United States Senator Arlen Specter died last Sunday. I had gotten calls from friends who said it was coming but it was still a jolt to see the news flash on my phone. I had worked with the Senator many times since 1992 and considered him invulnerable. Many times during his life he had been pushed to the edge of the cliff both in politics and in health yet he battled back with hard work and his indomitable will. Nobody worked harder then Arlen, Nobody campaigned with such diligence, Nobody solved more issues for constituents, Nobody produced better work product. Nobody had a better staff on the hill. Nobody pushed their staff as hard or was equally loyal. He was a machine who got things done for the state of Pennsylvania. He believed what he believed and was fiercely independent but he understood how government worked and was able to cobble together solutions to get things done. He was part of the coalition of moderates that moved this country through the 80’s and 90’s before we fell to the current stagnation of partisan politics .
I enjoyed working with him. He came prepared, did what you asked and required very little maintenance unlike many of his peers.
We had brief conversations over the years but mostly a nod of recognition, a quick joke and then down to business. The best shoot I remember was a commercial we did in 2004. The Senator was playing squash. We were using this setup as metaphor for political situations but the real fun was watching a 74 year old man take apart an opponent 40+ years younger and witnessing his childlike joy of just playing.
He was a true believer in medical research and was the driving force in the Senate to get increased funding for the National Institute of Health. Few people realize how important the NIH is in accelerating cures for disease and even fewer people understand the economic growth in the Pharmaceutical and Medical technologies markets that are a direct result of NIH research. Arlen Specter got it. He knew what was going on. He paid attention to all the details in life and lived it to the fullest. He was a good man, wickedly funny, devoted to his family, loyal to his staff, dedicated to his office and a public servant committed to the people of Pennsylvania.
