Posted on 11/12/2004 2:27:51 PM PST by swilhelm73
A conservative member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he could support Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) as chairman of the committee if Specter issued a public statement saying he would not try to block a Supreme Court nominee who opposes abortion rights.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said Specter assured him in a conversation Tuesday he would push for swift up-or-down votes on nominees without regard to their positions on abortion. Cornyn indicated he was satisfied by Specter's comments but wanted them expressed in an official statement.
Asked if he thought Specter would get the chairmanship, Cornyn said, "Today, yes, I do."
Cornyn also said Specter is seeking a meeting with Republicans on the judiciary panel next week to resolve doubts prompted by his comments last week suggesting that the Senate was unlikely to confirm nominees who would overturn the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide. Conservatives have flooded the Senate with protests, urging Republicans to reject Specter as chairman.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
These people are taking us for granted just like the Dimms take to Blacks for granted !!
It is time to look to a third party who will have candidiates who are Pro COnstitution and Pro Christian and Pro Life. I am sick of these A$$ES and mean to tell them so. They won't believe us until 2 years from now when we can make believers out of all of them -- both the ELETE of the Left and The ELETE of the Right. They both have an extreme hearing defeciency !!
No matter what we do these jerks will not understand!
E-mail the Hell out of them to Bork Specter, his promises aren't worth SPIT!
Why can't the republicans get a backbone?
He also has a big mouth- he doesn't think before opening it.
It will be a magic vow.
I agree with you about Specter and wrote to the Congressman and actually paid for FAX'S to oppose him....
He is Not the man to chair that committee....He is more DemocRAT than Republican...
Let's keep up good work....and pass the word to anyone who can help this cause!!
How much is the vow of a liar worth?
[I think he feels this is the best they would get. Specter has been in Senate a long time and I have a feeling he knows where the bodies are buried (so to speak).]
Sadly, I have to agree BUT I just sent Senator Cornyn an email expressing my displeasure with him. I told all who would listen that . . . "Senator Cornyn has cojones and he won't let Specter get away with this."
I was wrong. I apologize.
If this were a 51-49 Senate, Specter would be a very serious problem. But with our smashing victory last week, the committees are going to gain GOP representation. Even if Specter voted against the nominee, there should be enough votes to send him to the floor for a full vote. Specter doesn't have veto power.
Tell the members that IF they support his nomination and vote for him that we will hold their seat personally responsible and tak out specters action on their reputations in their own voting blocks with adds condeming their judgement. If they agree to that... fine let them vote him in.
"Specter has broken his word repeatedly. I assume he told Rove that if Bush helped him in Pennsylvania, he would help Bush. Ha.
Specter is going to be meeting in the back room with the Democrats on the committee. Does anyone think Specter can be prevented from making whatever deals he likes? Does anyone think he will keep a promise if the situation changes and Bush is weakened by media attacks? Will he keep the promise after Bush leaves office?
We have a window of four years to straighten out our judiciary. We can't afford to let the whole thing ride on a corrupt liar."
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Everything I have read about him justifies NRO's article: "The Worst Republican Senator." He has made an art form of acting like a Republican only when he is up for re-election. As others have stated this is the only reason he stood up for Justice Thomas during his confirmation battle. Which brings us to the "Zell" factor; Spector is old and tired and every indication is that he will be leaving after this term. Therefore, he will take off his mask big time and nose-thumb the administration with a "nyah, nyah, nyah" as soon as he gets what he wants. There won't be a thing Dubya or anyone else will be able to do about it.
For God's sake, let's show some backbone for once. Bush has spent four years reaching out to the other side and pulling his hand back bloody. Make no mistake, Spector IS "the other side."
Arlen Spector has been a Senator since 1980. He's won 5 Senate elections. He's old and grouchy. He is one of the least liked Senators. Once he get's to head Judiciary he'll do as he damn well pleases. Why should he even be caring about his next election since he'll be 80 then? Would he even run?
I know-- I agree with you-- I just have such a hard time understanding how Senators who have to run again for election, would willingly go against their constituents.
This has caused such an uproar, that what I posted before, is the only way I could rationalize that they would let him get away with it.
There are just so many reasons besides the right-to-life reason that he is not satisfactoy.
There is one hope - the vote is secret so no matter what any of them say to the press, that doesn't mean that enough of them wouldn't vote their conscious and vote no.
Now is not yet the time to talk about third parties.
However the Specter fiasco works out, the true test will not come until it is time to appoint Supreme Court justices.
Bush promised us the likes of Scalia and Thomas - those who would strongly oppose judicial activism. He has so far been a man of his word.
And therefore, unlike Specter, I will give Bush the benefit of the doubt.
If Bush gives us moderates, or a SJC chair Specter helps kill conservative nominees, then we will know Bush lied to us and there will be a political price to be paid.
Until, and if, such an event occurs though, serious talk of third partyism is lunacy.
"Specter doesn't have veto power."
Are you sure about that?
What's the partisan division of the Judiciary Committee?
If it's 50/50 plus the Chairman for the dominant party, and the Chairman kills the candidate in Committee, assuming no Democrats break ranks in Committee, that's veto power.
It's not the power to give a negative recommendation, which the Senate can ignore. It's the power to do as Leahy did, and as Orrin Hatch did before him: sit on your hands and do not move the candidates forward.
Senators backbones are made of Jello, and its a "scratch each others backs" system. Its like trying to get one doctor to testify against another. Specter will be the chairman because the other Senators are just going along with the system, disregarding the outcry against him.
Asked if he thought Specter would get the chairmanship, Cornyn said, "Today, yes, I do."
Hey great idea. Maybe if we take a vow from Osama Bin Ladin not to attack you can trust that too.
The Judiciary Committee will probably be 11-8 GOP next year.
It appears that Cornyn cares more about getting along with his fellow senators than he does about the Texas voters. Perhaps Cornyn would be willing to promise to resign if Specter votes against a pro-life Judge? Why don't you call and ask Monday.
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