
Well I'm not sure what the typical rule is when a senator switches parties in the middle of his term. I know that when Jeffords changed to independent he kept his status including seniority on committees when he caucused with democrats.
It seems that there are democrats ready to challenge him now. The big question is who will the democrats back in this election and will democratic voters want a real democrat, or an independent with a "D" next to his name? As you said, during non-presidential elections voter turnout is typically low. Most people don't even know who their senators are, much less take the time to vote for them.
1 person likes this
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
6 May 09
He got just what he deserved.
He once betrayed the democrats to become republican for personal gain, and now he betrayed the republicans for the same reason... just to try and save his political hide.
The democrats are simply counting seats, but they know Spector to be undependable.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
6 May 09
That's why they said this:
"Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Manley said the seniority issue will be revisited after the 2010 elections."
Translation: If he's a good boy and does what we tell him he'll get a cookie. They're trying to make sure he understand that democrats don't tolerate independent thought the way republicans do.
