Posted on 11/08/2004 5:26:23 PM PST by mdittmar
Sen. Arlen Specter pledged on Monday not to oppose Supreme Court nominees just because they are anti-abortion as the moderate Republican fought to keep alive his bid to head the Senate panel that oversees judicial nominations.
"Absolutely not, and it's not just what I'm saying — I have done it. I have not applied a litmus test, and have voted to confirm pro-life judges," he said in a television interview.
But conservative critics kept calling for someone other than the Pennsylvania senator to be Judiciary Committee chairman in the newly elected Congress, and other Senate Republicans said little or nothing in Specter's defense.
Specter, who favors keeping abortion legal, is in line to replace the more conservative Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, as chairman based on seniority.
Peterson Jury Urged to Keep an Open Mind N.J. Governor Delivers Farewell Address Moderate Senator Fights for Top Judiciary Post He angered conservatives last week by saying he thought it unlikely the newly elected Senate — even with its Republican majority expanded to 55 — would confirm a Supreme Court nominee who wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case legalizing abortion.
The question of who wields the gavel in the Judiciary Committee is crucial. President Bush may make several nominations to the Supreme Court during his second term because Chief Justice William Rehnquist is ailing and other judges are thought to be close to retirement.
The Senate is expected to pick a chairman next week. First, the Republican members of the committee must nominate the chairman by secret ballot. Then, according to party rules, another secret ballot vote is taken by all Senate Republicans.
If they reject the committee's recommendation, the matter is sent back to committee with instructions for it to nominate someone else.
Who in that list is up for re-election in 06? It would be a salutory lesson to other incumbents if we could knock them out and get them replaced by real conservatives.
It's not Bush it's SPECTER we don't trust. He can make all the deals he wants with Arlen but that doesn't mean he will keep them. Specter is not one for keeping his side of deals.
No, I just think Bush would be able to exert sufficient pressure on Specter. The threat to remove him from Judiciary Chair if he renigs on an agreement with Bush could be held over his head to force him to comply. Specter's going to have to pay Bush back for his re-election when Bush comes knocking at his door.
McCain will vote for any pro-life nominee the President sends up.
I understand hating Specter. I understand wanting revenge on him.
I don't understand not giving Bush and Rove the benefit of the doubt after last week.
Despite Specter's past, the whole GOP Senate screwed President Bush for the last 2 years.
I don't quite buy your argument, but you may be right. I still think that we should offer him some other tasty chairmanship and give Judiciary to someone we can rely on.
This is more important than any other issue, to me at least. Whoever runs judiciary is going to be largly responsible for the shape of the USSC for decades to come. Specter is just not reliable enough. We need and America deserves a Chairman that is going to whole-heartedly support the President's agenda.
You ARE a newbie to Specter in DC, aren't you.
If we're to be held hostage to the whims of Chafee, Snowe, Collins, McCain,Hagel, and Specter, what, exactly, do we have?
One or more could bolt, Chaffee is on the edge already. When you gain ground, you then consolidate your gains.
Quite a peach, isn't he.
I have been reborn under a different nick.
I am willing to let Bush have the say in it. Are you?
Don't let the door hit them in the butt. We have enough of a majority to let them go. Don't give me the BS of them all jumping.
If he reneges, though, what can we do beyond descend upon the Senate as a howling mob? Is there such a thing as a Senator recall election in PA?
Check out Hugh Hewitt's comments on it. Is he a Dem now?
Are you the President of the "Purer Republican than you Society" too?
This is what the Dems want, Repubs fighting with each other and overplaying their hand.
I'm from PA, you better believe it. But it isn't just us he screws.
"If we're to be held hostage to the whims of Chafee, Snowe, Collins, McCain,Hagel, and Specter, what, exactly, do we have?"
We DON'T have a majority of conservatives in the Senate which means that whatever conservatives want will have to supported by either moderates or conservative Dems to get things passed. That means that conservatives WILL have to work with others. If we come out of a very successful election trying to throw our moderates overboard it will bode ill for future success.
We will need to work with moderates so we shouldn't try to alienate them.
Specter's feet are being held to the fire and that's good but we mustn't try to overreach.
I concur. That's why Frist has lost much of my support. His handling of the Democrat filibuster was a sham.
Unprofessional attitude as far as politics goes. You won't make anymore gains that way.
If we kowtow to Specter and his ilk, we will be placating them for the rest of their careers. How many judicial appointments will we have to sacrifice on the alter of Specter and company to keep them in our party?
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