AP: Specter wants to place chairmanship question in front of Judiciary Republicans

Associated Press ^ | 11/10/04 | JESSE J. HOLLAND

[GeneralHavoc]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., wants to make his case to be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee directly to the panel's GOP members next week.

Conservative groups want senators to pass over Specter for the chairmanship because of his postelection comment that anti-abortion judges would be unlikely to be confirmed by the Senate.

Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate, has been calling and meeting with senators individually to assure them he wouldn't personally block Bush nominees from being voted on by the full Senate.

The senator now wants to go in front of the GOP's Judiciary Committee members and hash things out next week in a private meeting, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a committee member.

The GOP committee members get the first vote on whether Specter will replace current chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who is stepping down because of party-imposed term limits. Whatever decision they make can be appealed to the full GOP caucus later.

"I expect we'll sit down with him and hear what his plans are to support the president and his nominees," Cornyn said Wednesday. "The ball's in Sen. Specter's court to satisfy the Republicans on the committee and in the Republican conference."

It was not immediately known whether Hatch agreed to call the meeting or when it would be held.

Conservative groups already have announced plans to protest Specter's possible chairmanship at the Capitol next week, and are working to turn votes and the Senate leadership against his future chairmanship.

Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, said the president's judicial nominees face a "difficult Senate Judiciary Committee if Sen. Arlen Specter is elevated to the chairmanship."

But none of the GOP senators have opposed Specter publicly, while several have come to his defense.

Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., offered his support Wednesday, saying Specter "has a good case to make for why he should be chairman."

"He is someone who has stood by the president's nominees for the last four years," Gregg said. "And he's a tough guy who knows how to run a committee and is very effective. And I think he'll be a strong chairman of that committee and a great benefit to the president as chairman."

Cornyn, who met with Specter privately on Tuesday, said he also expected Specter to make some type of public announcement or assurance to confirm what he's been telling senators privately.

"I know that private conversations are sometimes remembered differently in the future," Cornyn said. "That's why it's important to memorialize things in a public fashion where everybody's clear on what the understanding is."

A public statement would also help senators who are being flooded with calls and e-mails from anti-abortion groups. "I have a responsibility to them to tell them this is why I voted to support Sen. Specter's chairmanship," Cornyn said.

If those things happen, "I think he is likely to be confirmed," Cornyn said.

[GeneralHavoc]

Looks like we need more calls to these guys. We don't care what Specter tells them or us, as he has NO credibility.

Conservatives can trust Arlen Specter about as far as they can throw Ted Kennedy...

Senator Orrin Hatch 202-224-5251
Senator Charles Grassley 202-224-3744
Senator Jon Kyl 202-224-4521
Senator Mike DeWine 202-224-2315
Senator Jeff Sessions 202-224-4124
Senator Lindsey Graham 202-224-5972
Senator Larry Craig 202-224-2752
Senator Saxby Chambliss 202-224-3521
Senator John Cornyn 202-224-2934

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

It's too late Arlen. You're toast. Call Trent Lott for the number to BET. Maybe you can go on Tavis Smiley's old show and try to save your ass.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Specter wants this post so he can cause trouble and create his "legacy." To hell with that.

[newzjunkey]

Bottomline for me here is this guy came out and said, in essense, "I absolutely have a pro-abortion litmus test," and that's entirely unexceptable.

[Carry_Okie]

Who are the swing votes on that list?

[Continental Soldier]

Specter is a liar and a snake in the political grass. Not only that, but he is a fool, as well -- just look to his vote in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Send this boy off to Scotland as soon as possible!

[LibWhacker]

. . . to assure them he wouldn't personally block Bush nominees from being voted on . . .

No, he'd do it in conjunction with his democrat friends. Double-talking POS.

[RWR8189]

The old Scot is done.

[traviskicks]

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005875


I think he'll be fine....

[Fatalis]

A public statement would also help senators who are being flooded with calls and e-mails from anti-abortion groups. "I have a responsibility to them to tell them this is why I voted to support Sen. Specter's chairmanship," Cornyn said.

"I need to be able to cover my ass with the folks back home."

[sarasota]

What can he possibly say to the "panel" that they haven't already heard? He keeps repeating the same lines from his script and saying it loud and long isn't going to change anything.

[AlGone2001]

"But none of the GOP senators have opposed Specter publicly, while several have come to his defense."

Read my entire post before you flame me.

I don't mean to to oppose your ideas, but it's evident that Specter is going to get the job.

My thinking is we'll simply have to watch it happen and trust he'll keep his word now that it's such a public deal.

I'm not a Specter man, but it just looks like all we are going to be able to do is apply enough pressure on all of them to let them know we are watching.

In all honesty, the public has never applied this much pressure to this committee. They need more of it. For the record, I will call my senator (Chambliss) tell him I want Specter avoided for chairmanship.

[hattend]

Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate,

AP-speak: Moderate = Pro-abort.

sheesh

[newzjunkey]

Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate

Ridiculous! Look it comes down like this... Keyes is anti-abortion fanatic, advocating no exceptions which makes Bush an abortion rights moderate for supporting exceptions like rape, incest and life of the mother. Boxer, embracer of any and all abortion, would be an abortion rights fanatic. Spector is disturbingly close to Boxer's position although at some point he did vote for a partial-birth abortion ban.

[MeanWestTexan]

Don't forget Ed Gillespie, head of the GOP.

Office of the Chairman
Ed Gillespie, Chairman
Maria Cino, Deputy Chairman
Phone: 202-863-8700
Fax: 202-863-8774
Email: Chairman@gop.com

[snopercod]

Thanks for listing the numbers again. I'll call them all tomorrow.

[Howlin]

"But none of the GOP senators have opposed Specter publicly, while several have come to his defense."

Who?

[snopercod]

Oh, I forgot to ask. How is "Kyl" pronounced? ...to avoid embarassment, you know.

[Howlin]

What can he possibly say to the "panel" that they haven't already heard?

Of all the things he has said that infuriated me, the one that nearly drove me off the cliff was when he said that the same "forces" that were after him in Pennsylvania were the ones objecting to him now!

Wrong. If PA is stupid enough to vote for him, that's not MY problem; THIS is.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Let Specter have a public "town hall" meeting with Freepers!

[hattend]

Kyl

Pretty sure it's "Kile" as I have heard him on Ingraham and Hannity.

[Cicero]

If Daschle were a team player, he would gracefully back down and accept some other post.

But he has never been a team player in his life.

[syriacus]

Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate

He thinks little humans should be maimed, but not killed?

[Cicero]

If Daschle were a team player

I mean if Specter were a team player. Talk about Freudian slips!

[cgk]

Comment on the article, and agreeing with you,... my input:

Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate,

Slight Article correction: Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate cheerleader. He goes along with the crowd. Voting against the partial birth abortion ban would've been political suicide, as would voting against the Laci & Connor law. He also signed the following letter to the President..

---

Feinstein's website: 58 Senators Call on President Bush to Expand Policy That Limits Federal Funding of Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Arlen Specter on Abortion

• Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
• Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
• Voted NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
• Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
• Voted NO on disallowing overseas military abortions. (May 1999)
• Rated 21% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
• Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004),

  ---

[snopercod]

Thanks.

[TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl]

I was struck by that too. Exactly what's an abortion rights moderate? Somebody who is for abortions but doesn't think it's murder? Or maybe somebody who thinks it's okay if they're only killed a little bit?

[NRA2BFree]

It looks like Cornyn hasn't got the message yet. It's time to make more calls to him and the others! I can't believe they would even THINK about confirming him now. We have to make an example out of Specter!! To let these Senator's ignore us, will mean they will NEVER listen to the will of the people! We would lose everything we just gained in the election.

[AlGone2001]

"Thanks for listing the numbers again. I'll call them all tomorrow."

You might as well call tonight, or wait until Friday.

I called Sen. Chambliss' office a short while ago and left a VM. The recording said they are closed tomorrow in observance of Veterans Day.

[reformed_democrat]

The press is trying to convince conservatives that the fight against Specter is useless. They want things to go back to normal -- "We Report, You Shut Up."

No one on the Judiciary Committee has come out in defense of Specter, and I doubt anyone will. If any one of the Republicans on the Committee were behind Specter, he would have made a statement to that effect already.

These Senators are getting swamped with phone calls. All they have to do to stop it is say, "Specter gets the job, I support him." All I hear are < crickets >.

[montag813]

TAKE SPECTER OUT NOW!!!

[reformed_democrat]

If you read Cornyn's comments outside the context of the AP story, you'll read, "Specter is telling everyone, off the record, that he won't block Bush's nominees. We're supposed to believe that, if he were to publicly state, 'I will not block Bush's nominees,' his Main Line Philadelphia constituents would eat him alive. I'm not buying it. Either he makes a public promise, or he's toast."

AP just wants to keep this alive and cause dissent in the conservatives ranks. Call your Senators, but be respectful. I don't think they back Specter, but they're abiding by the Old-Boy-Network rules, and not publicly trashing him.

[McGavin999]

Kyl sounds like Tile

[Quix]

GEORGE SOROS IS A WELL KNOWN BIG FUNDER OF SPECTER AND SPECTER'S CAMPAIGNS.

Here's a bit of info on some of Soros' recent statements somewhat openly, evidently. They should send a child down every American's spine:

---

This week is also part of the Muslim High Holy month, they are praying for another supper strike and are in a fast and prayer mounted strategy to turn our minds to other things to keep us from focusing on the more hidden agenda's that we are facing. Tomorrow night (wed.) they call the night of power as it is to empower the people to be martyrs of their faith.

One major one is that the proponents of the New world order status are livid right now, at the loss of the election and the pushing back of their agenda to take the US under the UN's strong arm and are already devising a plan to throw us into a financial crisis.

Men like George Soros verbally spoke to this very issue last month while in Des Moines. As others asked his timetable to initiate the world order coming in....He made direct inference that it must come very soon now....and stated, "I must intervene in Mr. Bush's running of this nation."

People cheered and those with him spoke of their mounting military personnel forming a new international coalition of ambasserial and military personnel together to represent the new order that is coming into place soon.

Christians WAKE UP......we are very naive to say the least....and I have uncovered several things that show the subversive agenda's coming into place around the nation today. Many are being orchestrated right here in Iowa.....

One thing many are not aware of is, the Stock Market is the major target and without anyone to stop the man....Mr. Soros has broken several national currencies in smaller nations in order to flex his muscles on seeing just how he could control governments without being caught or truly detected.

It is an extortionist mentality to force governments to concede to demands of shifting policies to favor his running political directions of the Nations. His self proclaimed goal is to initiate open societies and he has started multi level and dimensional tax free organizations that will accommodate this work initiating the new world orders agenda over the US.

He pulled this same short fuse over Great Britain, when I was living there several years ago when he manipulated the buying of stocks and made billions of dollars instigate unrest in the nation and it threw a huge furor into the EU against England. They were furious, but did nothing about it as Mr. Soros has so many behind him. He is totally the man behind the scenes to bring down international economic stability.

He is planning on this now in America and it is said...that if he tries this....by Jan....our currency will drop so drastically in the world markets, it will start a major depression and an ensuing crisis will follow. Republican president or not.....Economic upheavals will bring the nation to our knees and invite a spiral of events to thrust us into the greatest vulnerability for take over that we have ever had in our lifetime.

From a Christian newsletter via Meri Burlingame's AP list, as I recall.

[Quix]

I strongly agree.

Specter is horrid. His WHOLE TRACK RECORD IS HORRID.

His words are no more meaningful than LYING SHRILLERY'S.

[NRA2BFree]

I won't even accept his public promise, because there would be NO WAY for us to stop him, if he went back on his word. We simply can't take the chance. His word means nothing. His record tells his true stand. He's a RINO if I ever saw one.

[kittymyrib]

That pale WASP Cornyn is begging to be a one-term senator from Texas at this rate. He is totally unimpressive and unTexan.

[Quix]

My take on the Specter thing at this point is . . . given the waffly, wimpy responses of so many Seantors . . . the puppet masters MUST be applying some pressure OR the pressure they've routinely applied making their will known has been sufficient to generate such kowtowing regarding Specter.

Soros' statements recently are extremely sobering. I'd thought that Bush getting in would give us another 2-4 years' delay in the global government being forced on us. It is beginning to appear that the puppet masters are more impatient than they've historically been. At least Soros is.

I'm almost AS alarmed at some of those hereon who are so tolerant of Specter. I don't know if it's out of ignorance, naivity or just unbelief in the facts.

[smokeyb]

just look to his vote in the impeachment of Bill Clinton

We can't forget Rick in this either:

Excerpts from 'Sellout' - Schippers on impeachment:

Finally Senator Lott and Republican Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania entered and sat at the head of a big rectangular table. Lott leaned back in his chair with a power lean that said, "I'm in charge." I'll never forget the very first words out of his mouth: "Henry, you're not going to dump this garbage on us."

"Huh?" came the bewildered reply from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, Republican of Illinois.

"You're not going to dump this garbage on us."

[Theodore R.]

It could also be that "deep down" many of these Republican senators really don't have the commitment to conservatism the way the popular Arlen Specter has to Republican liberalism. So they want to "go along to get along." Mistake. We will surely get another Souter in time.

[Theodore R.]

Cornyn was a judge and then attorney general before winning the Gramm Senate seat in 2002. I never did understand his appeal: perhaps he "looks like a senator."

[Theodore R.]

I suspect that these senators won't say a word, but they will quietly in bloc (including Sessions) vote for Arlen Specter. They are conditioned to do so. Sessions will feel that he has to support Specter to show that he does not hold a grudge.

[sinkspur]

If those things happen, "I think he is likely to be confirmed," Cornyn said.

If Cornyn supports him, Specter's in.

[Quix]

Well said.

[longtermmemmory]

Specter is trying to push the committee into a corner after nobody would give him any support.

Anouncing this move publicly is an effort to blackmail the conservatives with bad PR. Bad news for specter, this is a bonehead move with will only gain him an office next to jumpin jim jeffords.

I hope Hatch does not cave into this.

[longtermmemmory]

So who is FOURTH in line for the chairmanship?

Have him throw his hat in the ring and it is done.

[sport]

I heard on Hugh Hewitt that the Republicans were going to give him the Chairmanship.

If they do they deserve everything he does to them.

I believe that he is a liar who can't be trusted and his true thoughts came out in his outburst.

I believe that he now saying what he thinks it will tke to get him the Committee Chair.

Knowing how the Country Club Republicans operate, I believe that they will give it to him.

Oh well, there is another election in 2006. I can remember that far back.

[Delphinium]

All of us need to call again, and again if we have to.

[Libertina]

The senator now wants to go in front of the GOP's Judiciary Committee members and hash things out next week in a private meeting, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a committee member.
You mean a private meeting like the one he DIDN'T have the courtesy to give President Bush when Arlen had opinions to give about abortion? No, Good ole' liberal Spectre should go down in flames for all to see in the media. Maybe others will get the hint and get on board before shooting ungrateful backstabbing their mouthes off.