Posted on 11/08/2004 6:37:11 PM PST by Graybeard58
When Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania launched his campaign for the 1996 Republican presidential nomination, he nattered on about his support for abortion rights. Lurking somewhere in the recesses of his mind was the notion voters would gravitate to a pro-choice Republican in much the same way they had flocked to "New Democrat" Bill Clinton in 1992.
Well, then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani already had staked out the pro-choice-Republican territory. He won bipartisan support because voters liked the way he ran the city and correctly perceived his position on abortion to be irrelevant. So no one paid much attention to Sen. Specter, and his presidential hopes withered because he had little else to offer.
Not much has changed in the mind or heart of Sen. Specter since 1996. He's still rabidly pro-abortion, and he still has no sense of timing.
Indeed, he picked precisely the wrong time to lecture newly re-elected President Bush on the ideology of future judicial nominees. The heir apparent to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will vet nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal judgeships, said Wednesday, "When you talk about judges who would change the right of a woman to choose ... I think that is unlikely. ... The president is well aware of what happened, when a bunch of his nominees were sent up, with the filibusters. And I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning."
By the next day, Sen. Specter was backpedaling furiously. "Contrary to press reports, I did not warn the president about anything," he insisted. He promised he would "never apply any litmus test" and added, "I expect to support his nominees."
Columnist Robert Novak reported Friday that several Republican colleagues "said (Sen. Specter) will be asked to commit himself to support Bush's judicial nominees." He has done so. But can he be trusted? Evidently not.
Just months ago, President Bush and Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., saved Sen. Specter's bacon by campaigning for him against a tough, reliably conservative primary challenger, Rep. Pat Toomey. He had the look of a loser until his fellow GOP senator and the president rode to his rescue. And this is how he shows his gratitude -- by preemptively borking the president's judicial nominees?
The Republicans shouldn't waste any more time coddling this out-of-step ingrate. They should admit their mistake in supporting him against Rep. Toomey, stand up for the strong majority of voters who cast ballots for President Bush in full awareness of the likely character of his judicial nominees, and put a team player in charge of the Judiciary Committee.
Very simple solution: keep mailing pictures of Tom Daschle to his office.
Specter is sweating bullets now. He was smugly convinced that senate traditions would eventually give him the gavel, but he is being forcibly reminded that their precious traditions do not trump the right of the citizenry to hold their elected representatives accountable.
Senator Orrin Hatch 202-224-5251
Senator Charles Grassley 202-224-3744
Senator Jon Kyl 202-224-4521
Senator Mike DeWine 202-224-2315
Senator Jeff Sessions 202-224-4124
Senator Lindsey Graham 202-224-5972
Senator Larry Craig 202-224-2752
Senator Saxby Chambliss 202-224-3521
Senator John Cornyn 202-224-2934
He covets that chairman position because everybody knows that the appointment of judges is the single most important thing that a President does outside of managing a war. The Senate committees are not supposed to wield the power that they have in recent years, but here we are.
He is just exercising his desire to claim his clout and have it recognized. The RINOs are letting him be the spokesman for this. It is difficult to imagine that 5 Republican Senators or more will change political parties. They may, but it will be suicide for the libs. This is a bluff.
Specter may play chess, but this sort of a gambit is crazy. Bush will reign him in. In two years he would be toast just as Jeffords was after his jump. Jeffords gave Daschle the majority leader position for a while but what happened in the next election was plain. Somehow, they still do not get it.
The Liberals lost last week and the tide has changed again. This is inside baseball, and the thinking is that in 2 years Bush will be a lame duck. The thinking is that Bush gets his agenda done but compromised in the next 2 years with Specter's cooperation, or he is over. Specter is wrong, the Liberal agenda is finished, and that will become more apparent over the next few months.
GRASSROOTSPA CALL TO ACTION
STOP SPECTER FROM BLOCKING BUSH'S JUDGES
Contact Senator Frist
202-224-3135
Contact Senator Santorum
202-224-6324
Tell them in no uncertain terms that Specter cannot be made Senate Judiciary Chairman
Do NOT take "no" for an answer!
Bush has no Mandate?
Just say "NO" To Specter's Games!
Senate Judiciary Committee GOP Members
Contact Senator Orrin Hatch
202-224-5251
Contact Senator Charles Grassley
202-224-3744
Contact Senator Jon Kyl
202-224-4521
Contact Senator Mike DeWine
202-224-2315
Contact Senator Jeff Sessions
202-224-4124
Contact Senator Lindsey Graham
202-224-5972
Contact Senator Larry Craig
202-224-2752
Contact Senator Saxby Chambliss
202-224-3521
Contact Senator John Cornyn
202-224-2934
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