What can we expect from lame duck Specter?

Now that he has lost his reelection bid in the primary election, Senator Arlen Specter ("D"-PA) is technically a lame duck. And some of his constituents are wondering what to expect from him during the remainder of his final term on Capitol Hill.

During most of his three decades in the U.S. Senate, Specter was a moderate Republican and a maverick. Unlike most of the Republicans in the Senate today, he was comfortable working across party lines. Therefore, I was particularly disappointed when he turned around and supported some of the George W. Bush administration's most egregious policies.

Then, last year, Specter moved across the aisle and became a Democrat for political reasons.

So Specter can perhaps best be described as unpredictable.

And I'm going assume that he will remain so.

He was, is, and will continue to be more of a maverick than John McCain could ever hope to be. And I respect him for that, if not for some of his misguided votes.