Now that Arlen Specter has stunned Washington by switching parties, it’s instructive to take a look back at Specter’s own reaction with Sen. Jim Jeffords bolted from the GOP to give Democrats a majority in 2002.
Ironically, Specter proposed a rule change to prevent Jeffords’ actions from being repeated.
“I intend to propose a rule change which would preclude a future recurrence of a Senator’s change in parties, in mid-session, organizing with the opposition, to cause the upheaval which is now resulting,” Specter said. “[I]t is my view that the organizational vote belongs to the party which supported the election of a particular Senator.”
But similarly instructive is Specter’s emotional response to Jeffords’ decision, a response that indicates Specter was well aware of the damage he would do to his party with his own switch.
“For 13 years, Jim Jeffords has been one of my closest friends in the Senate and he still is,” Specter said on the floor of the Senate. “We have had lunch together every Wednesday for years….He had never given any hint to me of such a move.”
Some of Specter’s GOP colleagues doubtlessly feel the same now. Specter had adamantly denied any interest in changing parties during the weeks leading up to his decision.
Discussing Jeffords’ switch, Specter recounted how he and his Republican colleagues had tried to persuade the Vermont moderate to stay with the party.
“[W]e first pleaded with him, saying his change would disrupt the Senate, it would change the balance of power in the Federal Government generally, it would severely weaken the Republican Party–of which he was a lifelong member, it would hurt his Senate friends, and likely cost many staffers to lose their jobs,” Specter recalled. (The staff losses would result from Republicans losing their majority status on committees.)
When Specter found out about Jeffords’ final decision, he was clearly hurt.
“My immediate response to the news media was that it felt as if there had been a death in the family,” Specter said. “Other Senators from our close-knit group were, candidly, hurt and confused. For some, that has turned to anger. Most of the Republican Senate caucus has had little to say, trying to put the best face on what is really a devastating loss.”