Specter is feeling
the campaigning spirit
Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring
U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter isn’t on the ballot until 2010, but he was in the Northeast on Monday morning raising money for what would be a sixth six-year term.
Specter, a former two-term Philadelphia district attorney elected to the Senate in 1980, appeared at Crown Cork & Seal, an international metal packager with headquarters on Roosevelt Boulevard.
The crowd included former congressman Charlie Dougherty, Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce president Al Taubenberger and Republican City Committee general counsel Mike Meehan.
Guests posed for pictures with the Republican lawmaker in front of a sign that read, "Arlen Specter . . . working for Pennsylvania."
"He’s been a great, great friend of Crown," said Crown Cork & Seal CEO John Conway.
Conway credited the former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee with helping the company when it was facing a lawsuit. Though Crown never manufactured or sold asbestos insulation, it was sued because it acquired a company that once was in the asbestos business. The courts ruled in Crown’s favor.
The senator expressed support for the Colombian Free Trade Agreement, adding that Colombia President Alvaro Uribe is a U.S. ally in a region that includes Venezuelan authoritarian Hugo Chavez. He criticized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not holding a vote on the deal.
On the topic of sports, he predicted a Flyers victory over the Washington Capitals, said the Eagles need a wide receiver in this weekend’s draft and insisted the investigation of the New England Patriots’ alleged spying of opponents is not over.
Specter, who once accepted a National Association of Manufacturers award at an event at Crown, said the current U.S. Supreme Court seems business-friendly. He likes the court’s two newest additions — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito — and is glad they will probably be on the court for a long time, since they are only in their 50s.
"When the legacy of President Bush is written, the Roberts and Alito accomplishment will be very, very high on the agenda," he said.
Specter joked about the attempt by Sen. Ted Kennedy to delay Alito’s confirmation, explaining that he told the veteran Massachusetts lawmaker that he wished he had mentioned his concerns in a hallway or the gym rather than grandstanding during the hearing.
"Sen. Kennedy hasn’t been in the Senate gym since the Johnson administration," said Specter, a squash player and overall fitness buff. "And when I say the Johnson administration, I mean the Andrew Johnson administration."
Pennsylvania’s senior senator also joked about the presidential campaign commercials for Sen. Hillary Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton. The former first lady is airing ads that say she is best to answer a 3 a.m. call about the economy or a world crisis.
Specter wondered what would happen if Bill Clinton, who has a reputation as a womanizer, answered one of those calls.
"Shhh. I told you never to call me here," the former president might say, according to Specter.
On a more serious note, Specter discussed his recent diagnosis of an early recurrence of Hodgkin’s disease, a cancer of the lymph system. He was originally diagnosed in 2005 and underwent six months of chemotherapy.
"I feel fine," he said.
This time, Specter will undergo 12 weeks of weekly chemotherapy treatments.
"It’s a rough regimen," he said.
At the same time, he labels the treatments "a bump in the road," adding that he has already overcome a brain tumor, heart bypass surgery and tough political opponents.
"I’m going to beat this," the 78-year-old senator said.
Specter told the 125 people in attendance that he will run for re-election in two years.
"It’s a job I intend to keep as long as you intend to keep me," he said.
Specter said he takes inspiration from reading a favorite book.
"It’s called Never Give In, written by Arlen Specter," he said.
After the fund-raiser, Specter stayed to endorse Matt Taubenberger, the Republican candidate in the 170th Legislative District. He’s the son of Al Taubenberger, the Chamber of Commerce leader.
Specter, with his arm on the candidate’s shoulder, praised the younger Taubenberger’s personal, professional and family background.
A member of the football and track and field teams at Northeast High School, he graduated from Widener University with a degree in criminal justice. He and his wife Rachel live in the same Burholme house in which he was raised. A former city juvenile probation officer, he is a Realtor and works as director of constituent services for state Rep. George Kenney, whom he hopes to succeed. He favors a bill sponsored by Rep. John Perzel that would allow for the hiring of more than 1,300 police officers in Philadelphia.
"People are going to like this young man," Specter said of the 30-year-old Taubenberger. "They are going to like his background."
Specter is hopeful that Taubenberger can beat Democrat Brendan Boyle, noting that Republicans have held the seat for 36 years — Kenney for 24 and Hank Salvatore for 12.
The senator also believes presidential candidate John McCain can help candidates such as Taubenberger because of the Arizona senator’s image as an independent and maverick who has differed with President George W. Bush on global warming, campaign finance reform and interrogation methods of suspected terrorists.
The Philadelphia GOP — badly outnumbered by Democrats in voter registration — needs young candidates like Taubenberger, according to Specter.
"We need to restore the two-party system in this city," he said.
While Taubenberger has Specter on his side, Boyle has a huge fund-raising advantage.
The Democrat has $107,402 cash on hand according to finance reports filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Taubenberger has just $8,662.
Through the end of the filing period on April 7, he has raised more money than any non-incumbent candidate for the House of Representatives.
"This is just another sign of the tremendous momentum this campaign has," he said.
Besides a big campaign treasury, Boyle enjoys the support of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and the building trades unions. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com