SPECTER SAYS PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE A MANDATE

Face The Nation | Jus'now | Specter

[VaBthang4]

Specter was asked twice if the President had a mandate. Specter hemmed and hawed with the first answer...then when pressed said the President does not have a mandate.

THIS GUY HAS GOT TO GO!!!!

[NittanyLion]

It is most likely that people would be sitting around this board lamenting that Hoeffle is Pa's new senator.

Not sure I follow the logic. Hoeffel received only 42% of the vote in PA. Given the fact that Bush lost narrowly, and PA has already sent Rick Santorum to DC, I think the most likely scenario is a Toomey win.

[dennisw]

GW and Rove went with Arlen Spector, a proven winner, a proven vote getter in Pennsylvania. Republican national party does not back primary challengers. Still doesn't mean Specter "deserves" to head Judiciary.

[metalurgist]

Does the name Rober Bork mean anything to you

NO not a thing. But there was a Robert Bork that didn't believe the second amendment applied to the people of this country and almost made it to the Supreme court.

[WestSylvanian]

Toomey could have won the general election in Pennsylvania. The White House for some inexplicable reason thought a re-elected Specter would be loyal. So they endorsed him in the primary. What a dumb, short-sighted policy. Specter shouldn't have any leadership position. If the Republicans remove him,though, he may switch parties. This guy is a disaster!

[Flux Capacitor]

My letter to Frist. I'll also be calling him, along with my own Senator-elect. Everybody, get on the horn!

Dear Senator Frist:

Last Tuesday, I had the great joy of seeing David Vitter become the first Republican senator my state has elected in well over 100 years. I had the greater joy of seeing President Bush re-elected by a solid majority of the popular vote. With a second term for the President and a ten-seat majority in the Senate, it seems quite clear to me that this country has given the Republicans a mandate to move their agenda forward.

A serious, perhaps crippling roadblock in the way of that agenda appears to be Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Last week, less than 24 hours after President Bush's re-election was assured, Specter endosed a "litmus test" for the federal bench, by sending him a clear warning against nominating any pro-life justices to the Supreme Court. This morning, on "Face the Nation", Specter was asked, directly, whether President Bush had a mandate. He answered in the negative.

It is becoming increasingly clear that a Chairman Specter will not respect the integrity of the President's nominees, nor the will of the American people. After all we have fought for, and after the decisive margin of Republican victory across the country, this is unacceptable.

Senator Frist, we have spent four years watching the President send eminently qualified nominees to the Senate for confirmation, only to see the Democrats filibuster them into oblivion. The last thing we need is for one of our own to start doing their work for them. If President Bush is ever to see the Senate properly "advise and consent" as to his judicial nominees, The Republicans in the Senate MUST reconsider Arlen Specter for the Judiciary chairmanship.

Sincerely,

[maine-iac7]

But he IS a Republican. What is his record in the past?

Well, maybe we should remember that he DID fight for Thomas -

Maybe the devil we know?

[Fzob]

In a fantastic election season, this will be deemed the most serious misjudgment the GOP made. I agree, If Pennsylvania will elect Santorum, they would have elected Toomey.

[hansel]

I've been thinking about Specter for awhile. I've decided that while we should make our opinions known, we should trust GWB. If Bush wants to keep him as chair, they may have come to a gentlman's agreement.

GWB is a very keen politician as he has shown us repeatedly. Ultimately we need to back off if GWB keeps him. I think that we could cause a unnecessary public rift between the moderates and the conservatives that will just delighten the press and make the conservatives seem too punitive to those who don't agree.

We should inform our senators of our displeasure, but ultimately GWB will do what he needs to do and call in his favors when he needs to.

[metalurgist]

Yeah, what you said too. Ditto

[don-o]

Is there anything Republicans can do to stop Specter?

Mucho threads rat cheer on FR

[ml/nj]

I wonder what he means.

Constitution Amendment XII:

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; — The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; — The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; ...

Merriam-Webster:

mandate: an authorization to act given to a representative

Is the Senator from Pennsylvania demonstrating that he doesn't understand the Constitution, or the English language, or both?

ML/NJ

[Flux Capacitor]

----I agree, If Pennsylvania will elect Santorum, they would have elected Toomey.----

Pennsylvania also elected Ed Rendell. And voted to elect John Kerry. Specter is popular in Pennsylvania for some damn reason; I think the White House had to make a choice between keeping the seat in GOP hands, and trading Specter for a guy who would have voted against Bush's nominees and policies 100% of the time.

-Dan

[Bossy Gillis]

I am so proud of myself, I didn't pull the lever for this bum.

[ApesForEvolution]

spRectum should have been aborted in the GOP primary, but his bacon was saved by President Bush. NOW, there is a weak link on our side of the aisle whereas advancing the agenda is concerned. And that is having Arlen Specter Chair the Judiciary Committee. This can not be allowed to happen. spRectum is the kind of GOP US Senator (RINO) that we've all warned you RINOs about, but "NOOOOOOO", people don't listen. Do NOT let spRectum be the obstacle to the Bush agenda and usurpt Bush's CERTIFIABLE MANDATE to continue bringing common sense and sanity to America.

[Cedric]

Furthermore, having a "rebellious" Specter endorse Bush's court nominess might be the means by which W out-smarts the Leftists again.

[joebuck]

"holding him back from this post would likely cause more problems than it would solve...."

I must respectfully disagree. Regardless of what else President Bush does this term, his legacy will largely be defined by the Supreme Court justices he gets appointed to the bence. If someone like Spector causes us to get stuck with two more Souters then the entire 8 years of his reign will be forever tarnished. He just can't take the risk.

[firewalk]

.

[Dems_R_Losers]

Well, I guess this never made news outside of Philadelphia, but the day after the election the Inquirer had a front page headline saying "Specter: Bush Has No Mandate." I guess a week's worth of fury from people all over the country has not been enough to change this arrogant bastard.

What hacks me off the most about this is that Specter knows damn well the media are going to be drawn to him like flies to a pile of new bull poop. The MSM are dying for a story about the GOP being divided and not 100% behind President Bush, and also they want to keep flogging abortion rights as the biggest issue in America.

[ApesForEvolution]

spRectum is in the US Senate, still, for ONE reason: George Bush. He has no place chairing even a noxious weed committee for the GOP...

[Gator113]

Beautiful horse!!