Posted on 11/18/2004 10:38:30 AM PST by GeneralHavoc
The good news is that GOP Leadership is not letting him off the hook easy. Notice that Senate leaders rejected his first draft.
Specter, who supports abortion rights, also is pledging a strong predisposition to support the president's nominees for the bench, according to these sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Pennsylvania senator's draft statement affirms that he will not impose a litmus test on nominees based on the issue of abortion, but does not include a blanket pledge to vote for them.
Specter's written statement, apparently undergoing changes, largely covers positions he has staked out in public statements in recent days. Even so, several GOP sources said one early version was deemed unacceptable by Senate leaders in a meeting on Wednesday, particularly on the contentious issue of changing Senate procedures to eliminate the possibility of a filibuster by opponents of a nomination.
if all 'moderates' split & go w specter, we won't have enough votes left. gotta find SOME common ground w them all. isolate kerry, clinton, schumer et al. that's the name of the game
Not only that but she was suggested to Clinton, by Orin Hatch, who told him she was an example of a nominee that would face no opposition in the committee. Hatch has always excused this abomination, by saying that a President has a right to his nominees. I don't think he extends that opinion to the current President, else he would not be kissing Specter's, Sphincter.
Now that he's a wounded lion he's more dangerous. Spector should have been pushed aside. He can't be trusted and even less now.
That's not the way it works in the Senate though, where a 41 member minority can put a complete stop to almost anything they want to.
Except a rule change. Furthermore, The leadership could force a real filibuster instead of these girley man gentleman's agreements.
I was asking about Specter.
Why are they putting themselves (and us) through this garbage? JUST SAY NO! NO Spectre! Even if he does what he promises, it will be donw with lackluster weak moves. President Bush DESERVES some loyal people for once!
Remember - we don't care how the media plays anything. There is no pleasing them. If they can't use one issue they will find another.
They have proven in this election they are propagandists so now their statements do not carry the weight of truth.
Never let the media control your actions because how they will play it. That is a losing battle and a cave-in.
That's where the rubber meets the road. We eliminate the filibuster, and we can get good judges confirmed.
How? Once he is chair there is no leverage. Plus, he is free to work behind the scenes.
*sigh* I was asking by what evidence do you base your assertion that Specter would not stand by his pledge upon.
Ever since all this issue started, I am saying that it looks to me like he is like Kerry: he says what you want to hear. That is not a good sign to me. He would do anything to get the position and once his greed is satisfied he will do whatever he wants.
The Supreme court has no say in how the House or the Senate conducts their respective business.
Agreed, my objective controls my action. What purpose does it serve to make ones job more difficult? I know some would like to punish Specter for his past but I'm more concerned about how can we best win what's to come.
Perhaps you'll be right, but I hope you end up being wrong.
No $#!#! Why is abortion the only litmus test that we have to watch out for? Bork was shot down because he was a Constitutionalist! I don't want a judge who will just say Roe v. Wade was wrong--I want a judge who can cogently say WHY and apply that logic to the rest of the Court's caseload!
The Senators are AGAIN knuckling under. Nobody cares if he 'writes a second draft.' This is just lip service--they want him to seem penitent and then he's getting the chair.
This sucks.
Then I go back to my original question. If the nuke option is really an option why wait until 2004 to use it?
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