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
Do you think that crowd would have UNANIMOUSLY agreed to his chairmanship without some guarantee of his future behavior and agreement to the consequences of going "moderate"?
Of course, time will tell, but it may well turn out that the Republican position is STRONGER now with Specter being the chairman... if the loose cannon aspect is taken care of.
Not necessarily a bad thing.
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(Please FReepmail if you want on, or off, this list. I certainly have no desire to increase anyone’s stress-level. Thanks!!!)
DITTO!
Exactly..He's been taken to the woodshed and better "get it"..Better as chairman than a sullen,rejected obstructionist.
This reinforces my opinion of the Senate as a bastion of craven, muddle-headed, media-conscious, mediocrities. It's no accident that the American people have only elected one senator to the presidency in - what - seventy years? For the most part, the senators are dullards and empty-suits puffed-up with their own sense of self-importance.
Hmmm. I didn't know that. I do know Peggy Noonan suggested in her column today that we don't need to worry about Specter and I generally trust her opinions. I guess I will have to be patient and see how this game plays out.
What "guarantee" are you talking about? There is no "guarantee." Did he honest-injun promise? The only guarantee would be his word. If his word isn't to be trusted there is no "guarantee."
The fact that Sessions voted for him demonstrates it perfectly. He will tow the party line, no matter how insulting it is to him personally. Think of that: a conservative like Sessions will tow the party line, even if it's against his principals, but Specter can get away with doind what he wants. I like Sessions, I am sad he is pathetic.
We need to identify the most viable conservative governors and start debating which of them would make the best pres/veep combo in 2008.
Frist is definitely not in the running, nor are any of his Senate colleagues.
bump!!
Bingo! Whenever someone here wonders why a senator shouldn't bother running for president, I'll just repeat your post. Excellent.
Keep the pressure on!
Write! Call! Email! Fax!
Keep the pressure on!
Write! Call! Email! Fax!
As I said before, time will tell which of us is right. I certainly hope it's me. I'm sure you hope it's me, too.
We could hear the whacks and whines coming from the woodshed out here in California.
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