Democrats Strip Sen. Arlen Specter Of Senate Seniority
AP: Sen. Arlen Specter sought to minimize any political damage Wednesday after fellow Democrats decided against honoring the 28 years' seniority he accumulated as a Republican before switching parties last week.
In a statement, Specter expressed confidence that beginning in 2011, "my seniority will be maintained under the arrangement I worked out with" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., before switching.
Specter said last week he and Reid had agreed he would be treated for seniority purposes as though he had been elected as a Democrat when he first came to the Senate in 1980. The issue has important ramifications because chairmanships, which come with money to hire large staffs, can be at stake.
AP: Specter plays down loss of committee seniority
