Republicans and Democrats Mourn the Loss of Long-Time Senator Arlen Specter Who Died Today at Age 82

Former United States Senator Arlen Specter died this morning at the age of 82 from complications of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The service for Specter will be on Tuesday in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania.

The five-term senator switched party lines from Democrat to Republican to Democrat again. He was part of 13 Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Prior to becoming a senator, he was an assistant district attorney and worked on the Warren Commission that investigated President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

President Obama responded

to Specter's death in a statement, “Arlen Specter was always a fighter. From his days stamping out corruption as a prosecutor in Philadelphia to his three decades of service in the Senate, Arlen was fiercely independent – never putting party or ideology ahead of the people he was chosen to serve.”

Former President George W. Bush released a statement, saying, “Arlen Specter loved our country and served it with integrity for three decades in the United States Senate. Laura and I appreciate his contributions to America and are grateful for his many years of public service. We send our condolences to his wife, Joan, and the Specter family.”