Sen. Specter plans to seek 6th term

[maddezmom]

Source: Associated Press

By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer
Mon Mar 19, 10:03 PM ET



WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), a moderate who has often clashed with the Bush administration and his fellow GOP lawmakers, said Monday he plans to seek a sixth term in 2010. "There are a lot of important things to be done and finally after being here to acquire some seniority, I'm in a position to do that," said Specter, 77. "I'm full of energy and my wife doesn't want me home for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Specter said he has fundraisers planned, including a large one April 4 in Philadelphia.

"It's an enormous task, and that's why I'm starting early," said Specter, noting that he spent $23 million in his 2004 race.

A former Philadelphia prosecutor dubbed "Snarlin' Arlen," Specter has never shied from controversial issues.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070320/ap_on_el_se/specter_senate

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Never forget his role in the reauthorization of the Patriot Act

WALLACE: Senator, do you think that the administration used its emergency powers under the Patriot Act to get around sending at least some of the replacements for these U.S. attorneys to the Senate for confirmation? And if so, was that appropriate?

SPECTER: I don't think they did. The provision in the Patriot Act which expanded the attorney general's power was not noticed by anybody, and it was in the conference report for some three months.

It was only when it was put into effect and we saw its harmful application that we saw it was a bad change in law, and Senator Feinstein took the lead, and I have co-sponsored her legislation to change that back.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,259448,00.html

Did Specter Give WH Power to Replace Prosecutors?
By Paul Kiel - January 17, 2007, 11:48 AM
In order to replace several U.S. Attorneys with handpicked successors, the Bush Administration has relied on a tiny, obscure provision tucked into last year's USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act.

How did it get there?

Former Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) slipped the language into the bill at the very last minute, according to one of the Republican managers of the bill.

A spokesperson for Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), who led the House team working on the bill, said that the provision was inserted by Specter into the final draft of the bill. The language was apparently requested by the Justice Department. Specter's office didn't respond to numerous requests for comment.

Earlier versions of the bill did not contain the provision, which grants authority to the Attorney General to replace U.S. Attorneys without Senate approval. When the House and the Senate first voted in favor of the legislation, the provision did not exist.


more:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002354.php

[pokercat999]

1. Retire already ya fuck let someone else have a chance to

steal from us.

[Demeter]

2. Specter's Next Term Should Be In Federal Penitentiary

And it should say "Role in the reauthorization of Patriot Act", not roll. He's making policy, not dough!

[Eurobabe]

6. LMFAO!!

I know I shouldn't be laughing. But you really made me howl with this one!! :7

[cali]

3. He'll be 80 in 2010

He'll have served for 30 years. Time to retire, snarlin'.

[Ian David]

4. Someone needs to do a FOIA Request on constituent communications...

Specter received asking him not to sign The Patriot Act because it contained the provision to replace prosecutors.

Anyone want to bet he recveived dozens of emails complaining about the prosecutors provision before he "un-knowingly" endorsed The Patriot Act?

FOI Letter Generator :
http://www.rcfp.org/foi_letter/generate.php

[salin]

5. A moderate who has (publically) clashed with bush (but always caved in

to bush) is how that line should read.

[John1956PA]

7. I believe, he said, when he ran for reelection in 1998, that race would be his last.

He got sympathy from the PA voters in 1998 because he had survived brain surgery and because seemed likable. It was that likability factor which he tried to capitalize on during his brief run for the presidential nomination in 1996.

Despite saying that his 1998 reelection campaign would be his last, he decided to run again for the senate in 2004. His opponent in the primary was a right-winger named Toomey. Despite help which Specter received from Santorum and * on the campaign trail, Toomey still made it a tight race, which shows the strength of the right-wing base in PA.

In the 2004 senatorial general election, Specter defeated Joe Hoefel, a progressive Democrat, by about five percentage points.

Pennsylvania has a tradition of electing Repub senators. I hope a progressive Democrat wins the seat in 2010.

[Reggie]

10. Actually.....

In 2004 the totals were
Specter 53%
Hoeffel 42%
Clymer 4% (Constitution Party)

And Clymer took votes from Specter, not Hoeffel.

Specter is very strong in the populous SE PA and Philadelphia, where many Dems still cross over and vote for him. He went to college here (U of P) lives here (his wife was on City Council) and every Monday morning calls in to the local Sports Radio show to talk about the Phillies and Eagles. I think he'll still be tough to beat in 2010, and we need a better candidate than Hoeffel.

ETA: During his tenure he has saved many thousands of Defense jobs in the area, once (and still to a degree) the bread and butter of the area. Some of you would perhaps be surprised at how many Democrats work in the Defense industry and cross-over vote on issues like protecting their jobs. They could care less about US Attorneys.

[John1956PA]

11. Welcome to DU, Reggie!

You made a good catch regarding the margin in the 2004 PA senatorial race.

Being from western PA and being unaware of the details of Specter's popularity in the eastern part of the state, I appreciate your taking time to post a few of those details.

[Demit]

8. Feh. We'll be ready for him this time.

If he's not just blowing smoke, if this isn't really just a look-how-vigorous-I-am! attempt to be relevant, and he really means it, we'll be ready for the charlatan. Give it up, Arlen. Your legacy is only going to be the Magic Single Bullet Theory anyway.

[MiniMe]

9. Bet its pressure from the RNC, they think that if Specter runs they will hold the seat

The Repukes have a lot of republican seats up in 2008, they can't afford to lose any.