Senator aiming for key post wants sit-down with GOP

Chicago Sun Times ^ | November 11 | Jesse J. Holland

[MissouriConservative]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) wants to make his case to be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee directly to the panel's GOP members next week.

Conservative groups want senators to pass over Specter for the chairmanship because of his comment that anti-abortion judges would be unlikely to be confirmed by the Senate.

Specter, who is an abortion rights moderate, has been calling and meeting with senators individually to assure them he wouldn't personally block Bush nominees from being voted on by the full Senate.

The senator now wants to go in front of the GOP's Judiciary Committee members and hash things out next week in a private meeting, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a committee member.

The GOP committee members get the first vote on whether Specter will replace current chairman Orrin Hatch, who is stepping down. Whatever decision they make can be appealed to the full GOP caucus.

''I expect we'll sit down with him and hear what his plans are to support the president and his nominees,'' Cornyn said.

[Juan Medén]

Moderate?

What? Are you kidding?

Spectre is pro-abortion and there is not hiding that fact. There is nothing moderate about that!

[atomicpossum]

Have a seat, Arlen.

[reformed_democrat]

''I expect we'll sit down with him and hear what his plans are to support the president and his nominees,'' Cornyn said.

I believe Sen. Cornyn is sending a not-too-subtle message that Sen. Specter can either get with the plan or get out of town.

[Mark in the Old South]

Note to GOP "Deliver or perish"

Bork Spenctor
or see 3rd party support in 2006 midterms

[Who dat?]

''I expect we'll sit down with him and hear what his plans are to support the president and his nominees,'' Cornyn said.

I don’t know anything about Cornyn other than that he has too much leisure time on his hands.

The proper response would have been, “I can’t imagine meeting with him – his past actions and comments illustrate his position pretty well. I’m way too busy dealing with important things to waste my time on silliness like that.”

[jneesy]

just curious if he gets the post and then screws us can the leadership yank him?

[Tax-chick]

List of members, so we can make sure they're on the ball?

[hushpad]

. . .to assure them he wouldn't personally block Bush nominees <<

Maybe not PERSONALLY, but what would keep him from lending a hand, or a vote?

I don't trust a fella who speaks out of the side of his mouth...the terminology used can be read a number of ways.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Arlen is on the run.

Let's keep him that way.

[lowbridge]

Do not trust him.

[Republican Wildcat]

I somehow doubt that would be the first time you have thrown your vote away on third parties, so why make a phony argument?

[Slyfox]

Arlen is the same guy who kept the Boston Strangler from experiencing the death penalty.

[CWOJackson]

It appears that the GOP is loosing the votes of those who have never supported them and never will. What a disaster...this could be as devastating to the party as when pat buchanan stormed out in a huff.

[delacoert]

List of members, so we can make sure they're on the ball?

The list of Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee has been post in so many threads that it's hard to count.

Here's a list posted in one of the more recent threads.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

He cited Scottish (not American) law when voting not to convict President Clinton during his impeachment trial. That means the klinks had something on him and squeezed him until he squealed.

If he has that kind of skeleton in his closet, then he doesn't need to be in any position of power...

[Batrachian]

What's really amazing is that Specter thought it right and proper to go on TV and wag his finger and "remind" the president of what he should do, and this right after the election! It's outrageous. Never mind his abhorrent political positions, how about simple manners and propriety. He has been an embarrassment and a hindrance to Republicans for too long.

For his poor judgment and inability to keep his mouth shut, as well as his liberal ideology, he must be denied the chairmanship.

If Trent Lott can lose his position for an improper comment, than so can Specter.

[Ruth A.]

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) wants to make his case to be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee directly to the panel's GOP members next week.

If he had kept his fat mouth shut, he would have stealthed into the slot. Put him on ice for the rest of his term.

[nadlo]

"Moderate?

What? Are you kidding?

Spectre is pro-abortion and there is not hiding that fact. There is nothing moderate about that!"

ditto's

[TommyDale]

Sit on it, Arlen!