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Politicians remember the life of Arlen Specter

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Pennsylvania's longest serving U.S. Senator will be buried Tuesday. Arlen Specter passed away Sunday at the age of 82.

Specter died at his home in Philadelphia after a battle with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. His funeral is Tuesday in Penn Valley.

He served in the senate for 30 years, and many current politicians are reflecting on his legacy.

Arlen Specter will be remembered as the longest serving Pennsylvania senator, in his 30 years he ran on both the Republican and Democratic ticket. Former Governor Ed Rendell calls Specter a political institution.

“No one served Pennsylvania like Specter did, possibly Ben Frankiln, he was an outstanding public official,” explained Romney.

He came from Kansas, served in the Air Force and then studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale.

In five terms as a Republican, he saw the passage of hundreds of bills, oversight on the judiciary committee and confirmed several Supreme Court judges.

Specter drew controversy in the early 90s when he grilled Anita Hill over her sexual harassment claims. That wasn't unusual, as specter seldom shied away from controversy.

He ran for President in 1995, dropping out shortly before the primaries to support Bob Dole. He voted against party lines, most notably perhaps in 2009 when as a Republican he voted for Obamacare.

In April 2009, he announced he was leaving the Republican Party. He ran for a sixth term as a Democrat, losing the 2010 primary to then Representative Joe Sestak.

His career in the United States Senate ended January 3, 2011.

Specter’s longest role though, was husband. He was married to his wife Joan for 56 years, they had two sons. Again his funeral is Tuesday.

Lawmakers and other officials who worked with former U.S. Senator Arlen Specter are still remembering him, including Governor Corbett.

CBS 21 News caught up with U.S. Senator Pat Toomey while he was in Harrisburg Monday, he called Specter an extraordinary individual. "He is a guy who was really talented, as I discovered first hand."



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