Stories

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pennsylvania) appeared at a convention of progressive bloggers today and was encouraged by his audience to correct statements made by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) at town hall meetings this week.
After some prodding, Specter agreed to call Grassley today. Later, The Washington Independent’s David Weigel learned that Grassley did not answer [...]

Speaking at a labor rally this weekend, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter voiced support for the Employee Free Choice Act, a turn of events that could revive the hopes of a bill many felt was doomed.
The legislation, which is sponsored by Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, makes it easier for labor unions to organize. Iowa Republican Sen. [...]

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said Tuesday that if those who currently oppose the Employee Free Choice Act are not willing to work with him on a compromise, he will will try to force a vote on the original bill.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) faced a committee conundrum last week after news emerged that U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pennsylvania) was defecting from the Republican Party and becoming a Democrat.
Specter’s switch would leave a vacancy in the Ranking Member position on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Grassley, currently serving the last two years of his term [...]

In the aftermath of Sen. Arlen Specter’s (D-Pa.) defection from the Republican Party earlier this week, we wondered about Sen. Charles Grassley’s (R-Iowa) plans for leadership slots on the various committees where he sits. Briefly, because of GOP conference rules, Grassley faces the dilemma of either dropping his ranking position on the Finance Committee in [...]

Among all the reshufflings set to occur in the wake of Sen. Arlen Specter’s surprise switch Tuesday to the Democratic Party, it looks like Sen. Charles Grassley will be next in line to replace Specter as the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Interviewed live on MSNBC by David Schuster just moments after news that U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (R- D-Pennsylvania) was switching parties broke, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) welcomed his longtime colleague to his party.
“Welcome, Arlen,” Harkin said, noting that Specter began his life as a Democrat.  (Specter switched to the Republican party some 40 years [...]

When news broke that U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Penn., had officially reversed his position on legislation he once co-sponsored making it easier for labor unions to organize, a prediction from Iowa’s senior senator seemed to be proven right.
Two weeks ago, Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley said the bill, known as the Employee Free Choice Act [...]