Reid backs down, now says Specter’s seniority will depend on Dem 'pals'

[babylonsister]

Reid: Specter’s seniority will depend on Dem 'pals'
By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 05/01/09 12:15 PM


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) predicted Friday that a deal can be worked out to prevent Sen. Arlen Specter from bumping a Senate Democrat from the chairmanship of a powerful committee or subcommittee next year.

Specter, the Pennsylvania lawmaker who abandoned the Republican Party this week to become a Democrat, has set his sights on chairing the Appropriations Committee someday. He could also take over the Judiciary Committee if current chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) takes the Appropriations gavel.

Specter says that Reid has promised to let him keep the seniority he accrued as a Republican since first winning election to the Senate in 1980. This would make Specter senior to all but a few Democrats when the Senate is scheduled to next organize committee assignments. (Panel positions for the 112th Congress will be decided after the 2010 election.)

But several senior Democrats have pushed back strongly against Reid’s deal with Specter, which was negotiated in secret.

Under pressure, Reid now says it will be up to the Democratic caucus to determine whether to recognize Specter’s 28 1/2 years of seniority.

Furthermore, Reid now does not think Specter will displace any senior Democrat atop a coveted committee or subcommittee.

Reid acknowledged Friday that the question of Specter’s seniority will be up for the entire Democratic caucus to decide, not him alone as leader.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/reid-specters-seniority-will-depend-on-dem-pals-2009-05-01.html

[monmouth]

1. I wish Harry would follow Justice Souter out the door...sigh...n/t

[villager]

2. you used the redundant phrase "Reid backs down..."

The very mention of his name implies the act of backing down...

[tularetom]

3. Spine like a slinky

[crimsonblue]

4. get rid of Reid..

I seriously hope he loses his bid for re-election. I am not ashamed to say that I will donate money to his republican opponent, because having Reid as our Majority leader is far worse for the health of our country than having 1 more republican in the senate.

[Lasher]

5. Specter shouldn't expect to suddenly become one of the most senior Democratic senators,

and continue to vote like a Republican. Let's see how the toes the Democratic party line over the next year and a half. Not very well, I'll predict.

[DJ13]

6. The Majority Leader enjoys a day at the beach

[backscatter712]

7. Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad Reid's being such a jellyfish today.

Don't mistake this for actual respect for that wuss...

Contrary to popular belief, Reid does have fangs, but he only uses them against fellow Democrats. Like when Chris Dodd put a hold on FISA last year, and Reid threatened to force him to do an actual filibuster, for example...

But it doesn't look like that's the case today. And I'm glad, because NO, Spector shouldn't get to chair a big committee - those chairs go to Democrats who earn them, and Spector hasn't spent enough time in the Democratic party to do that.

I'd be insanely fucking pissed if Spector took Leahy's chair of Judiciary. Fuck that!

[Enrique]

8. Reid punks Specter

what's Specter gonna do about it, switch back? :toast:

[Metta]

9. Spector is a lying, self serving pos, imho. And Reed will do anything to betray America to thugs.

I hope the D caucus is the writing on the wall for Reed.

[gratuitous]

10. I'm rather glad Reid folded faster than Superman on laundry day

For a change, it works in the caucus' favor. Senator Grandstand has 28½ years' seniority as a Republican. That shouldn't cut any ice with the Democratic caucus. I propose giving Specter proportional seniority for every vote he cast with the majority of Democrats over the course of his tenure in the Senate, with a penalty of one vote for each vote he made a public pronouncement of support in favor of the Democratic position, but then backtracked when the matter came up for a vote.

Example: Say he's cast 100 Senate votes. Of these, he voted with the Democrats, pass or fail on the legislation, 30 times. Specter would be eligible for 30% seniority based on his 28½ years, or 8.55 years. Now, we take away one vote for every time he made some brave public pronouncement about how he had to stick with his principles and break with Republicans, but then voted with the Republicans after all. Let's say there were, oh, conservatively estimated at 40 votes that fit that category.

Under this equation, if Specter is re-elected twice more as a Democrat, he has a chance to actually start accruing some Senate seniority. Back of the bus, Arlen!