On Arlen Specter
The spin doctors are saying that Specter lost because of an anti-incumbent mood, a youth revolution, an anti-Washington mood, and blah, blah, blah. In my humble opinion, it has been the first chance that the people who have held a grudge against Specter for his abominable hatchet job against Anita Hill and his support for Clarence Thomas.
As long as Specter was a Republican, there was no real chance for the Democrats who wanted to get back at him for that to have a real effect. But by switching to the Democrats, aside from any suspicions about that, he made himself vulnerable to those who remember that horrible episode and finally got a chance to achieve some payback and justice. F%$#^ him.