The Arlen Specter decade

I believe we're entering what I like to call the Arlen Specter Decade. Oh, for me, Arlen Specter, the 10's will be pretty much the same as the 00's. I'll still be thinking of me, Arlen Specter. But for you, you'll be thinking more about how things affect me, Arlen Specter. When you see a news report, you'll be thinking, "I wonder what Arlen Specter thinks about this thing?", "I wonder how this inflation thing is hurting Arlen Specter?" And you women will be thinking, "What can I wear that will please Arlen Specter?", or "What can I not wear?"

-- (slightly modified from "Saturday Night Live," December 1979).

It seems that Al Franken isn't the only (likely) new member of the Democratic uber-majority in the Senate with a famous riff on what it all means to me, me, me. For eight years, Arlen Specter for the most part just sat there  -- sometimes on mute, sometimes enabling  -- while his Republican Party drifted to the far, far right and crossed its triple "Ts" of torture, tax-cuts-for-the-rich, and teenage abstinence-only sex-ed. Now he's speaking out -- because a poll said he might lose an election and lose his job.

I don't think this will make the updated version of "Profiles in Courage."