Nothing To Hold

Raw Story, which for some reason reads like the Onion today:

UPDATE: Sen. Arlen Specter says he "conclusively misspoke" in his Times interview, after being asked about the quotation by Congressional Quarterly late Tuesday. "In the swirl of moving from one caucus to another, I have to get used to my new teammates," he said. "I’m ordinarily pretty correct in what I say. I’ve made a career of being precise. I conclusively misspoke."

Who he’s backing now? "I’m looking for more Democratic members. Nothing personal."

Wheee!
Norm Coleman, R-Fantasyland, subject of Arlen's invigorating blunder. See more obstructionist Republican clowns here.

You see, Arlen Spector switched teams but forgot that meant changing his team jersey. It caused quite a ruckus among people playing for Arlen's new team. Even the cheerleaders were confused and, let me tell you, gum and condoms took flight. Oh, the humidity!

Anyway, I enjoyed that. A showing of true colors is comedy gold. But wait, there's more! Am I dreaming?

Additionally, Democrats took away Specter’s seniority on the committees he serves on, the Washington Post reports:

In a unanimous voice vote, the Senate approved a resolution that added Specter to the Democratic side of the dais on the five committees on which he serves, an expected move that gives Democrats larger margins on key panels such as Judiciary and Appropriations.

But Democrats placed Specter in one of the two most junior slots on each of the five committees for the remainder of this Congress, which goes through December 2010. Democrats have suggested that they will consider revisiting Specter’s seniority claim at the committee level only after the midterm elections next year.

Senate Democrats did the right thing? There must be some mistake! No, says the Washington Post:

The Senate last night stripped Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) of his seniority on committees, a week after the 29-year veteran of the chamber quit the Republican Party to join the Democrats.

In announcing his move across the aisle last week, Specter asserted that Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) had assured him he would retain his seniority in the Senate and on the five committees on which he serves. Specter's tenure ranked him ahead of all but seven Democrats.

Instead, though, on a voice vote last night, the Senate approved a resolution that made Specter the most junior Democrat on four committees for the remainder of this Congress. (He will rank second from last on the fifth, the Special Committee on Aging.) Reid himself read the resolution on the Senate floor, underscoring the reversal.

Democrats have suggested that they will consider revisiting Specter's seniority claim at the committee level only after next year's midterm elections.

I'm doing the Happy Dance! For once, the Democrats weren't out-maneuvered in an easily foreseeable maneuvering!

The loss of seniority could prove costly to Specter in his campaign to win reelection in 2010, denying him the ability to distinguish himself from a newcomer in his ability to claim key positions.

Specter said last week that becoming chairman of the Appropriations Committee was a personal goal of his, and his Senate service seemed to put him in position to be the third-ranking Democrat there. Now, though, he will not hold even an Appropriations subcommittee chairmanship in 2011 - a critical foothold Specter has used to send billions of dollars to Pennsylvania.

I almost feel sorry for the selfish old coot. He's the girl at the prom wearing a puce lace creation and tennis shoes. So yes, let's dance.