Specter's switch is huge for the Senate and Democrats, but how it will effect the structure of the Senate is yet to be determined. Specter is in his fifth term now and is one of the more senior members of the Senate. Given that committee chairs are handed out based in large part on seniority, how does this affect committee assignments? Are Dems going to be booted off committees to make room for Specter? Will chairmanships shift mid session? In addition, Republican assignments will need to shift. However, GOP Senate rules make those changes more complicated.
Here are a few links to articles discussing the implications of this switch on the committee structure of the Senate that I found interesting/useful:
Washington Independent
Wall Street Journal
Talking Points Memo
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