Siteadmin, oversight, Administrators
5,098
edits
Changes
no edit summary
[[Image:Specter-0.jpg|right]]
[[Image:Specter-0.jpg|right]]
'''Arlen Specter''' is the senior [[United States]] Senator from [[Pennsylvania]]. He was first elected in 1980, and has been reelected five times since then. Senator Specter is widely regarded as a moderate [[Republican]], disagreeing with the Bush Administration on numerous issues. He is a US Air Force veteran, serving during the Korean War.
'''Arlen Specter''' is the senior [[United States]] Senator from [[Pennsylvania]]. He was first elected in 1980, and has been reelected five times since then. Senator Specter is widely regarded as a moderate [[Republican]], disagreeing with the Bush Administration on numerous issues. He is a US Air Force veteran, serving during the [[Korean War]].
==Political career==
==Political career==
==Political views==
==Political views==
Specter's moderate views have affected his political career as a Republican. For example, his status as the Chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] (a position he held from January, 2005 through January, 2007) was in question when he made comments hinting that he would oppose candidates who would overturn [[Roe v. Wade]]. In addition, in the 2004 Republican Senate Primary Election, he only received 51% of the vote when the conservative [[Patrick Toomey]] challenged him. However, in the 2004 General Election, he succeeded with ease, beating [[Joseph Hoeffel]] by nine percentage points, suggesting that the Pennsylvania electorate prefers moderate to conservative Republicans.
Specter's moderate views have affected his political career as a Republican. For example, his status as the Chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] (a position he held from January, 2005 through January, 2007) was in question when he made comments hinting that he would oppose candidates who would overturn [[Roe v. Wade]]. In addition, in the 2004 Republican Senate Primary Election, he only received 51% of the vote when the conservative [[Patrick Toomey]] challenged him. However, in the 2004 General Election, he succeeded with ease, beating [[Joseph Hoeffel]] by nine percentage points, suggesting that the Pennsylvania electorate prefers moderate to conservative Republicans.
Arlen Specter was the only Republican in the Senate to vote for the [[Employee Free Choice Act]], <ref>http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/27/nation/na-union27</ref>, legislation supported by big labor that would eliminate a private-ballot vote over whether workers would [[union]]ize. Specter was also one of only three Republicans in the United State Congress to vote for the 2009 economic stimulus bill,
There are issues where Specter is considered [[conservative]]. In 2002, he voted to authorize the use of military force in [[Iraq]]. A native of [[Kansas]], Specter strongly supports [[Second Amendment]] rights and [[capital punishment]].
==Health Problems==
On February 16, 2005, Specter announced that he had been diagnosed with an advanced form of Hodgkin's disease, a type of cancer. Despite the advanced form, Specter continued working during chemotherapy. He ended treatment on July 22. Senator John Sununu shaved his head to show solidarity with Specter when he was undergoing chemotherapy and was temporarily bald.
==2010 Reelection Campaign==
==2010 Reelection Campaign==
Specter 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>
Specter 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>
However, Specter's approvel ratings remain high at 62%.
==References==
==References==
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://specter.senate.gov/, Official Senate website]
*[http://specter.senate.gov/ Official Senate website]
{{DEFAULTSORT: Specter, Arlen}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Specter, Arlen}}
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]