Outside the Beltway

Outside the Beltway

Arlen Specter Gets Crime and Drugs

James Joyner
22

Comments

Taegan Goddard passes along reports from NBC that, “In an apparent effort to to ease the tension over Arlen Specter’s bumpy transition into the Senate Democratic caucus, Sen. Dick Durbin is willing to voluntarily relinquish his chairmanship on a Judiciary subcommittee to Specter” and that therefore “Specter will become the Chairman of the Crime and Drug Subcommittee.”  A pretty nice concession, given that the “Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs is considered the most prestigious of the subpanels on Judiciary, because it has jurisdiction over as much as 70 percent of the Justice Department’s budget and is responsible for writing crime and drug sentencing laws.”  It’s not a total loss for Durbin, who will pick up chairmanship of a revived Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law.

An interesting move, considering the Senate voted two days ago to strip Specter of his seniority.

, , , ,

22 responses to “Arlen Specter Gets Crime and Drugs”

  1. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    I’d say it’s a reaction to the idea that without the appearence of some serious weight to throw around in Congress, Specter doesn’t stand a bleeding chance in ’10

  2. markm Avatar
    markm

    I’d pay money to Harry Reid’s campaign if Specter is given the McGruff gig and Harry strips him of that too.

    And what Bithead says. Without some relevance on some committee he’s just another turd and surely there are better turds in Pennsylvania.

  3. Tlaloc Avatar
    Tlaloc

    Apparently Ridge is not running. That makes Toomey pretty much a sure thing, which not coincidentally means the GOP has no shot at the seat.

    So the question now is if the dems feel like leaving it in Specter’s hands or giving it to someone like Sestak.

  4. markm Avatar
    markm

    Apparently Ridge is not running.

    All I’ve read is that he’s being urged to run…did he say no?.

  5. hcantrall Avatar
    hcantrall

    Sen. Leahy Blocks Democrats’ Deal to Give Specter Judiciary Subcommittee Chair

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/07/source-durbin-gives-specter-judiciary-subcommittee-chair/

  6. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    That’s what I’ve been hearing, too, Mark.
    Until this morning, that is.

    I don’t have any links on it yet, but I’m hearing within the last couple hours he’s not going for it.

    Actually, I couldn’t be happier about that. I’ve never been happy with Ridge running there, for a lot of reasons. But, I wonder what he’s got on his mind; the rumbles give no hint of that point.

  7. markm Avatar
    markm

    …what’s Leahy’s site for taking campaign donations?….

  8. markm Avatar
    markm

    That’s a nope for now anyhow.

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5ya5MYrBo4NdzTAgNMFsAr1cFIgD981H8V00

  9. An Interested Party Avatar
    An Interested Party

    Actually, I couldn’t be happier about that. I’ve never been happy with Ridge running there, for a lot of reasons.

    Well then you must be happy about the seat staying in Democratic hands, as a wingnut like Toomey has no chance of winning the general election…

  10. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    Well then you must be happy about the seat staying in Democratic hands, as a wingnut like Toomey has no chance of winning the general election…

    Untrue.
    Toomey shows as being only a couple points down, and that poll was taken prior to Specter being stripped of his seniority. More, Toomey has a history of winning races in that area, particularly Democrat- dominated Beaver County by an impressive margin.

  11. An Interested Party Avatar
    An Interested Party

    re: Bithead | May 7, 2009 | 01:59 pm

    Which poll would that be? The one done by the GOP-friendly polling group? Pardon me if I don’t put too much faith in that poll…and Toomey may have a history of winning, but history is the operative word…Pennsylvania has changed from the days when it would elect someone like Toomey or Santorum statewide…

  12. Tlaloc Avatar
    Tlaloc

    A couple of points, bit?

    Specter would look much stronger, however, if the GOP nominee winds up being his 2004 primary opponent, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). In that matchup, Specter leads 53-33.

    That was from Quinnipiac from May 4th, as in three days ago.

  13. Tlaloc Avatar
    Tlaloc

    More, Toomey has a history of winning races in that area, particularly Democrat- dominated Beaver County by an impressive margin.

    Toomey has won a total of three races for congress, all in the house. Those were in 1998, 2000, and 2002. None of those years did he face a very hostile electorate. And his win in 1998 is partially attributed to Ridge’s very successful governor candidacy. He’s been out of government since 2004. That being the case I don’t see how Toomey is quite the fearsome candidate you suggest.

  14. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    Yes, I’ve seen that one, and two others. The two others are within a point or two of each other. The Quinnipiac poll, being so far off the others, I consider an outlier at the moment.

  15. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    None of those years did he face a very hostile electorate.

    I’m interested… on what basis do you asume the electorate will be more hostile to him than to the Democrats who so badly treated Specter, to their view?

    Remember, too, that Specter faces a primary challange.

  16. An Interested Party Avatar
    An Interested Party

    I’m interested… on what basis do you asume [sic] the electorate will be more hostile to him than to the Democrats who so badly treated Specter, to their view?

    Perhaps that is based on the fact that a large chunk of voters have switched their party affiliation from R to D and now Democrats outnumber Republicans in Pennsylvania by a nice margin…and if Specter were to get beaten in the primary by, say, Sestak, all the better for the Democrats in the general…

  17. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    Don’t forget Toomey’s congressional district was at the time majority Democrat and contained Pennsylvania’s third largest urban area.

  18. sam Avatar
    sam

    Toomey has as much chance as as fart in a whirlwind of being elected in the general.

  19. sam Avatar
    sam

    Ridge’s withdrawl make this post by Nate Silver somewhat anachronistic, but it’s interesting (and amusing — check the way Nate signaled Specter’s party affiliation. Well I was amused.):

    12. Pennsylvania (R– D-Specter)
    In some sense, this was the first victory of the 2010 cycle for the Democrats — although considering Specter’s voting record thus far, it looks as though it might be something of a Pyrrhic one. Nevertheless, this is now considered a Democratic seat, and this rating now reflects the Republicans’ odds of winning it back in 2010, either against Specter or another Democrat like Joe Sestak.

    A Republican comeback is unlikely if the uber-conservative Pat Toomey is the Republican nominee. But if ex-Gov. Tom Ridge runs — and wins — instead, he would be a formidable opponent. The catch is that it isn’t clear how Ridge, like Specter a moderate, pro-choice Republican, will escape the problems that drove Specter from the party, as what’s left of the GOP base in Pennsylvania is highly conservative and pro-life. We should know more in a week or so — if you’re a Pennsylvania voter and weren’t at Citizens’ Bank Park watching the Phillies and the Mets get rained out, you were probably getting nonstop phone calls from pollsters.

  20. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    Perhaps that is based on the fact that a large chunk of voters have switched their party affiliation from R to D and now Democrats outnumber Republicans in Pennsylvania by a nice margin…

    That’s hardly a recent change, having been in place for the last three or four cycles at least. And Toomey won in that environment. Try again.

  21. An Interested Party Avatar
    An Interested Party

    Umm, actually, the largest switch in party affiliation occurred in the last election cycle…the last time Toomey won a general election was in 2002, and, of course, that was only in one congressional district, not statewide…sorry that you seem to be allergic to the facts…

Trending