There's no crisis. I think you've mistaken the people who re-elected George W. Bush for memebers of the John McCain Fanclub.
No way does Specter head that committee without the fight of his life.
You don't come off the blocks making compromises. You make territorial gains while you have the mandate.
Specter can never make up for torpedoing Bork. He bought his time in political Purgatory, now he needs to go there.
Thanks to Specter we have Clarence Thomas. He also voted for the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, Laci's Law, and all of Bush's nominees to the bench.
If President Bush trusts him to head the Judiciary Committee handling his future nominees, so do I.