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'''Arlen Specter''' is the Democratic senior [[United States]] Senator from [[Pennsylvania]]. He was first elected in 1980, and has been reelected five times since then. He has moderate to liberal viewpoints - particularly when it comes to economic and social issues. He supported Obama's massive stimulus bill in 2009. He also opposed trying to overturn Roe v. Wade.

'''Arlen Specter''' is the outgoing Democratic senior [[United States]] Senator from [[Pennsylvania]]. He was first elected in 1980, and has been reelected five times since then. He has moderate to liberal viewpoints - particularly when it comes to economic and social issues. He supported Obama's massive stimulus bill in 2009. He also opposed trying to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Before defecting to the [[Democratic Party]] (see below), Senator Specter was a moderate [[Republican]], 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 moderate [[Republican]], 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.

The campaign for Specter's seat will receive national attention in the [[2010 Midterm Elections]].

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

==Career==

==Career==

He is 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 is 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]].

[[File:Specter graph.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Studies show Arlen Specter's 2010 reelection campaign has influenced his voting record.]]Specter barely won the 2004 Republican primary, which allows only registered Republicans to vote, by less than 2% against [[conservative]] challenger [[Pat Toomey]]. [[Rick Santorum]], himself a former Pennsylvania senator, described that "Specter's biggest problem ... may be that thousands of southeastern Pennsylvania Republicans who voted for him in 2004 can't vote for him in the (2010) primary. Why? Because they're no longer Republicans."  In fact, the number of registered Republicans in Pennsylvania decreased by 162,000 between 2004 and 2008.<ref>http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/americandebate/Arlen_Specter_tilting_rightward.html</ref> This is one of the main reasons why Specter switched parties; to get re-elected in 2010, he needs to rely on his left-leaning supporters.

[[File:Specter graph.PNG|left|300px|thumb|Studies show Arlen Specter's 2010 reelection campaign has influenced his voting record.]]Specter barely won the 2004 Republican primary, which allows only registered Republicans to vote, by less than 2% against [[conservative]] challenger [[Pat Toomey]]. [[Rick Santorum]], himself a former Pennsylvania senator, described that "Specter's biggest problem ... may be that thousands of southeastern Pennsylvania Republicans who voted for him in 2004 can't vote for him in the (2010) primary. Why? Because they're no longer Republicans."  In fact, the number of registered Republicans in Pennsylvania decreased by 162,000 between 2004 and 2008.<ref>http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/americandebate/Arlen_Specter_tilting_rightward.html</ref> This is one of the main reasons why Specter switched parties; to get re-elected in 2010, he needs to rely on his left-leaning supporters.

However, recent public opinion polls have shown Pat Toomey leading Specter. <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election</ref> <ref>http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1327.xml?ReleaseID=1379</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election/</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election</ref><ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate</ref><ref>http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/82769067.html</ref>7th district Congressman [[Joe Sestak]] is challenging Specter in the Democratic primary. An October 2009 Rasmussen poll shows Sestak within 4-points. <ref>http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/politics/local_politics/101409_Poll_Shows_Sestak_Within_4_Points_Of_Specter</ref>

However, recent public opinion polls showed Pat Toomey leading Specter. <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election</ref> <ref>http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1327.xml?ReleaseID=1379</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election/</ref> <ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate_election</ref><ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/pennsylvania/2010_senate_election/election_2010_pennsylvania_senate</ref><ref>http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/82769067.html</ref>7th district Congressman [[Joe Sestak]] defeated Specter in the Democratic primary.

==References==

==References==