Newly-Minted Democrat Arlen Specter Wins Subcommittee Chairmanship

Washington Post: Under the deal, which Senate Democratic aides outlined this morning, Senate Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) (D-Ill.) would give up the gavel of the prestigious post, which holds jurisdiction over most Justice Department activities. Durbin would take over a newly restored human rights subcommittee, which was dissolved at the beginning of the current 111th Congress because none of the committee members were available to run it.