Arlen Specter left the United States Senate in 2011 after a 30 year career. Soon afterwards, he sat down for a series of extended oral history interviews with the Pennsylvania Cable Network. Specter reflects on events that take him from his Russian immigrant roots to his involvement in some of this country’s most momentous events – from his work on the Warren Commission investigating President Kennedy’s assassination to the Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton. We’re airing a selection of these interviews here on American History TV. In this excerpt, Specter talks about the 2008 financial crisis, the health care debate, his cancer diagnosis and his decision to switch political parties.