Posted on 11/15/2004 1:04:53 PM PST by hinterlander
Republican senators who support Sen. Arlen Specter's bid to chair the Judiciary Committee could face retribution from disgruntled conservative and Christian voters, warned Dr. James Dobson in an interview Monday with HUMAN EVENTS.
Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family Action, a political group he organized to help re-elect President Bush, said Specter is frantically trying to save his spot atop the Judiciary Committee after suggesting Bush shouldn't bother nominating pro-life judges.
Specter has since distanced himself from his November 3 comments, but the protests against him haven't diminished. For the second straight weekend, he appeared on Sunday morning news programs trying to allay fears voiced by activists like Dobson.
"It may not be possible to derail Senator Specter," Dobson conceded to HUMAN EVENTS, "but if they [Republican senators] don't do that, I think it ought to be very clear that when the senator reneges on his promise to do the right thing, it's going to be remembered."
Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee are expected to meet with Specter this week, which will be followed by a secret vote taken in January to elect a chairman. Their offices have been inundated with phone calls protesting Specter's possible promotion.
GOP-imposed term limits are forcing Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah) to step down as the committee's chairman. Next in line is Sen. Chuck Grassley (R.-Iowa), who would rather lead the Finance Committee than Judiciary, leaving Specter with the most seniority.
"He's been out there for the last week on every show that would invite him," Dobson said of the Pennsylvania senator. "He's been trying to save his chairmanship by bobbing and weaving and telling us that he didn't mean what he said when he said what he meant."
Dobson has used his radio program, which reaches 7 million listeners per week, to rail against Specter's possible ascension. Other conservative and Christian interest groups are protesting as well, including a scheduled demonstration Tuesday at the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.).
"We're certainly going to do everything we can to let people know that Senator Specter not only threatens the court, but he is also the champion of stem-cell research and he is opposed to protection of marriage within the Constitution," Dobson said. "This man is going to be in an extremely powerful position to oppose most of what President Bush was elected to do. That is irritating a large number of people."
Dobson said Specter owes his victory to Bush, who chose to campaign with him instead of his more conservative Republican primary opponent, Rep. Pat Toomey. Specter narrowly beat Toomey by a little more than 17,000 votes in the April primary.
"He was very clear about what his intentions are," Dobson said in reference to Specter's November 3 remarks. "It's not only the court, he stands in opposition to just about everything the President ran on in terms of the moral and social agenda. How arrogant is that?"
Robert B. Bluey is Assistant Editor for HUMAN EVENTS
I explained this to you once. Exit polls are asked of people as they leave the polling place. There are many questions on the Exit Poll Questionare. Two of the questions asked were, "VOTE BY RELIGION" and "WHITE EVANGELICAL/BORN-AGAIN?" They are two different questions. Get it?! LOL
Where did I say that? You're the only going off the deep end here; I merely pointed out that that 23 perecent if inclueded in the VOTE BY RELIGION cateogry; it's a SUBCATEOGY. You need to admit that that 23 percent is NOT a separate group of people voting for Bush.
Don't be disingenuous.
I provided you with a link to an article that published what the Pew Research Center said.
And I suggest you do a search on Krauthammer; you'll be REAlLY surprised.
I rarely hit abuse. Only do it in the most egregious cases.
That is absolutely NOT true.
Pathetic!
There is NO sub-catagory! The 23% are the total amount of voters, who took part in the Exit Poll Questionare, that identified themselves as "WHITE EVANGELICAL/BORN-AGAIN?", AKA. members of the "Religious Right". I don't see why you're having difficulty grasping the data contained in the exit polling from 2000 and 2004. This is basic stuff.
I'm still not holding my breath...
*snicker*
Never tattle to Jim, either, do you?
That is absolutely true! What do you think that 23% stands for? In 2000 it was 14%. That's a 9% increase in votes cast by members of the Religious Right.
And the one link you provided me contains nothing that rebutts the exit polling data I supplied from 2000 and 2004.
That's ricidulous. First they ask you if what religion you are and you identify WHICH religion.
And THEN they ask you if you consider yourself to be what is called born-again.
Obviously you've never been polled.
Born-Again is not a cateogry like Protestant, Jewish, Catholics, Other, or None.
All the 23 means is that 23 percent of the people who consider themselves a member of a religion believe themselves to be born-again.
In fact, it's not even the same question:
In 2000, ABC has "Do you consider yourself part of the conservative Christian political movement, also known as the religious right?"
You can consider yourself part of the religious right without being born-again.
It stand for the 23 percent of ALL religions who consider themselves BORN AGAIN and/or Evangelicals.
[Dobson shut the hell up... we'll take care of Arlen in our own way.]
Sounds like you have a few "issues" with God....I don't see what harm Mr. Dobson is doing. But I have noticed lately alot of people don't want to be seen as some of those "Jesus Freaks". As for me...you can call me a "Jesus Freak" ANYTIME!!!
My guess, whoever composed this puff piece didn't know where the collar counties were, nor that they are usually carried by Republican's by 65% to 70%. A 47% showing is/was less than spectacular.
Here's hoping all those contributions were well spent.
Mr. Dodson is NOT God, FGS.
BTW, these are the exit polls that gave the victory to Kerry that we're all so excited about, are they not?
Your point?
Wrong again.
>>>>Born-Again is not a cateogry like Protestant, Jewish, Catholics, Other, or None.
Of course it is. You can deny it all you want. Evangelical, born again Christian, Christian conservative are all members of the so-called Religious Right. And in 2000 they constituted 14% of the votes. In 2004, they constituted 23%. The exit poll questions are specific.
You're the one attempting to twist the truth and its not working. For years the figure of 20%-25% has been tossed around when trying to define the percentage of Americans who identfy with the Religious Right. Looks like in 2004, most of the Religious Right came out to vote and 78% voted for Bush.
Ah, yeah.
Some people think he is. I do listen to Focus on the Family and sometimes I get annoyed but not everyone has to agree with me *LOL*
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