President Obama praised late Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) today as “fiercely independent – never putting party or ideology ahead of the people he was chosen to serve.”
Specter, who had battled cancer over the years, died at age 82 at his home in Philadelphia.
“When he announced that his cancer had returned in 2005, Arlen said, ‘I have beaten a brain tumor, bypass heart surgery and many tough political opponents and I’m going to beat this, too,’” Obama said in a statement. “Arlen fought that battle for seven more years with the same resolve he used to fight for stem-cell research funding, veterans health, and countless other issues that will continue to change lives for years to come. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Joan and the rest of the Specter family.”
First elected to the Senate in 1981, Specter switched from the GOP to the Democratic Party in 2009. The gamble didn’t work and he lost the Democratic primary to Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) in 2010. Sestak would go on to lose to Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).
“A man of sharp intelligence and dogged determination, Sen. Specter dedicated his life to public service and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Sen. Toomey said in a statement. “His impact on our state and public policy will not be forgotten. My wife Kris and I send our thoughts and prayers to Joan and the entire Specter family.”
“I am deeply saddened to learn that my friend Arlen Specter has passed away. My thoughts and prayers are with his family,” tweeted Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Specter “was always passionate, but always easy to work with.”
“Throughout his life, Senator Specter fought and won many battles, but this was one he could not win,” Reid said. “America is better today because of Arlen Specter. He will be dearly missed.”
“Arlen Specter – a dear friend who served his state and nation with honor and distinction. RIP,” tweeted Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
However, not all reaction to Specter’s death was congenial.
“Specter just switched to the Dead Party,” tweeted Ann Coulter.
Road apples…Specter always put his own political well being ahead of both party….either Dem or Rep….and country….he was too unprincipled to do anything else
You took the words out of my mouth.
Unwept, unsorrowed, and unsung…
By now he’s probably switched caskets once already…
I agree. Specter never let any party matters get in his way to personalo recognition.
When I think of Arlen Specter I think of Katy Abram.
I think most normal, right thinking people know and accept their litations. As Kenny Rogers said, they “know when to fold ‘em”. I believe this is from an instinctual understanding of life and our limited, indiviual roles in the big picture. Men like Specter had no such limitations. Specter possessed a weird sort of image of himself whereby he would have done anything, and I mean anything, to keep his power, even into his 80′s. At 80 years of age instead of just sensing the wind and saying to himself, “I had a terrific run, maybe it’s time to put it all away and enjoy my family in my remaining years”, he instead dug down, changed parties, and did and said anything he thought he needed to say and do to keep power. For Specter, it was never about his constituients. I was about him and only him. I’m not joyous at his passing, but neither do I care. I think many of my fellow Americans feel the same way. “Oh, Arlen Specter passed? Hmmm, who’s playing in the Sunday evening football game?”
Well said. My sentiments exactly.
Well said Lovelyearth.
Specter possessed a weird sort of image of himself”
All 535 elected to Congress do. There’s a mirror maker who supplies all their mirrors. What’s so special about their mirrors? Whenever they look into them, they see a future president, a great leader who will go down in history for public acclaim and wry jokes that everyone thinks witty. They are never very far from their mirrors; they eat with them, sleep with them, etc.
The sad truth is, none of them is fit to be president. Ever! Specter was one of the worst.
Alan Spector has past,RIP, but Lindsey Graham is about to take his place, WTF?
ohh…,THAT Spector! Was thinking of Phil…
When I think of Arlen Specter, I think .. who the hell would name his kid Arlen?
R.I.P.
I did not respect Specter but Ann Coulter needs to STFU. He has passed and deserves the respect any of us would want as we face our maker….
Oh, I absolutely agree. I think we should all give the Arlen the respect in death he would have given us in life.
Oh, wait, that was what Ann did.
Hear! Hear!!
I agree.
Gloating, taking pleasure, or making fun of the death of an opposition political figure is what the Left does all the time.
Let’s not emulate them.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is non-partisan.
You speakum plenty truth, Kemosabe. Let us not behave like the dogs on the Left.
Rest with the angels, Arlen.
I’m thinking he more likely resting in the 8th circle, Bolgia 5.
Dante FTW!
Are you trying to win the Peggy nOONAN SCHOOLMARM RINO PRIZE FOR POINTLESS CIVILITY?I,for one couldn’t be more delighted;let’s gloat,because of this MF’s support for,Obama care may let me,and others die one day,therefore:no mercy,furthermore,I hope the treacherous SOB lingered in great pain before he croaked!
Lighten up, Francis.
It may make you feel better, but it doesn’t make you better.
Let go of the rage and hatred. You may be right, but it doesn’t help to be angry and full of righteous anger.
Let it go.
Win this November, make the world better.
I take it back ,Joey Sin 54 doesn’t win the Peggy Noonan rino-precious award for,unrequited civility,you do!
WOW! A flurry of dazzling, yet incomprehensible garble and punctuation. Lay off the Robitussin DAC…
Dazzled by”incomprehensible garble”? Who are you a Biden voter?
But it’s ok. for that POS schultz to call women sluts and the C word.
People like Arlen Spector are what is wrong with American politics. He was a perfect argument for terml limits, we need to get rid of all of these self serving bastards. There are too many examples to count, but the Clinton,s and Joe Biden are more examples of the type. How much more can the republic take, with out going under?
Yeah, well, he’s gone now.
and he lost in a Democratic Primary!
he failed.
may God have mercy on his soul.
is there is infinite mercy on the soul’s of those who support abortion?
good luck, mr specter
He was a perfect argument for term limits
And for repealing the 17th Amendment.
“A man of sharp intelligence…”
Yes…it took great intelligence to come up with the “single bullet theory”. He pulled the wool over the public’s eyes ever since that day.
Sorry to state, but it’s a fact, not a theory, and Specter didn’t come up with it. The U.S. Army Wound Ballistics Laboratory did.
The bullet’s course makes sense when you look at the angle of the street, and the fact that the seats in the car were not on the same level. JFK’s seat was slightly above Gov. Connally’s, and a bit to the right of it. As such, the bullet, coming in at a downward angle, went through JFK’s throat, not his back, exited tumbling (very typical of long, narrow projectiles in this situation), hit Connally going almost sideways, glanced downward as it exited his body, and finally hit him in the wrist because his half-raised arm was in the right place.
The only major mistake that the Warren Commission made was concluding that CE 399, the so-called “magic bullet”, found on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital, was the bullet that did all of the above. In fact, that slug was most likely the one that hit JFK between the shoulder blades, and probably ended up on the stretcher by working out of his back during external heart massage.
Its state indicated that it was the result of a “short charge”, i.e. a round whose powder had not fully burned. (The ammunition Oswald used had been made in 1944, and was from a lot rejected for issue to Italian Co-Belligerent Forces by the U.S. Army due to irregular performance- meaning, too many duds and “short charges”.) The actual “single bullet” was more likely the one found in fragments in the front right footwell of the limousine. The fact that it went though two mens’ bodies before breaking up does illustrate its tensile strength, considering the tremendous stresses it was subjected to in its trajectory.
By the way, U.S. Army and Navy surgeons at forward hospitals in North Africa and the Pacific during World War Two saw multiple hits like this very frequently. Caused by the same 6.5mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifle rounds that Oswald used, and its ballistic twin, the Japanese 6.5mm Arisaka round. Marines in the Pacific were strongly warned not to get too close to each other in undergrowth, to prevent just such multiple casualties. The two 6.5mm rounds were noted for high penetration and the unpredictable paths they followed through the body cavity, both due to their unusually high length-to-diameter ratio. In short, military doctors hated the damn things.
The only people who were surprised by the “single bullet theory” were people who either don’t know much about real-world ballistics, or who hadn’t seen the same thing during the war. It didn’t surprise an uncle of mine a bit. He’d seen the same thing in North Africa. Years later, one of my criminology profs, a Marine veteran of the Pacific campaign, confirmed that such behavior was entirely normal for the Japanese 6.5mm round as well.
There are a lot of criticisms that can be leveled at the Warren Commission. But this isn’t one of them. Nor is their conclusion that Oswald worked alone, and was just a disgruntled wannabee Communist who decided to “get back” at two men he had developed a personal hatred for due to their not being Communists. Not to mention JFK humiliating his “heroes”, Khrushchev and Castro, a year before, and Connally calling the man who attempted to murder General Walker “scum” on TV. (Oswald was the shooter on that one, too.)
I reserve my main irritation for all those enlightened progressive types who still try to blame the CIA, LBJ, GOP, Mafia, etc., for JFK’s death. To avoid admitting that it was a dingbat devotee of their own philosophy who pulled the trigger. They have used JFK as a martyr to justify their own outrages for half a century.
Hang it up, guys. You look like a pack of fools.
clear ether
eon
I have no intentions of rehashing the entire Warren Report with you but you are wrong. The U.S. Army Wound Ballistics Laboratory simply stated that ” that those wounds (Connally’s wrist and thigh wounds) were “not caused by a pristine bullet,” and therefore bullet CE 399 “could have caused all his wounds.
Specter authored the theory and unfortunately, it wasn’t the only instance of failure on the commission’s part.
They say not to speak ill of the dead…but Specter’s sordid reputation was well earned, and it got worse as he aged. Specter’s behavior during the Bork discussion for SCOTUS was abhorrent, dishonest and shameful.
Unprincipled, self-serving and a fraud. Specter knows that now.
He deserves the respect he gave to us in his lifetime: none. Lying power-hungry unprincipled Id. Kinda like Biden, but without a modicum of likeability. Arlen, I hope you meet your judgement in the aftermath.
Joe’s got likability?
Who knew?
Well he is kinda likable in a rascally sorta way.
Unlike Specter when he was alive.
I can like him now…
My mother always practiced what she preached – and she preached that should you be unable to say anything good about someone just don’t say anything about them.
I try Mom!
Whenever a Republican incumbent loses a primary to a more conservative rival, the meme is that there is no room in the party for centrists. Both Specter and Lieberman were defeated in their primaries by more liberal rivals but I have yet to here the meme that there is no room in the Democrat Party for centrists. While there are still plenty of liberals in the Republican Party, the conservative wing of the Democrat Party is moribund and not a word on the subject is mentioned by the media.
Since when is describing the truth about a small minded man to be considered speaking ill of the dead. He stabbed us so many times in the back it wasn’t even a surprise any more when he did it.
I won’t claim to be happy he’s dead, I can honestly say I don’t care. I will say his memory should be relegated to a sad footnote in history describing a man who was not to be trusted when the going got tough.
Kind of like Chief Betrayer John Roberts….
Speak no ill of the dead.
I met his brother once.
He was from Russell, KS. Bob Dole was Senate Minority leader and I was struck by the fact that a very small town in Kansas had 2% of the nation’s Senators.
Just odd.
I believed he loved his country, did what he thought was best, was human and made errors.
May he rest in peace.
Arlen Spector… always on the same side, his own. Self-serving turncoat, a toadie.
I never could quite consider Specter a traitor. After all, he had started his political career as Democrat, becoming a Republican ticket only to defeat his boss, the Distinct Attorney for Philadelphia. Forty four years later he again became a Democrat because for Specter party membership had pretty much always been a matter of career convenience.
Specter’s career had some very good moments. As Philadelphia DA Specter took on corruption in the local Teamsters. His office also handled the prosecution of the assassins of the insurgent candidate for head of the UMWA Jock Yablonksi and his family when venue was moved from western Pennsylvania. During the Clarence Thomas hearings Senator Specter smelled a rat in Anita Hill, a woman whose career path had been to ever less prestigious legal jobs until Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden offered her a chance to become a liberal icon. He didn’t hold back his questions. Her credibility was tarnished, which allowed Justice Thomas to be narrowly confirmed.
Unfortunately by then Specter had also become a huge legend in his own mind. Had he retired voluntarily a term or two before the voters did it for him he would have been remembered as an effective if eccentric Senator.
There are all too many politicians who miss the curtain call.
Jimmy Carter comes to mind. I wonder what kind words will be generated here when he finally kicks off. I’m guessing they’ll be far and few between.
Adios Mothertructer….. Good riddance… Next to Joe Biden this political jackass looks like sainthood material. Our founding fathers warned us about electing monsters like him. It’s a darn miracle we have been able to keep this Republic
Intact as long as we have. Between the Kennedy’s, the Clintons, the Axelrods, Valery Jerritt, and the Obamas it’s a wonder this country is still hanging on to the rim of the toilet bowl like it is. I spit on your grave Arlen!
Good riddance, and may he rot in hell.
i think he will
let your kindness and Christ’s love keep you from following him
“12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.”
Oh, I think I am covered with Jesus and the Lord on this one.
Anything to keep from actually, you know, working for a living….
Wasn’t Spector the guy who came up with the bit about “Scottish law” and saved Slick Willie from being ousted from the Presidency?
It is the height of hypocrisy for Obama to praise someone for never putting party or ideology above the people. Obama has repeatedly demonstrated his belief that those who agree with him are like this but those who disagree with him do so because they put party and ideology (as well as personal interest) above the people. Such a belief is in itself a disservice to the people.
Good by. He was not much of a democrat and not much of a GOP and he voted against Bork. He was useless AND FECKLESS. America actually deserved better.
How can someone who has no principle putmanything above OR below it?
To all previous commenters who have bashed Arlen Specter, his life, & gone as far as to wish hellfire on him this post will probably fall on deaf ears, but I’ll post my thoughts anyway. Arlen Specter was the first politician I voted for after reaching the age to vote. I was ignorant of his stances on the issues & what he stood for, but because he had an “R” next to his name I pulled the lever anyway. I then learned of his political support of abortion on demand & became very angry at Arlen Specter, myself & anyone who supported him. I disagreed with many of Arlen Specter’s ideas & votes in the U.S. Senate & talked of him as though he were the anti-Christ. There was a huge problem with my attitude toward him & all others I disagreed with & still disagree with today. As a sinner myself who am I to judge him personally? Who are you to do the same? God wants us to hate the sin, NOT the sinner themself. Sinners should not be wishing the fires of hell on anyone unless they have not sinned themselves. There is only ONE without sin & fit to judge. Would any sinner here want other sinners wishing the fires of hell on them? Condemn Arlen Specter’s sins all you want, but remember your own while you’re doing it. All have sinned & fallen short of God’s glory, myself included, but we all too often don’t take that into consideration while we cast stones at fellow sinners. Conservatives & liberals have one very important thing in common & that is the tendency to be incredibly mean to one another. Within an hour of the announcement of Arlen Specter’s death yesterday the poisonous venom directed at a dead man started flying at various conservative websites a la Daily Kos, Huffington Post, etc. I thought conservatives were the level headed folks. They may have been at one time, but nowadays it’s hard to tell which side is which when the venom starts flying. Another huge problem both conservatives & liberals have is BOTH sides believe God is on their side, therefore they believe it is their duty to God to utterly destroy the other side, ideologically & personally. BOTH sides also believe they know the mind of God (utterly impossible). God is not on the side of conservatives OR liberals. God is on God’s side & conservatives & liberals together need to join Him on His side. I sincerly hope Arlen Specter realized there is only one way to God The Father & put his faith in Him & not in himself before he left this world. Anyone who wishes the fires of hell on another though is in danger of those same fires of hell. God doesn’t grade on a curve & ALL sin is detestable in His eyes. None of us are any better than Arlen Specter or any other sinner. Think about this before casting stones at another.
So, are paragraph breaks considered “ungodly”? The thought of this RINO roasting is almost enough to make me wish I believed all the mythological mumbo-jumbo you spout. . . almost.
Hey Tartuffe: take your self-righteous,pseudo Christian bilge to sister Peggy Noonan;I’m sure she will be happy to give you a glasss of milk,cookies,and a free lesson in sanctimonious declamation.Spector helped inflict Obama death panels on the American people ,which will put our lives at risk.He was an unprincipled political whore,and a paragon of corruption.I hope he lingered in great pain before becoming a host for maggots.As for you, buy a whip, flagellate yourself, vote for Obama,and stop trying to make us feel guilty for righteously hating this canaille.
Spector, like Biden are the Old Guard, which need to die off for younger statesmen who are not infected with the Megalomania Virus…
So, The Big C took Arlen from those he loved and those who loved him. He was mortal and his race had been run. But his ‘legacy’ is not one to be doing much bragging about.
It is often said that your spirit never goes away if people can remember you with a kind thought and a smile. How many among all interested Americans will bring Good Old Arlen’s spirit ‘back to the living’ ?
Not gonna happen in this house, that is for sure.
R I P, Arlen. You were a New Day, but You’re just an Old Day,… Now.
If Obama “embraces” Specter, I therefore denounce and reject him. I need know no more about him.
Simple.
Some say it’s always bad when a person dies but I submit that it’s sometimes the only way to get them to stop doing bad things.
“fiercely independent – never putting party or ideology ahead of the people he was chosen to serve.”
Well, except for the Republicans who voted for him, contributed to his campaigns, etc. He pretty much screwed them.
Will Specter return as an undead?
Well, the undead are a core Democrat constituency.
No doubt Specter’s multiple votes for Obama have already been recorded.
…and not a moment too soon.
So, is this why Homeland Security has been having drill for how to deal with zombies?
One less POS flushed down the toilet. Let’s hope there’s enough water pressure in the new, govt.regulated toilets,to ensure his corpse makes it to the nearest sewer.
Specter was a parasitic turncoat who sabotaged the Supreme Court composition for the Republicans when they should have been in a position to make changes more in line with American beliefs. He was an obstructionists for lower federal court appointments as well. He was driven by his own inflated self-regard and didn’t much care for what Pennsylvania’s voters thought.
Good riddance.
Speaking of the SCOTUS and Spector’s endless backstabbing – consider the fact that in 2010 he was urging the retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens to stay on the court.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/04/specter-urges-justice-stevens.html
The same Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens who engaged in the following exchange:
“Stevens also had a recommendation for people who keep a weapon in their homes for self-defense purposes. “Maybe you have some kind of constitutional right to have a cell phone with a pre-dialed 911 in the number at your bedside and that might provide you with a little better protection than a gun which you’re not used to using,” he said to laughter.”
http://washingtonexaminer.com/justice-stevens-second-amendment-is-no-obstacle-to-banning-automatic-weapons/article/2510773#.UH1QRIbfSM8