Obama orders flag flown at half-staff in honor of Sen. Specter

President Obama has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff in honor of former Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), who died over the weekend.

Obama issued the presidential proclamation on Monday as "a mark of respect for the memory of Arlen Specter."

Flags will be flown at half-mast on Tuesday at the White House, military buildings and public grounds in the District of Columbia as well as United States embassies and consular offices.

Specter died Sunday. In response, Obama quickly released a statement recognizing the senator's time in office.

"Arlen Specter was always a fighter," Obama said of the senator, who over his tenure in Congress caucused with both Democrats and Republicans. "He brought that same toughness and determination to his personal struggles, using his own story to inspire others."

Specter died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma Sunday morning at age 82. He served on Capitol Hill for 30 years.

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