Specter to chair Judiciary’s Crime and Drugs Subcommittee

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003112419&cpage=1

The Senate’s newest Democrat – Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter – is poised to snag a gavel after all. But that seems to have caused some headaches for the committee chairman involved.

After days of tumult over his switch from the Republican party, Specter will head a subcommittee where he won the most prominence during his 28-year Senate career.

Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin , D-Ill., has struck a deal with Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy , D-Vt., to step aside and allow Specter to chair Judiciary’s Crime and Drugs Subcommittee, Durbin’s office said Thursday. Specter is a veteran Judiciary member who chaired the full committee during the 109th Congress (2005-06) and was its ranking Republican until just days ago, when he switched parties to avoid a tough primary battle

Durbin said he had held conversations “over the past several days” with Specter, Leahy and Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., “about ways to best utilize Senator Specter’s talents and experience in our caucus.”

“To that end, I have offered the gavel of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee to Senator Specter, who has been a leader on criminal justice issues for decades. ... I have also asked Senator Leahy to re-establish the Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee, which we created and I chaired in the last Congress.”

Now STFU and vote properly.

He was never going to get the Chairmanship of Judiciary anyway because Leahy outranks him in seniority. I bet Leahy doesn't mind giving up the Subcommittee. As to the other committee - are they going to try to divert Torture questions to this committee? Who else would be on this new committee? I'm not sure I'm liking this.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22158.html

He was smacked down yesterday, and got talked to by Harkin, and also probably got some backroom talks from representatives of SEIU and AFL-CIO.

Now Specter says he could support EFCA, and the Senate Democrats say "Did we say we took Specter's seniority away? We meant to say we were giving him a subcommittee!"

My advice: He could definitely be the deciding vote on EFCA, and for that alone, going through all the hassles of dealing with Specter is worth it, but don't turn your back on him for a second!