As you probably heard today, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched from the Republican Part to the Democratic Party. He said he was “at odds with the Republican philosophy.” Which part, Arlen? The urban/suburban hip-hop one philosophy? Or the part where you would have lost in Pennsylvania had you run as a Republican in 2010? Anyway, here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Arlen Specter.
1. He’s pretty old (79), but he’s only the fifth oldest Senator in Congress. Robert Byrd of West Virginia is the oldest at 92. There is no confirmation on whether or not either Byrd or Specter are immortal.
2. He’s always been known as a moderate, but he’s big on gun rights. The Liberal part of him loves abortion, illegal immigrants and the environment.
3. He used to be a Democrat, but switched parties in 1966 at the age of 36.
4. He has the same last name (kind of) as the guy who runs our sex and relationships blog.
5. He’s from the same hometown in Kansas as Bob Dole.
6. He worked for the Warren Commission, investigating the assassination of JFK. He co-authored the “single bullet theory” part of the report. That is one magic bullet.
7. In 2005, Specter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and underwent chemo. To show solidarity, Senator John Sununu shaved his head. Then Sununu lost his reelection in 2008.
8. Specter almost ran for President in 1996. But he bowed out to support Dole before the primaries.
9. In March, Specter said,”To eliminate any doubt, I am a Republican, and I am running for reelection in 2010 as a Republican on the Republican ticket.” Then there was lots of doubt.
10. He’s Jewish. And Jewish officeholders in the U.S. have a really terrible website.
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