Recapping Arlen Specter's Political Career

It may be a while before we truly grasp the meaning of Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party.

In the meantime, we thought it might be the right moment to quickly review his electoral career.

The early, pre-Senate years.

 

Specter was a lawyer for the Warren Commission in its investigation of the 1963 assassination of President John Kennedy when he decided to enter the political world. Shunned by the Democratic Party establishment of Philadelphia, he was elected district attorney in 1965 on a Republican fusion ticket. The following year, disheartened with what he called Democratic indifference to corruption, he officially became a Republican. In 1967 he decided, as a full-fledged Republican, to take on the city's mayor, Democrat James Tate, a race he narrowly lost -- one of a series of defeats he would suffer on the road to the Senate.

Specter was re-elected as DA in 1969 but defeated for a third term in '73. In 1976, when GOP Sen. Hugh Scott decided to retire, Specter jumped into the race to succeed him. But he narrowly lost the primary to Pittsburgh-based Rep. John Heinz III. Two years later he ran for governor, but this time his defeat in the Republican primary was not close; he got clobbered by Dick Thornburgh.

 

In 1980 he made a second bid for the Senate. The party establishment, led by Thornburgh, opposed his candidacy. But Specter managed to eke out a 3 percentage point victory in the primary and then defeated Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty in November.

Specter was easily re-elected in 1986, but things were different in 1992. His Democratic opponent, officially, was Lynn Yeakel. But what Specter really had to contend with was the backlash of his grilling of law professor Anita Hill during the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, who was nominated for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. The specter (oops) of white men like Specter questioning a black woman like Hill about sexual harassment hit a nerve with many women around the country, and in Pennsylvania. Specter, aware of the backlash, worked hard in that '92 campaign to win the votes of women. He survived by just 130,000 votes out of 4.5 million cast.

 

By 1995, Specter felt that it was time to move up. Never mind that he was pro-choice in a pro-life party, or that he voted against Robert Bork for the Supreme Court, or any other breaks from party orthodoxy. In March of that year, he announced his candidacy for president. Much of his speech was in line with conservative principles. But he didn't hesitate to spell out his differences with others in the party.

Today I have outlined goals and priorities I see for America. Even though we have this historic opportunity for these achievements, there are those in our party who would lead us down a different path -- and squander this unique moment in our nation's history -- by using our political capital -- to pursue a radical social agenda -- that would end a woman's right to choose -- and mandate school prayer.

When Pat Robertson says there is no constitutional doctrine of separation between Church and State -- I say he is wrong. The First Amendment freedom of religion is as important today -- as when the Bill of Rights was written.

When Pat Buchanan calls for a Holy War in our society -- I say he is wrong. We don't need holy wars -- we need tolerance and simple humanity.

When Ralph Reed says a pro-choice Republican isn't qualified to be our President -- I say the Republican Party will not be blackmailed. I and millions of other pro-choice Republicans -- will not be disenfranchised.

I believe there is an important place in public life -- for people with deep religious and moral convictions. I am one of them. When I look at teenage pregnancies -- the high crime rate -- the fact that many high school graduates cannot read their own diplomas -- there is no doubt that people with deep religious and moral convictions must be active in the political process. But it is not Christian, or religious, or Judeo-Christian to bring God into politics; or to advocate the intolerance and exclusion.

His bid going nowhere, Specter ended his candidacy in November and endorsed front-runner Bob Dole.

One thing about the last button that always intrigued me: the sight of Specter's name alongside other Democrats on the same pin, urging voters to split their ticket. No longer will voters have to split their ticket.