Sen. Arlen Specter is a badass.

Specter, who is known for publicly calling out President… Sen. Arlen Specter is a badass.

Specter, who is known for publicly calling out President Bush and former attorney general Alberto Gonzales – both members of his own party – for mistakes made during their terms, has given a piece of his mind to another deserving victim: U.S. Airways.

Specter delivered a stern – to say the least – scolding to U.S. Airways’ top executive during a closed-door meeting in his Washington office Wednesday. The meeting was regarding the airline’s decision to cut an additional 40 flights beginning in January.

During the meeting, Specter, along with Sen. Bob Casey and nine of the state’s House members, took turns berating U.S. Airways Chief Executive Doug Parker.

“This was the most unbelievable meeting I’ve ever sat through. Half of what was said couldn’t be printed in a newspaper,” Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills, told the Post-Gazette.

It’s hard to even imagine this verbal smack down, but it sounds sweet.

After the meeting, Specter told reporters, “There are grave concerns from the Pennsylvania delegation about what U.S. Airways has done in Pittsburgh.”

What we love about Specter is that he’s not afraid to say what’s on every voter’s mind, no matter the interest of his political party. He’s one of the few members of the Senate who cuts through the crap and talks about what’s in the best interest of the Pennsylvania electorate.

When U.S. Airways singled out Pittsburgh International Airport as a hub in the ’90s, it created thousands of jobs and even inspired the design and opening of the airport’s Midfield Terminal, which now handles all of the airport’s traffic.

The airport’s new terminal, which contains a state-of-the-art Airmall, was designed for the layover traffic that comes along with hub status.

But now that U.S. Airways has cut more than 400 flights and thousands of jobs- because of high cost of fuel and the loss of millions of dollars of revenue in Pittsburgh, according to Parker – the Airmall has seen a substantial decrease in business.

U.S. Airway’s betrayal to Pittsburgh isn’t a matter of politics. It’s simple: Our government gives U.S. Airways and other popular airlines millions of dollars in subsidies so that in return, they can provide affordable and widespread air travel to our citizens. It’s not enough for airlines accepting government subsidies to claim that, “the market is shifting,” and pick and choose the cities they serve.

Until U.S. Airways stops collecting subsidies from our government, it needs to serve the interests of our voters.

We commend Sen. Specter for telling it like it is to Parker. Who knows, maybe if there were more politicians like Specter out there, our government could actually get things done.