Posted on 11/19/2004 1:14:50 PM PST by hinterlander
Conservative activists who protested Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's bid to chair the Judiciary Committee are vowing are keep pressure on the liberal Republican and his Senate colleagues who have vowed to support him.
A formal vote on Specter's ascension won't happen until January. Even though the nine Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are backing Specter, his support in the 55-member Senate Republican Conference remains unclear.
"Anything can happen in two months," said the Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, who led a protest against Specter earlier this week on Capitol Hill. "Let's face the political realities, but I don't think it's both morally or strategically wise to throw in the towel this early."
Mahoney told HUMAN EVENTS his Christian Defense Coalition was still planning to hold a nationwide protest against Specter on December 9. On that day, constituents are encouraged to visit their senators' home-state offices to voice their concerns about Specter.
The conservative Concerned Women for America, one the most vocal anti-Specter groups, hasn't relented in the wake of Specter's concession Thursday to support President Bush's nominees and move legislation through the committee, even if he opposes it.
"The grassroots who have inundated the Senate with tens of thousands of e-mails and phone calls protesting Specter's appointment as committee chairman will remain energized in holding Specter accountable," said Jan LaRue, CWA's chief counsel.
Others, including Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family Action, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Gary Bauer of American Values, continued to criticized Specter, but didn't promise any additional protests in the near future.
With the backing of the nine Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, Specter has already locked up a crucial bloc of support among his colleagues. Other Republicans, including Senators Norm Coleman (Minn.), Trent Lott (Miss.) Richard Lugar (Ind.) and John McCain (Ariz.) have already said they would vote for Specter.
Only Sen. James Inhofe (R.-Okla.) has publicly expressed opposition to Specter. In an interview with HUMAN EVENTS this week, Inhofe said Hatch's endorsement of Specter certainly eased tensions in the GOP and likely silenced opposition inside the party.
"As of right now, I would still oppose him," Inhofe said Wednesday. "But it's meaningless, however, because I'd probably be the only one."
Mahoney said his December 9 protest would be designed to raise doubts with senators about Specter. He also said it's an opportunity to assert the power of pro-lifers, who Mahoney said Republicans are taking for granted.
"The pro-family, pro-life voting bloc is almost being viewed by the Republican Party as African Americans are viewed by the Democratic Party," Mahoney said. "Specter getting to the Judiciary, although it's very disturbing, I think is dwarfed by a larger problem. The Republican leadership truly does not respect nor understand our constituency."
Chief among Mahoney's targets is Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. As the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, Mahoney said Santorum should be prepared to face a tough fight when he faces re-election in 2006.
Santorum's support for Specter in this year's Pennsylvania primary angered conservatives, who preferred Rep. Pat Toomey. Toomey lost by a mere 17,000 votes of the more than 1 million that were cast.
Despite Santorum's friendship with Specter, he has stopped short of supporting his bid to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee. At a Wednesday press conference, Santorum said, "I think it would be presumptuous of me to direct the committee as to who they should appoint as their chairman."
Even if Santorum were to oppose Specter by voting against him when it reaches the Senate Republican Conference, Mahoney said it wouldn't have much of an impact with the pro-life community.
"We're going to use Senator Santorum as a template," Mahoney said. "Because of what he has done with Specter -- putting party over principle -- we are going to work to see that he's not re-elected in 2006."
Mahoney's early alternatives include Toomey, whose campaign manager didn't return a call to HUMAN EVENTS, and newly elected Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., who received more than 3.3-million votes on November 2, the most ever for a candidate in Pennsylvania.
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Copyright © 2004 HUMAN EVENTS. All Rights Reserved.
Bork Specter ~ keep the heat on!
Makes me feel better that the fight is still there. I'd given up because the knife in the back is too painful to move.
Odd headline, considering that "I'm quitting the GOP" is the favorite cry of the most vocal ones here. On average once a week per spammer...
Thanks for proving my point so quickly.
All it will take is one more snide remark about the president's judicial candidates.
I've been amazed at the number of people quiting, many of them who have quit numerous times before.
Replacement of Santorum by a Third Party Candidate would make them all CRAP in their panties!! We need PRO AMERICAN, PRO CONSTITUTION, PRO LIFE CANDIDATES!!
Arlen Specter, ( R. Orchiectomy)
The Republican leadership has been extremely stupid not to have worked behind the scenes to pacify Specter, throw him a bone, and give him another cushy job.
No, this won't go away. And it's virtually certain to have a negative effect in the next couple of elections. It may mean that Republicans in the Senate will drop instead of increasing in 2006.
I've never been one to vote for third-party candidates or to complain if I don't get everything I want. I understand that politicians have only so much political capital and have to spend it wisely. But this fight is absolutely crucial. It's the bottom line. Nothing is more important. We are in reach of turning our courts around. If they blow it, it will disillusion Christian conservative voters with the party for the next 10 or 20 years.
We can't stop them if they decide to go ahead with this. But they would be exceedingly stupid to do so. It will be virtually impossible for them to punish Specter for misbehavior once he has the job. But he will be in a very strong position to punish them, and I expect that he will.
One or both ?
I expected they would not expectorate spercter
Both..that's his new "state"..(g)
Yes, since Hell would be frozen over.
If there is a silver lining here, it's that Specter has been completely neutralized. He will have to give every nominee a vote, and knows he'd better not oppose a pro-life nominee. He understands now, better than before, that a lot of eyes are on him. So does the President.
Cicero, you've got it right. ;o)
From the article: "Mahoney told HUMAN EVENTS his Christian Defense Coalition was still planning to hold a nationwide protest against Specter on December 9. On that day, constituents are encouraged to visit their senators' home-state offices to voice their concerns about Specter."
I'll be visiting mine. To give up this early is to lose for sure. We must fight and fight HARD. I don't think people have given up yet.
Mahoney, a good Christian leader, said: "The pro-family, pro-life voting bloc is almost being viewed by the Republican Party as African Americans are viewed by the Democratic Party. Specter getting to the Judiciary, although it's very disturbing, I think is dwarfed by a larger problem. The Republican leadership truly does not respect nor understand our constituency."
This appears to be true. However, Values Voters do not vote Republican. They vote for those who support their values and then followup with action. If that doesn't happen, the Republican Party will lose in the next elections.
I hope you are right. Somehow, I just can't believe Specter has turned over a new leaf, even with the trip to the woodshed, if that indeed happened. The guy's a loose cannon. Always has been.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1284025/posts
I'll say. They've started calling him Arlene.
Anyone who has been on this forum for any length of time knows that there is not any such thing as a Republican in the Senate. Those boys and girls are 100% RINOS. The House Managers were 100% tried and true Republicans and they were ridiculed and derided by those boys and girls in the Senate. Orrin Hatch must have been the person to which Dana Carvey modeled his church lady character.
Well, he's pro-abortion and probably always will be. But the point is he won't carry this principle into judicial selection. Bush and the base won't stand for it.
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