Taking offense at being described as a “puppet” of President Bush, Sen. Arlen Specter fired back at Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday, suggesting the Nevada Democrat isn’t up to running the Senate.

Reid on Dec. 4 had blamed what he called Republican obstructionism in the Senate on allegiance to Bush.

“He is the man who is pulling the strings on the 49 puppets he has here in the Senate,” Reid said, referring to the chamber’s GOP members.

Specter, R-Pa., cried foul and declared that Reid had not only violated Senate Rule XIX, which prohibits the questioning of a senator’s integrity, but was just flat wrong.

To make his point, Specter noted that 34 Republicans voted to override Bush’s veto of a water projects bill (HR 1495), 17 supported a stem cell research measure (S 5) that Bush opposed, 18 supported a children’s health insurance bill (HR 976) Bush vetoed, and 10 supported the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill (HR 3043), despite a threatened veto.

“I really wonder if he’s up to the job when he resorts to that kind of statement, which only furthers the level of rancor and animosity with that kind of insulting comment,” Specter said.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley said it’s understandable that Republicans are sensitive about being associated with Bush.

“But the results speak for themselves when Republicans stall the process and then complain it’s not moving fast enough,” he said.

First posted Dec. 5, 2007 10:24 p.m.