Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Friends of former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter trace his centrist politics to a childhood spent in the only Jewish family in small-town Kansas.

They say that fueled the late politician's tolerance and tenacity, skills he honed as he crossed party lines and served 30 years in the U.S. Senate. That's longer than anyone else from his adopted home state of Pennsylvania.

Specter's funeral Tuesday in suburban Philadelphia drew Vice President Joe Biden and scores of other political luminaries.

Specter died at his Philadelphia home Sunday at age 82 after a third bout with cancer.

Biden says he's never seen anyone with as much physical and political courage.