Arlen Specter confirms he is battling cancer, says he 'intends to win'
Arlen Specter's office confirmed Tuesday morning that the longtime U.S. Senator is once again fighting cancer. " I am battling cancer, and it's another battle I intend to win," Specter said in a statement from his office.
Arlen Specter confirms he is battling cancer, says he 'intends to win'
Dan Gross
UPDATE: Arlen Specter's office confirmed Tuesday morning that the former U.S. Senator is once again fighting cancer. "I am battling cancer, and it's another battle I intend to win," Specter said in a statement issued by his office. "I am grateful for the well wishes I have received and I am looking forward to getting back to work, to the comedy stage, the squash court and the ballpark," says Specter, an avid Phillies fan.
We reported what follows below on Monday afternoon...
Arlen Specter has been hospitalized with a serious illness, confirm friends of the longtime U.S. Senator. One asked that people keep him in thoughts and prayers.
Specter, 82, announced in 2005 that he had Hodgkin’s disease for which he underwent chemotherapy. His cancer returned and he was treated again in 2008.
Friends declined to comment Monday afternoon on the nature of his illness.
Specter had been scheduled to appear as a surprise guest and perform a comedy set at last Wednesday’s Stu Bykofsky Candidates Comedy Night but his secretary cancelled his long-booked appearance several days earlier, Bykofsky confirms, adding that Specter’s assistant referred to the cancellation as “personal.”
“I’m sorry I can’t provide any information to that effect, you’ll have to ask somebody else,” replied a woman who answered the phone at Specter’s office Monday when asked if she could confirm that Specter was in the hospital.
Specter’s son, attorney Shanin Specter, promptly retured our email Monday, but declined to comment for this report.
Comments (56)
Don't sound good!— Street Sense13- Stay strong, Mr. Specter!!— The Baron
- Arlen Specter , whose lies about the Kennedy assassination have brainwashed generations of Americans.
Yo sycophantic empire boy - we remember Anita Hill !
“The Warren Commission thought they had an open and shut case: three bullets, one assassin -- but two things happened that made it virtually impossible: 1) the Zapruder film, which you just saw, and 2) the third wounded man, Jim Tague, who was nicked by a fragment down by the Triple Underpass. The time frame of 5.6 seconds established by the Zapruder film left no possibility of a fourth shot from Oswald's rifle, but the shot or fragment that left a superficial wound on Tague's cheek had to come from a bullet that missed the car entirely. Now they had two bullets that hit, and we know one of them was the fatal head shot. So a single bullet remained to account for all seven wounds in Kennedy and Connally. But rather than admit to a conspiracy or investigate further, the Commission chose to endorse the theory put forth by an ambitious junior counselor, Arlen Specter. One of the grossest lies ever forced on the American people, we've come to know it as the "magic bullet" theory.”
http://www.jfk-online.com/jfk100tague.html - This comment has been deleted.— erniebanks14
- erniebanks14 - are you even old enough to know anything about Arlen Specter? You simply sound like someone who is anti-politics and have probably never voted. Are you even over 30?
Good username however, Ernie Banks is a class act.— blutz - Erniebanks14,you're an idiot. I worked for the Senator in the DA's Office and although over the years I didn't agree with all he said or did, never did I doubt his intelligence, honesty and commitment to the citizens of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. He has my prayers and hopes for a recovery.— lport
- I am a republican but I don't wish death on anyone. I hope he is able to recover. Our prayers are going out to him and his family.— TKL008
- philadelphia and reason had a friend in the senate when spector was in office.
— the lopez! - "It made a hell of an impact on a lot of people,"
Specter said.
"It was worldwide. People have said to me they were in Timbuktu, and they were watching," he said. "Last year, …I was heading into a rally in Pittsburgh and a woman walked up to me, and in front of all the cameras there, she said,
'I'll never forgive you for what you did to Anita Hill.'"
http://abcnews.go.com/US/clarence-thomas-anita-hill-supreme-court-confirmation-hearing/story?id=14802217 - He was always smart and willing to change his views in the light of new information, what a politician should do. I didn;t agree with all his views, but I respected him— ConverseB24
- I wish Senator Spector well. Politics are not important here. A decent man is ill and I hope that he gets well if that is possible and a peaceful passing if it isn't.— BillyBob369
- I wish him well also. He's a politician never afraid to speak his mind and, like a lot of pols of his vintage, seems somehow bigger than those who have succeeded him. erniebanks 14, you are one small man and I'm not just referring to your private parts.— Claudio Vernight
- Somebody once said "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all".............................I have nothing to say!— Chief_Negotiator
- AS seemed to serve th epeople of PA.
But like Pinstripe C, I want to know the truth around the magic bullet in Dallas...
— HACK55 - I have known of Mr. Specter since the early '60's and worked with him on a dozen or so occasions. A truer gentleman you won't find anywhere. Our prayers are with Mr. Specter and his family. God Bless you, sir......— scrollersam
- Voted for him every time, even though he was a republican and I was a democrat.He took care of Pennsylvanians.— youwish
- How does Ira Einhorn feel about all this?— fallsrogue
- Amazing how many posters don't even know how his name is spelled!!— Konstanty
- Some sort of Scottish bug going around?— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- I'm surprised he made it this long. He was an incredible egomaniac who was willing to change his point of view not based on updated information on the particular issue but on updated political exit polls. He was and is a creep.— Mr. Barffington
- God Speed Mr.Specter! My thoughts and prayers are with you.— Bob H
- The so-called gentleman was voted the worst Senator to work for in an anonymous survey of Senate employees by Roll Call magazine . A co-worker was lent to his office years back - God help his staff if a case of his favorite ice tea didn't appear in his room in Timbuktu or Baghdad or wherever he was on a junket . ( or if they could not find a handball court for him ).— publius sempronius tuditanus
- I don't wish illness on anyone. I hope he recovers. I had very little respect for him as a politician though. The quintessential example of playing both ends against the middle.— olneymike
- Prayers to Senator Spector.— DC
- I don't particularly care for Specter, though I voted for him in the primary over Sestak because I like Sestak even less. Still, I've got to say that Bush/Cheney could have done even more damage to this country if it hadn't been for Specter as chair of the Judiciary Committee.— CurrerBell
- Is Angelnose Cataldi about to lose his only listener?— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- We can only hope that he will give up the truth about the JFK Assassination and repudiate the single bullet farce.— defiore14
- He has long amazed me with the way he has bounced back from serious illnesses. This does not sound good. I think he was a good public servant and really tried to do what was best for the people and not a political party.— Marie Elena
- Benedict Arlen....— kelprod2-freemarket
- Stay strong Mr Specter.— denjamr
- Arlen Specter is a decent public-spirited man who did a lot of good while he was trying to sail in tough and contradictory political winds. No partisan or ideological critique of his record can do him justice, because he believed that each issue had to be examined independently in accordance with the latest available information and the most accurate possible political calculation each time it came up.
Repeatedly I joined other Democrats in nominating candidates against him, but his tenacity, hard work and shrewdness enabled him to defeat Pete Flaherty, Bob Edgar, Lynn Yeakel, Bill Lloyd and Joe Hoeffel. Ironically, only when had worn out the Democratic Party, and we backed him, did he actually lose a Senate election.
He is pretty much out of politics now (he did back the Republican candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2011 while remaining a registered Democrat) but I hope he recovers fully and continues on as an independent public voice.— State Rep. Mark Cohen - Horrible news. Who is going to call Angelo Cataldi's show to demonstrate they have absoultely no knowledge of sports anymore. I will sorely miss the mispronounced names and non-existent football players the Senator called in to talk about.— Drew777
- Sorry to hear this news. Arlen was a good public servant, diligent and
hard working. I respected him while he served his terms, and I respect him now. Hope there is a treatment or cure for his problem. Will say some prayers and hope for the best. Get well Arlen.— barbara k - Love him or hate him, get well soon Arlen Specter!!!!— Dadair1
- This is 'erniebanks' again and I will tell you that all you clowns who back Specter have very short memories. He was a Rino and nothing else! He was a liberal at heart and we have seen since 2007 how the liberals think. I have nothing personally against Specter except that he's a jerk! I am glad he's no longer in Pa. politics and I am also glad that I no longer have to listen to his lies. Specter's own library?! What a joke! By the way, you nitwits, I am a 65-year-old Vietnam veteran and I know which politicians care about this country, and Specter is and never was one of them!— erniebanks14
- A complication of recurrent Hodgkin's disease at his age sounds ominous. Give it your best fight Mr. Spector. You always have in everything you've done for this state and this nation. Godspeed.— gilbrook
- All I know is that the hospital staff will be anxious to cure him and check him out. When he was in the Jefferson for the brain tumor, he was unbearable and very ignorant. I wonder if Brucey Marks is visiting him.— TheShadowKnows
- Former Pennsylvania resident and followed the Senator thru his career. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. Stay strong and beat this again.— daniel kensek
- A former US senator who has accomplished a great deal more in life than most is reported to be very ill and the usual Philly.com morons climb out from the sewer to comment. Nobody has it easy in this world but for people to make some of the comments that have been posted is genuinely pathetic. If you can't wish the best for any person who is very ill then you should keep your comments to yourselves. I think the time for Philly.com to make users dislose their real names is upon us.— syddan26
- Couldn't agree with you more on all counts!
Noises are being made around the internet about requiring real names being required for posting Comments/opinions but some well-meaning people feel it's a privacy violation - hmmm.
For some of the Blogs on these pages I notice that membership in Social Media is required. Okay, but I resent the ones that rely on Facebook membership since I absolutely refuse to join that faddish club. If they included gamil login I would qualify and my real name would be available.
Not to brag but I do at least include a photo of my face with my Comments.
(Anyone who comes across me and wants to mow me down on the streets around Rittenhouse Square because of a Comment would find me an easy target.) - Hang in there Senator. Get well soon!— ghall1961
- Geez, nobody mentioned the embarrassment he was at the Anita Hill hearings....short memories.— itdepends9933
- Specter lost his way quite a few years ago, when he would take positions based on polls so he would continue as part of the DC elite. But I certainly hope he can pull through this; it does sound bad though
And I do wonder what Warren Commission secrets he'll eventually take to his grave— Polecat_39 - One of the most-articulate people living; concise and honest. The Senate lost an example of what a Senator should be. Provides a living example of high intelligence put to good use; politics aside.— Jay375
- For anyone who knows Arlen Specter, he is a man that votes on the issues, not by party. That is why he made the decision to switch parties to continue to help Pennsylvania. I am a democrat who was very involved with unions. Even though he was a republican he attended almost every union convention that I did. Not knowing his at first I steered clear of him, but he always would seek me out to say hello and tell me how nice it was to see me again. Once I learned his politics I looked forward to saying hello to him whenever we crossed paths and I voted for him many times. He was truly for the people of Pennsylvania. We should be so lucky to have someone of his ethics in office both here and elsewhere in the nation. Stay strong Arlen and remember there are people who really appreciate all the hard work you did over the years to help our state and our country.
— tshewell - Many prayers for Arlen— steve19149
- Many prayers for Arlen— steve19149
- Never like his policies.Remember his grilling of Anita Hill.Remember his promise to impeach Clinton and then he votes no impeachment.Remember his bizarre judiciary committee antics until Bush threatened to take away his chairmanship.Remember his Obamacare townhall meetings when most of us told him to vote no and he ignores us and votes yes.Remember his switching of parties thinking he'd get reelected.Remember his terrible treatment of hospital staff at Jefferson during his brain tumor stay.Remember his warren commission magic bullet crapiola.Remember his constant sulking after his senate defeat.Arlen,you didn't care about us;now we don't care about you.— streak1
- When somebody is sick, we simply wish him or her well, not judge his or her life as this is not the time to do so.— Aces high
- Only the good die young so this guy has a long time left.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Some don't get a second chance to beat cancer, very few get a third chance.— JoeC.
- Certainly wish Mr. Specter well and full recovery. Not a fan of his politics or his butchering of names during his rants on 94.1 WIP Sportstalk, but never the less, he seems like a decent and thoughtful man. Get well, but stay off the radio please!— sportsfan29
- Polecat 39,Wouldn't it be great if all politicians voted as the polls dictated.That would mean they did what the majority(the People) wanted ,not what they personally wanted.— youwish
- So it's okay for people to wish Arlen Specter death, but philly.com still won't allow people to comment on child molesters and the organization that defends it, Penn State.— mr
- Bet he has health insurance at least!— atibamanii
- youwish:
Arlen was part of the Senate, which is supposed to be more of a deliberative body. That's why there's 2 per state, regardless of population and the term is 6 years...conceptually, it was intended that the Senate not be swayed by day-to-day fluctuations in the people's feelings/opinions, and look more at the big picture.
Should an elected politician be aware of his constituency's views and feelings on important issues? Absolutely...Should the public feelings always guide how he votes or laws he proposes? Absolutely not— Polecat_39
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