Posted on 01/07/2005 2:24:03 AM PST by kattracks
New Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter yesterday raised the gavel with a grin and opened his first hearing by allowing more criticism of the Bush administration than his predecessor and by questioning some of the Patriot Act's police powers.
With his questions and comments, the Pennsylvania Republican proclaimed his independence and said he expected the same from Alberto Gonzales, President Bush's nominee to be attorney general.[snip]
Mr. Specter traveled a bruising path to the chairman's seat. He almost lost his claim to it in the fall when he said just after Mr. Bush won re-election that pro-life judges might not win Senate confirmation. Administration officials were displeased, and conservatives flooded Republican Senate offices in protest.
A major damage-control effort by Mr. Specter helped win over Republican colleagues, who chose him to succeed Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican.[snip]
He permitted multiple rounds of questions — and criticism for the White House — from senators of both parties, while Mr. Hatch had usually allowed only one round at such hearings.
Mr. Specter also agreed to let two law school professors and a human rights advocate testify against Mr. Gonzales.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
He keeps getting elected because the GOP here in PA is dominated by RINOs. This time we could have elected a real Republican if it weren't for Bush and Santorum.
Specter's support from Bush and Santorum in defeating Toomey has never been adequately explained - in the political sense - to me. I'm still trying to find a reasonable explanation for it Anyone have a clue what it was? It couldn't have been to carry the State of PA in the general election. What was the damned payoff for supporting Specter? Anybody???
Toomey, a real conservative, would have nailed down that Senate seat had a President and another Senate gotten behind his candidacy.
As a supporter of LIFE, I will never forget what happened in PA until it is adequately explained to me in that "bigger-picture" context!
You are right about the GOP being dominated by the RINO's. Moving back in the SPRING, maybe we can get some sort of movement going.
Bush will most definitely rue the day he decided to fervently back this guy. Specter will repay the debt by putting a knife in his back.
Who is Arlen Specter? Is he any kin to Arlen Sphincter, the senator?
I believe he will reneg on all his agreements he made to get the chairmanship, assuming that the Reps won't take any action to punish him.
And if they do, he'll probably go over to the other side of the aisle for spite.
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