Posted on 11/05/2004 6:28:01 AM PST by Always Right
Specter Retreats: Specter denied yesterday that he threatened Bush on judge nominees. Don’t buy it. Specter knows that he got too arrogant and stepped into a hornets nest. Specter’s statement that, “I have never and would never apply any litmus test on the abortion issue,” just is not true. Specter has made it clear that he considers Roe v. Wade as Constitutional as the First Amendment. When the rubber hits the road, this is a litmus test for Specter. A few token votes to save his behind doesn’t change that a bit. Never forget what he did to Bork. In words and actions, Sen. Specter is no different than President NON-elect Kerry.
The BUZZ on this issue was outstanding. Discussions were all over talk radio, cable TV, and the internet. Several reports of phone calls flooding Senators offices were made. Reportedly, Sen. Frist grilled Sen. Specter on this and told him flatly that the Judiciary Chairmanship is not guaranteed. Folks, this is winnable. We can not let this issue die.
Today’s goal is to STRATEGIZE. Things we know:
1. Sen. Hatch must resign the Chairmanship because GOP rules forbid him to hold it for more than 8 years.
2. Sen. Grassley is next in line, but because he is Finance Chairman he is forbidded to have both.
3. Sen. Specter is next in line, followed by Sen. Kyl who would make an excellent Chairman.
4. Seniority on Committee gives priority, but it still must be voted on. We need to find out the when, what, where, and how behind this vote.
There is an effort to try to persuade Grassley to resign his Finance Chairmanship and take the Judiciary. I support this. It’s a clean way to resolve this without changing the rules or ruffling of too many feathers. But having Grassley give up the coveted Finance Chair is a big if.
Let’s keep in mind the real goal here too as we strategize. We want Bush to appoint good conservative judges who will not go along with the judicial activism that currently runs rabid in our courts. There are two obstacles to this.
1. Democrat Filibusters.
2. Specter as Chairman of Judiciary.
The next 60 will determine how big the obstacles will be. In my opinion, what happens over the next 60 days are the most critical. We need to establish a clean path so Bush’s appointed judges can get voted on the full floor of the Senate. We must keep up the pressure on our Senators. If we let it die now, nothing will be done and we will have lost the best opportunity of our lives to make a difference in our Courts.
There is a preliminary petition at that is being worked on here. Please review it. Pro-Life Petition to Block Sen. Arlen Specter.
bump
the petitions are not mine. there is another one in post 40. IMHO, these petitions should not overly emphasis pro-life or they will fall on death ears.
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I agree. I just put it out there for evaluation. Grassley makes sense in that it is the easiest route to the goal of replacing Specter. Kyl makes sense as the much better choice. anybody is better than Specter.
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Please don't focus on this. It Is Not Clear This Is The Easiest Route. The easiest route might be to challenge Frist to get the inside track on the 2008 nomination by bouncing Specter from that committee and re-assigning him elsewhere. Frist could be persuaded this gives him an edge in the primaries.
I haven't mentioned pro-life in my emails from yesterday.
Sadly, there is a lot of nonsense and hyperbole making the rounds on this. Many freepers refuse to listen and learn the facts before jump-starting their mouths. What is most evident is a fundamental lack of understanding of how the Senate works and the institutional norms during and following a presidential honeymoon. If you don't understand what that even means, go pick up a civics book and come back later.
1. Grassley has already said NO, he will not give up the Finance chair for Judiciary. No one in his/her right mind would. Give it a rest, for God's sake.
2. Specter will get the job done for the President. The MSM is already trying to create a wedge between the moderates and the conservatives. Don't be a fool to their games. Specter understands perfectly well that Bush saved his ass. He will play ball. Moreover, Specter provides a tremendous foil for Bush with the media -- if Specter is supporting these Bush nominees, then they cannot be that bad.
3. The Senate committee ratios will change with the expanded majority - Judiciary will go to 11-9 or 10-8 GOP from the current 10-9. Specter's vote may be irrelevant in some cases to favorably reporting judges to the floor.
4. As to the comment earlier that the RATS will continue to filibuster judicial nominees, this is nonsense, and truly reflective of how little understanding there is of how the Senate works, and the ramifications of the Daschle defeat. The RATS no longer have the votes. Our starting number is now 55, not 51. We have the crossover votes to break every filibuster.
The concern over Specter is tremendously overblown. He will pleasantly surprise a lot of conservatives and lead Bush's judidicial appointments to successful confirmations.
BUMP
Coburn should get the Judiciary vacancy if he wants it. He'd be great there on pro-life issues.
bttt
Frist has increased our majority in the Senate twice now (in 02 and 04). A little bit of gratitude and respect are in order.
Now that's taken care of, feel free to blast fax him all day about Specter.
Oh come on... we can do better than that! I've seen vanity posts with more responses (grin) Lets shut it down from overload!
The quote isn't mine.
The issue is getting judges that will apply the literal language of the Constitution together with the actual body of documentary history that spells out the original intent of the framers. If the people want to amend the constitution to provide that murder by the mother is ok, they are free to do that and if they can get such an amendment enacted, it is the law of the land. (Immoral under God's Law, but the law of the US.) Think they would have some trouble doing this.
Roe v. Wade was decided on the facts of that case which included the state of science on the fetus at the time the case was argued. Science has advanced--we now know that as a scientific proposition, life begins, even for the tumor in the mother's stomach analysts, at a very early date in the process. So a Constitutional judge who is applying the literal law ought to decide that abortion deprives a "person" of life without due process at a very early state in the pregnancy, whatever his personal view about the rights of woman--unless and until the Constitution is amended.
The kind of judges that are literal language Constitutional judges are also the kind of men and women that are likely to overrule Roe v. Wade, perhaps in stages. They are also the kind of judges we need to be sure we get a level playing field on other fronts.
You can't have a liberal state Supreme Court like Florida deciding it is unconsitutional to count votes except for those cast for Al Gore because the issue is local law--if you don't get level playing field judges, you will never have the opportunity to convert ballot victories to reversal of Roe or anything else.
And Lincoln Chafee is a stalwart of conservatism. It must be nice to live on your planet.
Try emailing senator.frist@senate.gov
And contact him using these methods as well.
Frist, Bill
461 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
PHONE: (202) 224-3344
Web Form (Email his office): http://www.frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorFrist.ContactForm
My e-mail to Sen. Chuck Hagel:
Sen. Hagel,
I have recently become concerned about the upcoming nomination of Sen. Arlen Specter as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. I was of course upset when I heard the first reports of Sen. Specter's remarks and ideas on who is a fit nominee for the courts. I understand that he has in fact "retracted" some of those statements, but he has not given me any confidence in his leadership abilities on such important issues. After our clear and convincing win in this last election it would be a shame to see our party back down and fail to rise to the Mandate that the people have given us.
So as to not seem to be just complaining and offering no solutions to the afore mentioned complaint I wholeheartedly suggest that Sen. Chuck Grassley would be an excellent choice if he decides to give up his post as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for the greater good of the American people and our party.
Respectfully, you’re constituent
(Name Removed)
Also, there are several Republicans who will vote to block a nominee who is obviously pro-life.
They will not be elected if they don't.
Yes, it's very unusual to vote against the party on cloture, they will do so only because they will lose their seat if they don't.
I doubt anyone here is too ignorant of the Senate to see this.
Sure, nominees who are not obviously pro-life or otherwise popularly rejectable, can no longer practically be filibustered.
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2. Specter will get the job done for the President. The MSM is already trying to create a wedge between the moderates and the conservatives. Don't be a fool to their games. Specter understands perfectly well that Bush saved his ass. He will play ball. Moreover, Specter provides a tremendous foil for Bush with the media -- if Specter is supporting these Bush nominees, then they cannot be that bad.
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I am one of those embracing the idea of getting him bounced from Judiciary. I supported him vs Toomey because I wanted to hold his seat. I guess that makes me a flip flopper. Ha. But your comment above is both very smart and naive. I'm not sure which carries the day. Yes, he could be a great foil with the media in that "if he supports the nominee, the nominee can't be all that extreme". That would be HUGELY effective and let's applaud your analysis on that.
But, will he support the nominee? Will he pay his debt to Bush? Hard to see him running again so why should he?
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3. The Senate committee ratios will change with the expanded majority - Judiciary will go to 11-9 or 10-8 GOP from the current 10-9. Specter's vote may be irrelevant in some cases to favorably reporting judges to the floor.
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Committee chairs have power beyond their vote. You have underestimated this.
Specter is no Chaffee on judicial appointments. Specter owes Bush big time, Chaffee does not. Specter will get the Bush appointees through the committee and successfully confirmed. The GOP caucus will insist upon it.
So Specter wants to be seen as an independent player -- fine -- let him. Who cares. He likes the limelight. Fine. Getting the judges confirmed is what matters.
Grassley doing this would be political suicide. A stint as Finance Chairman equals unlimited wealth and power after retirement, as a Tier 1 K Street lobbyist, or multi-corporate Board surfer. I would be stunned if he agreed to this for ideological reasons.
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