The Dems have thrown Arlen Specter a crumb:
Senate Democratic leaders have reached agreement with Sen. Arlen Specter to partially restore the party switcher’s status on the Judiciary Committee, by granting Specter the chairmanship of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee.
Under the deal, which Senate Democratic aides outlined this morning, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) would give up the gavel of the prestigious post, which holds jurisdiction over most Justice Department activities. Durbin would take over a newly restored human rights subcommittee, which was dissolved at the beginning of the current 111th Congress because none of the committee members were available to run it.
This might seem like an inconsequential thing, but take a look at the jurisidiction of the Crime & Drugs Subcommittee.
Jurisdiction: (1) Oversight of the Department of Justice’s (a) Criminal Division, (b) Drug Enforcement Administration, (c) Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, (d) Office on Violence Against Women, (e) U.S. Marshals Service, (f) Community Oriented Policing Services and related law enforcement grants, (g) Bureau of Prisons, (h) Office of the Pardon Attorney, (i) U.S. Parole Commission, (j) Federal Bureau of Investigation, and (k) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as it relates to crime or drug policy; (2) Oversight of the U.S. Sentencing Commission; (3) Youth violence and directly related issues; (4) Federal programs under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended (including the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act); (5) Criminal justice and victims’ rights policy; (6) Oversight of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; (7) Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service; (8) Corrections, rehabilitation, reentry and other detention-related policy; and (9) Parole and prohibition policy.
We just went from having one of the most progressive Democrats in the entire caucus, Dick Durbin, overseeing these things to having Arlen Specter overseeing them. This, at a time when the Arnold Schwarzenegger is discussing legalizing pot and Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) is trying to tackle prison reform. I’m sorry, but this is too high of a price to pay to avoid a little disgruntlement from Specter.
