Pa. senator visits Fels Institute

Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Spector spoke at the Fels Institute of Government last Friday on topics ranging from the possible war with Iraq to his penchant for Boca Burgers. The Republican senator addressed the audience by voicing his opinions on the current situation in the Middle Eastern nation. "Right now, we're in a very very unpredictable course, and the conventional wisdom says there's going to be war," Spector said. Spector's speech was met with praise. "He did an outstanding job," said Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, a professor at the Fels Institute and former Pennsylvania congresswoman. "I was impressed with his solid intellect. He is a fair person." Senator Spector supports military action in Iraq and is "optimistic that we'll get a second resolution passed authorizing the use of force." However, when Saddam Hussein begins to feel the pressure of the massive military buildup, Spector hopes that he will back down. "There's no doubt that he's brutal and he's venal and he's gassed his own people, but I do not think that he's suicidal," Spector said. Spector believes that Hussein should ultimately be tried in an international court as a war criminal charged with crimes against humanity. Spector is one of the few senators who has met with Hussein, as he was part of a special delegation that visited Iraq in the mid-1990s following the Persian Gulf War. Students who were in attendance appreciated the senator's candidness. "I was glad that he spoke about his position on Iraq," Wharton freshman Daniel Cope said. "He clarified U.S. goals for going there." Human Relations Professor Lawrence Sherman, director of the Fels Institute, hailed Specter as a moderate who is "the major linchpin between [the Republican and Democratic] intransigent forces," and is able to find "common ground" in an era of heightened partisanship. The speech was followed by a question-and-answer period. In addition to inquiries about Iraq, Spector fielded questions dealing with reparations for slavery, judicial appointments, affirmative action in the college admission process and the fate of Trent Lott. "I think Senator Lott was treated unjustly," Spector said. Many negative racial sentiments "all got dumped on Trent Lott." Amidst his commentary on these serious issues, Spector lightened the mood with his answer to a student's question about one of his favorite foods -- Boca Burgers, the soy-based alternative to beef hamburgers. "Take a Boca Burger and put a very thin slice of onion and mustard," Spector suggested as the best way to enjoy the meal. Spector, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Penn in 1951, encouraged students to pursue careers in public service. "We are living in a complex and dangerous world," Spector said. "We need to bring as much talent as we can to the public sector." Staff writer Luke Tay contributed to this report.

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