By Kathleen Hunter, CQ Staff

In politics — as in life — time apparently heals all wounds.

Female Democratic senators who once used Sen. Arlen Specter ’s treatment of Anita Hill to fuel a feminist rallying cry have joined their male colleagues in welcoming the former Republican from Pennsylvania into their caucus last week, citing his work on behalf of women’s issues.

Specter’s aggressive questioning of Hill during Clarence Thomas ’ 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings earned Specter the nickname “Snarlin’ Arlen,” made him a prime target of women’s groups and helped usher a wave of women into Congress in 1992.

One of those women, Sen. Patty Murray , D-Wash., has said she was spurred to run for the Senate after watching the Thomas hearings, which took place before an all-male Judiciary Committee. Hill accused her former boss Thomas of sexual harassment — and Specter called her testimony “flat-out perjury.”

But Murray, who as conference secretary is now the top-ranking woman in the Senate Democratic leadership, says her view of Specter has changed.

“Obviously, when you work with somebody and you know that they go to work and fight for some of the same things you believe in, that reflects on how you feel about them,” Murray said. She cited Specter’s advocacy of the Violence Against Women Act and efforts to boost health funding as examples of issues on which they had worked together.

“I certainly know Arlen Specter from a lot of legislation that I’ve worked on with him since I’ve been here . . . and I respect him for that,” she said.

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski , D-Md., who was one of just two women in the Senate when Thomas was confirmed, was highly critical of her male colleagues’ treatment of Hill, who Mikulski said was unfairly victimized. But, like Murray, Mikulski welcomed Specter into the Democratic fold, citing his efforts as an appropriator, having worked to greatly increase funding for the National Institutes of Health.

“There were many things — of course about the Anita Hill thing . . . but at the same time, there are many things that Sen. Specter has done to help women,” Mikulski said.

Still, women’s groups are nervous about Specter’s switch. Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, said Specter is still “notorious among women’s rights advocates for his appalling treatment of Anita Hill.” Gandy said she had gotten a barrage of calls from NOW members since Specter’s announcement.

“They have very long memories,” she said.