Specter queries White House hopefuls on judges

AP via SFGate ^ | 4/15/8

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Republican Sen. Arlen Specter has a suggested question for Wednesday's Democratic presidential debate: Ask the candidates if they support faster confirmation of judicial nominations.

Specter said Tuesday he sent letters to Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as Republican nominee-in-waiting Sen. John McCain posing that question. He shared the letters with ABC News, sponsor of the debate.

Specter, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, wrote that he wants to take, or "discharge," three appellate court nominations from the committee and bring them straight to the Senate floor for a vote.

"I write to find out how you would vote on the proposed discharge petition, but also, candidly, to focus the public's attention on these nominations,"

[kingattax]

hey arlen

[Cicero]

I don’t know these particular candidates, and it’s always hard to tell what Arlen has in mind. Are they conservatives, or are they RINOs?

Neither Obama nor Hillary will sign off on anyone to the right of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and neither will McCain at this point. Why should he get into a food fight over judges when he can sit back and watch his opponents sling mud at each other?

[tobyhill]

President Bush picked some good judges but then just as more were coming up the damn ignoramus Specter went and started stalling nominations until now but it's too late because the Rats control congress. Specter is a disgrace and should get the hell out of the GOP.

[Cicero]

I opposed making Specter chair of the Judiciary Committee because I thought he would probably cooperate for a while but would do as he liked as soon as Bush became a lame duck.

That seems to be the case. But the whole thing has fallen so far below the radar I’m not sure what’s going on.