Changes

|terms=January 5, 1981 – January 5, 2011

|terms=January 5, 1981 – January 5, 2011

|preceded=Richard Schweiker

|preceded=Richard Schweiker

|former=n

|status=f

|succeeded=[[Pat Toomey]]

|succeeded=[[Pat Toomey]]

}}

}}

}}

}}

'''Arlen Specter''' (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was the former Democratic senior [[United States]] Senator from [[Pennsylvania]]. He was first elected in 1980, and was subsequently reelected five times since then. He had moderate to liberal viewpoints - particularly when it came to economic and social issues. He supported Obama's massive stimulus bill in 2009 and opposed attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade.

'''Arlen Specter''' (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was the former Democratic senior [[United States]] Senator from [[Pennsylvania]]. He was first elected in 1980, and was subsequently reelected five times since then. He had moderate to liberal viewpoints - particularly when it came to economic and social issues. He supported Obama's massive stimulus bill in 2009 and opposed attempts to overturn [[Roe v. Wade]].

Before defecting to the [[Democratic Party]] (see below), Senator Specter was a [[RINO]], disagreeing with the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] Administration on numerous issues. He was one of three Republicans who supported Obama's stimulus bill in 2009. Threatened with a [[conservative]] [[primary]] challenger for his seat in 2010, on April 28, 2009, he announced he was switching to the Democratic party. Once [[Al Franken]] was declared the victor in the [[Minnesota]] Senate race, Specter's vote provided the crucial 60th vote needed for the Democrats (and the two independents) to stop GOP [[filibusters]]. However, that filibuster-proof majority ended when [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Scott Brown]] won the [[Massachusetts]] special Senate election in January 2010.

Before defecting to the [[Democratic Party]] (see below), Senator Specter was a [[RINO]], disagreeing with the [[George W. Bush|Bush]] Administration on numerous issues. He was one of three Republicans who supported Obama's stimulus bill in 2009. Threatened with a [[conservative]] [[primary]] challenger for his seat in 2010, on April 28, 2009, he announced he was switching to the Democratic party. Once [[Al Franken]] was declared the victor in the [[Minnesota]] Senate race, Specter's vote provided the crucial 60th vote needed for the Democrats (and the two independents) to stop GOP [[filibusters]]. However, that filibuster-proof majority ended when [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Scott Brown]] won the [[Massachusetts]] special Senate election in January 2010.

Specter was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joe Sestak for his reelection in the [[2010 Midterm Elections]].

Specter was defeated in the Democratic primary by [[Joe Sestak]] for his reelection in the [[2010 Midterm Elections]]. Sestak would go on to be defeated by Republican nominee [[Pat Toomey]] in the general election.

 

==Career==

==Career==

He was a [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] veteran, serving within the U.S. as an officer within the Air Force Office of Special Investigations during the [[Korean War]].

He was a [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] veteran, serving within the U.S. as an officer within the Air Force Office of Special Investigations during the [[Korean War]].