Specter receives warm reception from Dems

Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) was met with “strong applause” at his first Senate Democratic policy lunch, despite skepticism from some members about whether his change in affiliation will do the party much good.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who helped convince Specter to leave the GOP last month to become a Democrat, told reporters Tuesday that Specter received a standing ovation at the private weekly lunch meeting in the Mansfield Room.

{mosads}But three Democratic senators who spoke to The Hill contradicted Reid and said that Specter received “warm” and even “strong applause,” but certainly no standing ovation. The lawmakers requested anonymity because lunches are supposed to stay private.

A spokesman for Reid did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Specter’s highly publicized switch rankled some in the party over an agreement Reid made with Specter that would allow the Pennsylvania senator to retain the seniority he earned through his five terms as a Republican.

Reid has touted Specter’s defection as a coup for his party, but members like Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) are not happy that Specter would be allowed to leap ahead of senior Democrats on various committees.

Specter claims that Reid has promised to recognize him in the 112th Congress with the same seniority as a Democrat elected in 1980.

In general, Reid seems more enthusiastic about the new Democratic senator from Pennsylvania than several of his colleagues.

Democratic leaders tried to ensure that Specter would feel well taken care of. He sat at the leadership table, which is usually reserved for Reid, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), said a Democratic senator in attendance.

Specter gave colleagues a short speech about why he joined the Democratic Party, describing his relationship with the GOP as one of “irreconcilable differences,” reported another Democratic senator.

Specter also warned his new Democratic colleagues that he could not be expected to vote with them in lockstep, echoing public comments he made over the previous week, the source said.

But Specter tried to reassure his fellow Democrats by noting that he has a long history of working together with veterans such as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services subcommittee.

Specter also tried to explain in advance why he may buck his party on some important issues. He said he gave a lot of thought and analysis to every vote and cast his ballot according to what he thought best for his constituents.

A third Democratic senator said that colleagues seemed to act friendly toward Specter during the lunch, creating the impression that the longtime Pennsylvania Republican may have found a cozy new home.

But a fourth senator, a senior member of the conference, said that many of his colleagues continue to question whether Specter’s arrival is a good deal.

The lawmaker argued that Specter’s switch has done little to alter the structure of the Senate, noting that Democrats are still two votes short of the 60 they need to quash Republican filibusters.

He noted that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) remains largely absent from the Senate because of his battle with cancer and that Democratic candidate Al Franken has yet to be declared the winner of Minnesota’s Senate race.

“The intrigue is palpable; the skeptics dominate,” said the Democratic lawmaker, making reference to the private conversations he has had with Democratic colleagues about Reid’s deal to bring Specter over to their party.

 J. Taylor Rushing contributed to this report.