Posted on 11/12/2004 3:17:16 AM PST by Former Military Chick
Focus on the Family, the Christian conglomerate based in Colorado Springs, intensified its efforts Wednesday to ensure that U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter does not become head of the powerful Judiciary Committee.
Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, angered conservatives when he said after the election that the committee was unlikely to approve Supreme Court nominees who might overturn the Roe vs. Wade abortion ruling.
His remarks caused a furor in the evangelical Christian community, which is flexing its muscle after being credited in large part with ensuring President Bush's re-election.
"This flies in the face of those 'values voters' that ushered the president down the aisle into a second term," said Tony Perkins, who heads the conservative Family Research Council. His remarks came Wednesday on the radio program hosted by Focus on the Family head James Dobson, who has spearheaded the movement against Specter's committee chairmanship.
On the same broadcast, Focus on the Family Action Vice President Tom Minnery urged listeners to call Republican senators and demand that Specter's advancement be blocked. Focus on the Family Action is the nonprofit's political counterpart.
"We've been getting a pretty high volume of calls for and against (Specter)," said Stephen Myers, spokesman for Sen. Wayne Allard.
The issue already has a Web site, www.notspecter.com. Conservative and evangelical bloggers say the Senate should "Bork" Specter - a reference to 1987, when a Democrat-dominated Senate Judiciary Committee blocked the nomination of conservative Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork.
As a senior member of the committee, Specter is in line to succeed Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, who is at the end of his six-year term limit as chairman. The committee is in the spotlight because Bush may have the opportunity to appoint as many as four new Supreme Court justices during his second term.
Beth Ganz, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, said the fact that Specter's chairmanship is even in jeopardy "shows just how extreme and in lockstop with the far right" the Senate is becoming.
Specter, a moderate who was re-elected to his fifth term this year, has found himself on the defensive.
Wednesday's Wall Street Journal carried a piece by Specter outlining his votes to confirm several pro-life judicial nominees.
"I led the fight to confirm Justice Clarence Thomas, which almost cost me my Senate seat in 1992," Specter wrote.
The Rev. Ted Haggard, who heads the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, left Wednesday for Washington, D.C., where he has a meeting scheduled at the White House. But while Haggard said he hopes Bush will appoint pro-life justices, he also said that Specter won't be the focus of his discussions in Washington.
In fact, said Haggard, "Specter seems to have some evidence in his voting record past that would indicate he could be even-handed" when it comes to approving Supreme Court nominees.
But Focus on the Family senior policy analyst Carrie Gordon Earll said Specter's record is not good enough.
"He's clearly grasping at straws," she said of Specter's recent comments. "Tradition is not a good enough reason to risk putting someone into that position who may or may not come through."
floriog@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-2361
Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
enough said
Moderate = someone who supports infanticide but has not personally wielded the coat hanger. - Liberal Dictionary of Doublespeak
Already written my letter and sent it , Its time Republicans spoke up and used our mandate. RINO's need to be served their notice , get in line or look forward to being replaced.
When a "journalist" identifies liberal anti-life socialists like Specter as "moderate", it is a revelation that the writer seeks to deceptively propagandize rather than provide fair reporting.
The writer conveniently leaves out the fact that Specter was the #1 reason Bork wasn't confirmed.
"The Rev. Ted Haggard, who heads the New Life Church in Colorado Springs,"
Sounds like the Rev. Ted needs to be better informed about Specter. If he's going to meet at the White House, someone in Colorado Springs needs to let him know the real danger of letting Specter chair the committee.
Any volunteers out there?
(Wish Bork would have a long talk with Ted.)
This is another reason why Specter can not be trusted with the Judiciary committee chairmanship.
Block Specter ~ Bump!
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