Posted on 11/18/2004 4:04:39 PM PST by conservativecorner
(CNSNews.com) - Pro-life activists, seeking to derail the appointment of Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will not get a chance to personally argue their case with Majority Leader Bill Frist.
A coalition of pro-life religious leaders did meet with Frist's aides Tuesday, but any efforts to persuade Frist about Specter's fitness to serve as Judiciary chairman will have to be done from afar.
Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, said Frist's top aide cited scheduling problems that would preclude a meeting with Frist from taking place.
"It is deeply troubling that Senator Frist could not find the time to sit down and discuss the Arlen Specter situation with national leaders and clergy from the pro-life/pro-family community. It clearly shows a profound lack of respect and understanding toward the very people who re-elected President Bush and gave the Republicans majorities in both the House and Senate," Mahoney stated.
"The reality that Senator Frist must now understand is, don't dismiss and ignore us today and expect our enthusiastic support in 2008 if you decide to run for president," Mahoney added.
Despite initial concerns over whether Specter, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, would give President Bush's conservative judicial nominees fair hearings, Frist Wednesday sounded like the issue had already been decided.
"Today he had the opportunity to make some comments, which were received very well by members of the (Republican) caucus," Frist said, adding that he was anxious to resolve the issue over who will chair the committee.
In addition to handling the president's nominations to the lower federal courts, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee could soon be dealing with one or more Bush nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Specter is a snake, not to be trusted. I do enjoy watching the President making him grovel though.
Frist better be taking some refresher courses for surgery, because he's on the way to an early retirement from the senate. I certainly don't think he has to worry about an exploratory committee for a run for the White House!
Are many of them just totally insincere power hungry politicians with no real conservative convictions?
You got it!
That remains to be seen. I believe Sen. Specter has gotten the message, and dissing Sen.Frist will not win friends and influence people. He has done what he needed to do to keep the committee moving forward instead of dissolving into intra-party fighting. Instead of sitting out here sniping, why not just see what happens. I guarantee you they'll hear us if Specter decides to try to block anyone. I think that inreturn for him getting his coveted seat, they've 'convinced' him to support them in their nuclear option to get rid of the stupid filibusters of candidates.
Why go all out to alienate Sen. Frist, who is trying his best to help us?
I said in another comment something like this:
Congress would be a lot better if, instead of professional politicans, people like flaggers, nurses' aids, nurses, plumbers, and house builders were elected.
I swear it would be a thousand times better.
see 84
I wonder...if a coalition of pro-family, pro-American TAVs, pro-borders-Homeland Security, anti-illegal invader economic, smaller government, pro-strict Constitutionist, pro-Kill, Disband, Destroy, Disabuse Terrorists until they're all dead or stop, pro-Israel/Taiwan, anti-IRS, pro-"Original Intent", etc...could be cobbled together with America First as the cause...to effect the discourse and help secure good policy?
If we build locally, at the grass roots level - how long would it take? Have we already been sold out to a Hillary in '08 like we were, kind of, in '92??
Just questions...for now.
....yikes....that hurt.
So you don't want Sec. of Defense in our new Party's innaugural administration? lol
You heard it here...we been had...screwed, tattooed and b-b-qued...
Actually, I don't want him to chair the judiciary. Good grief! He doesn't deserve it. We have enough leftist liberals to deal with!
Specter is a stealth liberal. He appeared an enthusiastic defender of Thomas and voted for Scalia, but when Judge Bork would have tipped the balance on the court to a conservative constitutional interpretation, Specter worked tirelessly to prevent that sea change. Specter is a liberal who believes the Republic must be dragged kicking and screaming--if necessary-- into a modern liberal world. He believes that judicial activism is a sound way to make the transition. He is also dishonest and a close friend of the liberal democrat leadership. Specter on the chair will be nothing more than the Pubby's excuse to have things remain the same. EXCEPT, the same will not include pro-life support now that we have been betrayed for political power. But the Republican leadership believes we are too dumb to get it, too dependent upon the 'anti-democrat' party to go soemwhere else. That's disdain, not just being taken for granted.
They can get away with this as long as ALL of the President's nominees are quickly brought to the floor for a vote, and the dims are dealt with STRONGLY. I have to believe that they do not foresee trouble since they did not give Specter the boot.
That wasn't a bird...
I appreciate your well reasoned post, and I agree with you that the litmus test question has not been answered. However, Specter can do a lot of damage while in the Judiciary Committee Chairmanship, and I don't trust the Republican Senators to get him out once Specter's in, if he starts acting up.
Continue pressure on the Reps so they continue to understand the importance of this issue to the base.
I agree.
Closely observe the actions of Spectre and the Reps when the new session opens.
I agree.
If they allow continued filibusters, THEN the right has been earned to leap to arms.
If Specter is Chairman, and he starts acting up, judicial appointees may not even make it for Committee consideration, let alone be the subject of a fillibuster.
Well, at least we have an indea where he stands.
Anyone else get the feeling that we might have been sold out?
The Republican leadership is gambling with the lives of countless more innocent children in the womb.
The posterity lost could be anyone's here...
That's the path the GOP rode to irrelevancy not that long ago...
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