Say what you want about Leahy and Specter. YOu won't find any argument here. They are both liberal a-holes. (Makes you wonder why the Prez campaigned for Specter, though....I guess the political geniuses had some sort of master plan...but that's another issue).
But here is the reality of the situation, like it or not.
They are the top two dawgs on judiciary. If they are strongly against, it will be hard to win in cmtee. If they lose in cmtee., it will be hard to win on the floor.
I'm sure at the end of the day the administration will pull this out because they will bust a lot of (conservative) heads to do so. But this is a pretty poor start to a nomination which was supposed to be stealthily brilliant and just too clever for us rubes out in the hinterland to grasp. They have a plan, they play checkers not chess, blah blah blah.
I would make a educated guess that it was just for a time like this that Bush made it clear to Specter that the President's support for Specter's re-election bid hinged on Specter's support for the President's nominees on the Judiciary Committee. There is a rule on that committee that the majority members can remove the chairman of their same party. I don't think Specter wants that fight. He is sounding off now but I think when the Judiciary Hearings start on this nomination of Miers that Specter will not be obstructionist. He owes Bush and he knows it. He also is quite ill. Just take a good look at him, do you think the treatments are working?