Former Senator Arlen Specter dies at age 82

Former US Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, perhaps best known for his switch from Republican to Democrat near the end of his career, passed away in his Philadelphia home from non-Hodgkin lymphoma complications. Specter served on the US Senate for a total of 30 years and was a powerful influence in the nomination of several Supreme Court Justices. Specter began his career as an outspoken prosecutor in Philadelphia and played an active role in the investigation of the Kennedy assassination. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, he gained noteriety in the Senate when it came to Supreme Court nominations, earning himself enemies among fellow Republican when he helped block the nomination of Judge Robert Bork and likewise among Democrats when he subjected Anita Hill to what many considered callous and overly-tough questioning during nomination hearings. He consistently demonstrated a politically moderate agenda; advocating federal funding for stem cell research while opposing Bill Clinton’s national healthcare plan. “Arlen Specter was always a fighter,” said President Barack Obama, “Arlen was fiercely independent, never putting party or ideology ahead of the people he was chosen to serve. He brought that same toughness and determination to his personal struggles.”