But Specter wasn't elected as a Democrat. Nor has he been acting like one. And so his colleagues appear to have decided to stop treating him like one. In a voice vote last night, Senate Democrats stripped Specter of seniority. That makes Specter the most junior Democrat on four of his committees, and the second-to-most junior on the fifth. It keeps Specter from running for reelection based on his seniority: He's no more powerful in the chamber now than Joe Sestak would be. It significantly reduces his standing and capability in the chamber. And, frankly, it's humiliating. Specter is now loathed by the Republicans and unwanted by the Democrats. He's not, like Joe Lieberman was, just a man without a party. He's a man without friends.
Specter can't run on seniority, but I suppose he can say that he's an experienced legislator with deep ties in the Senate. At least one of those statements is actually true. Evidently he's favored for the Democratic nomination 57-20 now. We'll see what happens, but I suspect that number's soft. Specter is going to have to earn Democrats' trust instead of just indulging in power-accumulating wankery. All is as it should be.
