Posted on 11/18/2004 3:16:27 PM PST by Ed Current
Despite a strong campaign by conservative opponents, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter won support of his colleagues to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Outgoing chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told reporters at a news conference today the panel's Republican members unanimously backed the Pennsylvania senator, known for his liberal stance on many issues.
"I have assured the president that I would give his nominees quick committee hearings and early committee votes," Specter said.
The Judiciary Committee screens White House nominations to the Supreme Court and other posts on the federal bench.
The official vote, which will not be made until January, can be appealed by the full caucus of 55 Senate Republicans, but the nine GOP members of the panel said they would stand behind Specter.
As WorldNetDaily previously reported, controversial remarks by Specter, cautioning President Bush against nominating Supreme Court justices who would overturn the Roe vs. Wade abortion decision, sparked a furious outcry from Bush's large conservative and evangelical support base, spawning a movement to ensure he did not ascend to the panel's chairmanship.
Prior to today's announcement, Specter drafted a pledge to ensure quick nomination hearings and votes on Bush's judicial nominees, regardless of their stance on abortion.
But in two newspaper interviews before the election, Specter promised to block pro-life and "extremist" judges appointed by Bush.
A third paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, endorsed the pro-abortion senator largely because of his anticipated position on the panel.
The current controversy began when the Associated Press quoted Specter saying, "When you talk about judges who would change the right of a woman to choose, overturn Roe vs. Wade, I think that is unlikely. The president is well aware of what happened, when a number of his nominees were sent up, with the filibuster. ... And I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning."
After an outburst of outrage from conservative groups, Specter issued a statement Nov. 4 insisting he did not send a warning to Bush.
"I did not warn the president about anything and was very respectful of his constitutional authority on the appointment of federal judges," Specter said.
"As the record shows, I have supported every one of President Bush's nominees in the Judiciary Committee and on the Senate floor. I have never and would never apply any litmus test on the abortion issue and, as the record shows, I have voted to confirm Chief Justice Rehnquist, Justice O'Connor, and Justice Kennedy and led the fight to confirm Justice Thomas."
A website named NotSpecter.com emerged to help rally the opposition, which included prominent evangelical Christian groups such as Focus on the Family, Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America.
The ABC News weblog The Note reported conservatives against Specter were telephoning Republican leadership offices, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and members of the judiciary committee at a rate of about two to three per minute.
According to rules established by the majority party, the committee chairman is chosen by a secret-ballot vote of the Republican members of the panel. The nod traditionally goes to the senior member, but the rules specify any member can be selected. The entire conference must then approve the committee's pick by another secret ballot, although rejection is rare.
Related stories:
Rabbis, gun owners oppose Specter
Specter promised to block Bush judges
Movement arises to block Specter
How, now he cannot be touched. No matter what he does from now on, there is nothing that can be done to him. He is invincible.
Flim flam.
Invincible? Please explain.
Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
So what will be "done" to Specter if he doesn't do as he supposedly promised?
Well at least the "I'm not happy unless I'm unhappy" wing of the Republican party has something new to rail about. Specter has been put on notice, and will be on his best behavior if he wants to run anything other than the coat closet.
I must be really dense on this issue, because, try as I might, I can't come up with anything they can do to stop him from future Borkings. I wish I could see the cards in this particular game of poker.
How will he lose his head? They will never get a majority to vote to remove him.
I don't have to shoot him. If he stabs the President in the back, he will not be elected again. He is now fully cognizant of this fact after the past weeks outcry against him. If he had not gotten the chairmanship, he would have become an obstructionist of the first order. He could have even pulled a Jumpin' Jim Jeffords. Now, he will be reasonably sure to at least stand aside and let the agenda go through as the President wants it.
"It feels sooo much better to have a 'friends' knife in the back than your enemies, eh pro-life republicans???"
LOL! This is exactly why I voted for Peroutka.
I'm not that worried about Specter. He knows that if he doesn't come through for President Bush, the Republican Party will come down hard on him. My guess is that even if he opposes a judicial nomination, he will make sure they get through committee and get an up or down vote in the senate.
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