Likely new Senate judiciary chairman warns Bush against nominating anti-abortion judges

SFGate.com ^ | 11/03/04 | LARA JAKES JORDAN

[CrosscutSaw]

The Republican expected to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee next year bluntly warned newly re-elected President Bush on Wednesday against putting forth Supreme Court nominees who would seek to overturn abortion rights or are otherwise too conservative to win confirmation.

[MB6.3]

This is an issue that could tear us a part (Pubbies and country). The moral dilemma then is "is holding power as the principal party in the country worth compromising inherent values and beliefs?" Right now Roe v. Wade is the "law of the land". [Not sure the right to privacy is in the constitution but that's another long conversation to another dark winter's day ;-)] I'm convinced that attempting overturn this on a national level would flip the dim/rep balance in this country. Not pretty, but I think that if this was the one issue in a one issue campaign we'd be on the outside looking in in a heartbeat and spend years in the wilderness. I'm conflicted over this as I like having the WH, Senate, House and the chance to influence the Supreme Court. Ciao

[mabelkitty]

And what difference would that make?
None.
I say we call his bluff.

[jackbill]

Since the Republicans picked up 4 seats in the Senate, I suspect that the "balance" on the Judiciary Committee will change. Perhaps we might get another Republican or one less RAT. Maybe they can apply a bit of pressure on old Arlen.

[Physicist]

Hmm...nobody has yet even mentioned that Specter was the swing vote for Clinton's Assault Weapons Ban.

How do we hate him? Let us count the ways...

[inquest]

Even if he tries to pull some crap, Dubya would be the real Senate Judiciary Comm chairman and would pretty much overpower him.

Oh yeah, that's it. What's he gonna do? Smirk him to death?

[dr_who_2]

It's true. I hope the new senate gets their act together quickly and make sure that Spector doesn't get the post.

[mabelkitty]

Here is where you and I agree.
I thought it would have been better to throw him over in favor of the Dem since the unions and the libs crossed parties in the primary to help him. They actually put more effort in to getting this guy elected than getting the Dem elected.

[AmishDude]

He's ridiculous. Scalia is a legal genius. His decisions and dissents will be studied for decades.

[Jim Noble]

What do gay and lesbian liberals have to worry about abortion ANYWAY?

Because abortion and gay sex both redefine the teleology of the sex act.

"Free" sex requires abortion. Gay sex requires "free" sex.

The two causes are very closely related, despite the superficial dissimilarity.

[maquiladora]

Hmm...nobody has yet even mentioned that Specter was the swing vote for Clinton's Assault Weapons Ban.

Specter being the supreme expert of the sciense of all things ballistic of course.... /sarcasim

[mabelkitty]

You know, maybe he was already told he wasn't going to chair, got angry and made these remarks so it will look like political retribution when he is actually on the Committee of Roads and Bridges.
Maybe he said this out of anger and spite, or maybe this is strategery between he and Bush. Kinda like a good cop/bad cop shot across the bow to Kennedy, Clinton et al.

[26lemoncharlie]

Oh How well I know about the Pristine Bullet theory. It was Arlen who came up with it, He's a smart man, but id not doing what the people who sent him there wants done. If we had a Republican Gov. would agree with recall, but with Idiot Eddy Rendell in office, god only know what slobering moron Dumbocrat he wuld put in.

I have already e-mailed Santorum, about Specter BS along with the article. I can't find the e-mail link on Frist's website. I'll get him too!! Hope you will help, call or e-mail Frist to stop Specter appointment to Chair the Judiciary Committee.

[Paleo Conservative]

How can we help prevent Specter from doing this?

I was almost hoping Specter had been beaten by his RAT challenger when I saw some of the early results out of PA. He didn't win his state with as big a margin as he has previously.

[river rat]

Spector needs to be "bitch slapped" into reality, and refused ANY Senate position of responsibility...

This is the same bastard that quoted "Scottish Law" in his refusal to vote Clinton "guilty" in the Senate...failing to support his Republican brothers that had Impeached the bastard...

The President should NOT have given his support to Spector in this race --- especially if the first words of "advice" out of the bastard's mouth is to give public "advice" to the President, through the left wing rag in San Francisco...

Semper Fi.

[inquest]

First time I have ever heard of a chairman of a committee publicly warning a president of his own party about anything!

You're allowed to do that if you're a liberal. Seriously, anyone who has trouble seeing the true colors of the Republican Party right now is completely and utterly blind.

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

"Presumptive little son of a bitch, isn't he?"

Especially when you consider that he wouldn't have survived Pat Toomey's primary challenge last Spring if President Bush and Senator Santorum hadn't campaigned heavily for him.

[Paleo Conservative]

He's ridiculous. Scalia is a legal genius. His decisions and dissents will be studied for decades.

But does he know much about Scottish law?

[paul51]

He must be punch drunk from letting leahy slap him around for so many years

[mabelkitty]

I saw the Specter soundbite on Fox.
He said it, no matter who wrote it.

[Mr. Wright]

This is exactly why I did not vote for Spector here in PA!
We had a Constitutional Party Candidate; John Clymer.
I could never again vote for Spector after his "Clinton
Impeachment" debacle.