A biography for Arlen Specterhasn’t been written yet.
“There's nothing in the First Amendment that even remotely talks about spending money for political contests, and to say that an individual can spend as much of his or her own money as he or she wants constitutionally without any limitation, I think is just absurd.”
“The First Amendment freedom of religion is as important today as when the Bill of Rights was first written.”
“When the students are occupied, they're not juvenile delinquents. I believe that education is a capital investment.”
“There is no doubt that our nation's security and defeating terrorism trump all other priorities.”
“People in government and public life are being kicked around at a high rate of speed.”
“My mother, Lillie Specter, was an angel and totally uninterested in politics.”
“When Pat Robertson says there is no constitutional doctrine of separation of church and state, I say he is wrong.”
“If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today. And that research has saved or prolonged many lives, including mine.”
“My tenure in the Senate was really as an independent and whichever, regardless of party label.”
“Stability means respecting precedents.”
“Heart disease continues to be the number one killer; cancer, the number 2 killer, not far behind. The tragic aspect of these deadly diseases is that they could all be cured, I do believe, if we had sufficient funding.”
“I have not taken a position on that nuclear option. My view is I'm not going to do anything until I come to that bridge. I'm not going to jump off the bridge until I come to it.”
“I knew people were going to see me see deteriorate before their eyes.”
“I ran for president in 1996.”
“I really do not make deals.”
“As a matter of traditional and sound constitutional doctrine, an amendment to the Constitution should be the last resort when all other measures have proved inadequate.”
“Pennsylvania is a very tough state; people don't last long in Pennsylvania politics.”
“When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party.”
“There's a great public disinclination toward politicians.”
“Whatever my party affiliation, I will continue to be guided by President Kennedy's statement that sometimes party asks too much.”