Posted on 11/17/2004 6:06:32 PM PST by yonif
WASHINGTON (AP) — After two days of appealing to fellow GOP senators, embattled Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said he would make a public statement to assure Republicans at large he would not block anti-abortion judicial nominees from President Bush.
"I'm working on it," Specter said of the statement after receiving more Senate support despite calls from anti-abortion conservatives that he be skipped over as the next chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Specter, a moderate on abortion rights, has been trying to repair the damage caused by his postelection comment that Democrats would probably block judicial nominees who would try to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case legalizing abortion.
"And I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning," he said after the Nov. 2 election.
Since then, he has sought to reassure Republicans that he would not stand in the way of Bush's nominees if he took over the Judiciary Committee next year. The current chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is stepping down because of term limits.
Even as he campaigned to save his chairmanship, Specter lost his spot as one of the senators who must sign the compromise $388 billion spending bill being worked on by congressional negotiators. Specter, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, which wrote the spending measure, now will have less leverage in reaching a final deal.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the move "has nothing to do with the chairmanship."
Specter has gone on radio and television. He has told senators, individually and in groups, that he does not have a litmus test on abortion for judges. In addition, he has stressed that Democrats plan to filibuster against conservative judges regardless of what he does.
"People are looking to him to provide some assurance, so he'll make a statement," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who is in line, in terms of seniority, to become the committee's chairman if Specter is passed over.
Senators have said that there would have to be some kind of public reckoning for Specter to smooth over relations with abortion opponents, and to give them some political cover from the e-mails, faxes and phone calls they have been receiving.
But nothing Specter says will satisfy some conservatives, who say he has a track record of opposing their issues.
"When Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions or John Cornyn would make a great chairman, why in the world would Republicans take the great risk of trusting Specter?" said Jan LaRue, lawyer for the conservative Concerned Women for America.
Nevertheless, the Senate's No. 3 Republican, anti-abortion advocate and fellow Pennsylvanian Rick Santorum, offered Specter support.
"I expect him to keep his commitments, to move judges out of committee, and to be an advocate of the president in getting those judges passed," Santorum said.
Committee Republicans will take an official vote on his chairmanship in January. The vote can be appealed to the full GOP caucus, which heard from Specter on Wednesday.
No one would say what Specter told senators, and that includes Specter. Frist said Specter's comments "were received well."
Even before the meeting, Specter was getting public statements of support from colleagues such as Hatch, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
"He was just restating the facts about potential challenges with a Supreme Court nominee before the United States Senate," Snowe said.
His subsequent statements since Election Day, said Warner, have been "clear as a bell — no ifs, ands or buts. I think he's made clear the circumstances under which he made that statement, and he should be given the opportunity to serve."
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On the Net:
Senate Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.senate.gov
Sen. Arlen Specter: http://specter.senate.gov
Anti-Specter group: http://www.notspecter.com
Too late Arlen baby, we gotta get rid of this guy.
Wonder what you'd have to do to qualify as a liberal on this subject?
He would never lie.
</sarcasm>
Business as usual for all those hacks.
Talk the talk during elections, and once back in the seat, revert to the same good old boys freaking club where everyone scratches each others back.
Name me a man of metal, a real man to stand by his convictions up there. Call it like it is and let the chips fall where they may.
If you fully support abortion rights, you're apparently "moderate."
The only "extremists" are those who think the child should live.
Urban Sphincter...we must get rid of this guy...he has always been trouble.
that's not the issue really. If Ginsburg were to step down, say. Will he block a conservative nominee to take her place?..or will he be too chicken and only replace conservative justices w/ conservative justices?
THIS ELECTION WAS NOT ABOUT ABORTION. IT WAS NOT ABOUT ABORTION. IT WAS NOT ABOUT ABORTION.
Working on it! Working on it?!?
Working on it?!?!
In politics, if you don't feel it in your guts, prepare to get kicked in the nuts.
Hatch is the only one I know leans pro-life, Snowe? HA!
So now we are left wondering if the support shown by Hatch etc are simply for show or is Specter actually gaining ground?
Much too little, Arlen. And much, much too late.
Yeah, right.... This guy is just bluffing. More to the point he out and out lying.
Now let me get this straight: He'd kill babies at the drop of a hat -- but one thing he wouldn't stoop to is lying. Yeah, right. Specter's apparent aversion to lying reminds me of Hitler's alleged love for dogs. Big damn deal.
After two days of appealing to fellow GOP senators, embattled Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said he would make a public statement to assure Republicans at large he would not block anti-abortion judicial nominees from President Bush.
Arlen -- LYING IN PUBLIC -- again -- still. Get out Arlen, your toast!
I really don't think he is gaining, ole Booby Hatch is just showing his true colors.
Thats not enough! What will he do with issues like the 2nd amendment and protecting the scouts??!? You just cant trust this guy.
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