Senator Arlen Specter is, as I've said before, a maverick. I've liked that about Specter when he has sponsored, cosponsored, and/or voted for legislation to advance human rights and social justice.
But there have also been so many times when he has voted in favor of various misguided Republican policies.
But, even though I've disagreed with Senator Specter's votes more than 50% of the time in recent years, I liked to think that he was interested in hearing his constituents' views on the issues. So I wrote to him frequently.
And, apparently, I wasted my time. It looks as though Specter doesn't want to hear from me or anyone else who might disagree with his preset opinions on the issues.
Last week, pro-labor activists tried to deliver petitions to Senator Specter's office in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act. And a Specter staff member actually told them that "as soon as you leave, your letters will go straight to the trash."
Despite his move this week to the Democratic side of the aisle, Specter will continue to vote his own interests rather than those of the Democratic party. That is his prerogative, and I have to respect it. But I don't have to like it, especially when he will be voting against the rights of working Americans in favor of their greedy and selfish corporate overlords (many of whom are probably good campaign donors).
And for his staff to imply that the views of the constituents don't matter is downright un-American.
Here Specter is caving in to the corporate lobbyists and thumbing his nose at Pennsylvania's workers.
And this is one of the reasons why I suspect he will have a hard time getting reelected in 2010, no matter which side of the aisle he happens to sit on.
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