Perhaps the old-line GOPers are threatened by the likes of Tom Coburn and the other incoming GOP Freshmen and suddenly woke up with a pair of testicles.
If you read Specter's final statement, he even hinted that the GOP has the 51 votes to do this. That has to send chills down the Democrats spines.
Ok, where on the net can you listen to Tony?
If they had a spine, they would have sent Specter packing. I hope I'm wrong and they do get more aggressive, but Bill Lott-like Frist blew it by not taking a decisive action.
In the face of the US dollar reaching an all time low against the Euro, President Bush is poised to sign off on an increase in the Fed debt limit.
The Republicans haven't grown a spine, they've acquired the beer muscle of a mob of drunken sailors.
No offense to sailors intended.
Trent "Invertebrate" Lott has always talked a good game.
I have never seen him actually follow through on his tough talk. He needs a little less talk, and a lot more action.
Trent Lott was a very balsy guy back when he was a Representative. He totally became a panty-waist when he became a Senator, especially over the whole Impeachment debacle and his reaction to his "racist" Strom Thurmond statement. So, if he's growing some stones again, good to hear, but let's see if he and Frist can walk the walk once the NY Times and Wash Post call them every name in the book.
No. They haven't.
Specter will be Judiciary chairman.
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1283207/posts
Are they going to fight for the smaller, lower spending, less intrusive government that they talk about in their platform? If so, then yes, they have grown a spine. If no, the only thing growing is their noses.
As a strong opponent of Specter's appointment to Chair the Judiciary Committee and having observed and participated in GOP politics for a number of years; and, I might add, being familiar with the GOP chronic lack of spine, a lay GOP supporter can only hope it is an indication that, finally, there is a spinal embryo there. I, too, saw the press conference, after the fact, on C-Span last night-there certainly seemed to be a lot of contrition and solemnity in the occasion. But, we'll see.
If the Specter spectacle was any indication, the answer is thus far NO.
However, the true GOP Spinal Litmus Test will be revealed when (and if) conservative Supreme Court Justices are appointed and (cough, hack)...approved.
Every six months or so Trent Lott comes out with a ferocious speech and then that's the last we hear from him. History suggests that he never follows through. That's basically why he lost his leadership position, because when the Dems attacked him he had very few conservative supporters. He had just caved in too often, always in the clinch.
Many of us have speculated that hillary has blackmail materials on him, which were used at the time of the impeachment. Indeed, there have been rumors what they are.