Posted on 11/17/2004 10:15:10 PM PST by kattracks
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said yesterday that Sen. Arlen Specter has addressed the concerns of the caucus and the Tennessee Republican signaled that Mr. Specter will be the next chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"I think he answered every question to the satisfaction of each of the members," Mr. Frist said yesterday after Mr. Specter spoke to a meeting of the entire Republican caucus. He called it a "positive discourse, a great discussion."
Republican senators and aides say Mr. Specter — with consultation from Mr. Frist's office — is preparing an official statement to be issued as early as today.[snip]
But even with the assurances expected to be in Mr. Specter's statement, Republicans suspect that their 55-seat majority will not be enough to overcome Democratic filibusters of Mr. Bush's judicial nominations.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican and member of the Judiciary Committee, said all options are on the table, including a change that would require 51 votes, rather than 60, for final confirmation of judicial nominees. Still, he said, he hopes it does not come to that drastic measure.
"The Democrats got their nose bloodied in this election," he said. "What ought to happen is they should back off."
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Mine be damned.
You pull this crap and permit Arlen Specter to infect this Judiciary, you will NOT ONLY count on ZERO contributions, but you can go and find mannequins or cadavers to organize and energize your campaigns instead of many of us.
I favor Spector in this position now that he has hamstrung himself. He will be under the microscope. He will have to go to bat for the nominees. Or put another way in side the tent "spitting" out rather than outside the tent "spitting" in.
My philosophy: keep your friends close and your enemies still closer.
"I favor Spector in this position now that he has hamstrung himself. He will be under the microscope. He will have to go to bat for the nominees. Or put another way in side the tent "spitting" out rather than outside the tent "spitting" in."
Who says he will have to go to bat for the nominees? Give me one practical reason why he wouldn't just break his word?
Stupid Party reverts to form. They couldn't even wait til inauguration to start squandering the "mandate". Absolutely unbelievable.
Not fair... true, Specter double-crossed us on Bork but he fought like hell for Clarence Thomas. That alone makes me say, give the fella a chance. As far as I think about this, our intra-party differences don't matter a hill of beans. The real enemy is the Democrats.
Let me see the hands of the people that thought this would happen. I see a lot of hands up!
He's a rat. Count on it he WILL break his word.
It's a good philosophy. Specter has neutered himself. We are safer with him on short leash than letting him become the poster boy who discusses the "right wing extremists" on every other Sunday talk show.
You people in your select little club of "100 of the greatest people on the planet" BS had your chance to effect the agenda we elected you to put in place. If and when you fail, we'll Daschlize the whole Lott of you.
No doubt, they are a bigger threat than the terrorists to the survival of this Republic. With that being said, Washington is like a club-- the game of politics. Those of us outside of Washington understand clearly the danger of the Democrats. The very survival of this Republic depends on rolling back big government and getting Judges on the high court who believe with all their heart original intent. If I was the Rep leadership, I would take EVERY opportunity to defeat the demos and keep them off their game. With the MSM on their side it will be difficult. The leadership must become Warriors for our Republic instead of girlie-men who don't want to appear "mean." We will NEVER have the press on our side so screw them and not pander to them. I would call the Democrats what they are f..king communists. The Rep leadership better get a war mentality against the demos. The demos will pull out ALL stops to destroy nominees who believe in original intent. I for one, strongly believe Specter will screw us.
Give me one practical reason why he wouldn't just break his word?
_________________________________________
He could be removed as chair if he breaks his word to the GOP caucus. That would be worse for him than not getting the chair.
And remember if the caucus snubs him he will still have a vote on nominees.
We will buy DINO votes with pork and promises that Dubya will not campaign against rats who vote with us in 2006.
No doubt in my mind they'll be going with the 'nuclear option', which is on the back burner.
That's when Spectre, no matter how he votes with all his buddies on the left, can all eat sh*t!
"I think he answered every question to the satisfaction of each of the members," Mr. Frist said yesterday after Mr. Specter spoke to a meeting of the entire Republican caucus. He called it a "positive discourse, a great discussion."
The concern of the caucus would more appropriately be placed on the rebellion at the grass roots against Specter. Frist is a fool if he thinks that it will dissipate on his say so.
The Judiciary chair won't be seated until January. An attempt by the caucus to strongarm Specter into the Chair will lead to six weeks of ongoing bloodletting. Great leadership.
The committee decision can also be appealed to the entire GOP Senate caucus.
IOW, while I trust the leadership is doing something behind the scenes to keep him in line, I still say we should keep the fight on and even fight if he is confirmed. If they get enough of a roar, it might be appealed to the entire caucus.
I guess he said he was sorry.
Though I e-mailed Frist and a few other senators
urging that Specter be dumped, I think there is
much to be said on the other side of this argument.
Let's all calm down and accept what seems to have
happened. We have shown the flag vigorously and
will be taken more seriously because of it.
There are many, many more battles to fight. Specter
is a problem, but not the main enemy. When he wants
to, he can be a very effective friend. Bush deserves
substantially more blame here than Frist, Hatch, et al.
Look, I think the Specter move is a terrible one...I've argued the point up and down here on FR...but I think you are jumping the gun on dropping support for the Reps if Specter gets in.
I think instead we conservatives should note our displeasure, and more importantly, that we consider anything Specter does from now on as SJC Chair will have come from every Rep on the SJC and Frist himself.
And as such, if Bush does not appoint, and the Senate does not approve, strict constructionists to the SC, THEN we drop the hammer...
I've actually been working on a little idea I've had in the back of my head if it comes to that, but I hope, obviously, it does not.
Had Specter learned a little humility after he had his butt saved against Toomey in the primary, he could have quietly assumed the Judiciary Chair. But he decided he had to open his fat, impudent trap and rattle pro-life cages while trying to undermine President Bush's mandate. Specter is the self-created problem, and must go, sooner rather than later. Frist, Hatch, Lott, and the rest are gutless enablers.
In other words, he lied thru his teeth and got away with it. People, until you hold these politicians accountable at the polls, things will continue to go downhill. Take a lesson from the brave citizens of S. Dakota. Vote the &*&^%^s out. THEY are accountable to US, not the other way around. If it keeps up, we will lose even that one power we possess. Use it to get this country turned around and on the right track. Start working against them now. Give money, volunteer and support ANY candidate who runs against those politicians who go against what the American people want. Elections are a mere two years away for most of them. Time to get tough.
The GOP's arrogance will SURELY cost them in more ways than one. We will NOT forget.
I agree with you and goldstate. I'm not sure the best thing for the start of Dubya's new term would be an internecine dogfight. The test may come soon - when Rehnquist steps down. Hopefully, the President will nominate One Of Us. And then, it will be time for a New Edition of that old hippie-yippie-flippie show: "The Whole World Is Watching."
Might the evidence suggest that this may be because the "new" GOP no longer considers a committment to conservatism crucial to its base?
Are you really still giving the GOP money?
No he won't. He can always say he had a serious change of heart based on the preponderance of the situation.
Do we trust our senate that puts the wishes of one man above the goals of those backing the president, of those wanting to protect their constitution?
This outcome was inevitable, the Senate is a body that doesn't intimidate easily. There is a time and place to fight, this wasn't it.
Oh - get off the Blame Bush first crap.
This is the senate leadership doing this - not Bush. And, this just reinforces the need for term limits for senators. I'm sick and tired of this little club putting their friends above the views of the people of this land. I don't care how friendly and kind they are to those that stab them in the back.
No way -- change the rule.
My FRiend: The way things work in the Senate, and the way that even many of our better people in the Senate think and act, CANNOT be changed except by far more election victories, especially in primaries. Bush could have helped us win such a victory in Specter's case. He chose to fight Toomey and the wing of the party that supported him. He's made this bed for himself.
Do I think Frist and Hatch and the rest are blameless? No, but the Senate's MO is much harder to change than one senator. Our chance was in the primary last year, and our national leader -- the one most responsible for the party's direction -- failed us. That's the hard truth. The action was back in that primary. What's been going the last two weeks is a sideshow with a very predictable ending.
The goal in the beginning should not have anything to do with Specter himself -- it should be to get good judges. Some seem to care more about getting rid of Specter than getting good judges. If we can possibly get good judges with Specter, then that is fine. I think this whole exercise was beneficial in showing Specter people expect positive results and integrity from his chairmanship. This will have been a picnic for him by comparison if he abuses his position to grand stand for the camera to show so-called "independence."
this is not going to work. why abandon ship before you leave the harbor? spector has said just enought to get the job. but when it comes to the test ahead, he will not help the cause. forget roe v wade. never. what else is ahead if we cannot take control of the Judiciary? the nature of the judicial process is that progressive judges get famous by pushing the envelope of the law, exporing and distoring logic to get to new territory, which, if upheld puts them in the books and admired for their scholarship. there must be strict constitutionalists at the top layers of appeal to prevent the ratification of fanciful legal theories. there is no end to what the progressive legal mind can conjure and rationalize. the only possible way to limit the legislation from the courts is to insist on a literal reading of the written constitution. if its not there, then its not part of the Federal Government. end of story.
it won't help to change the filibuster rule if spector decides to pidgeonhole a nominee in committee, or even worse, crosses the aisle and votes no. this is the man who invented the single bullet theory for the Warren Commission Whitewash. He cannot be trusted with the future of this country. he will choose cronyism and personal expediency over principle in a Pennsylvannia minute.
Dittos...and Hugh Hewitt is off my schedule.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall in THAT meeting. I think Arlen has been taken to the woodshed and I hope he's learned his lesson about shooting his mouth off. I guess we'll have to wait and see what he does. As long as he doesn't block any nominees, and doesn't oppose the nuclear option being considered by the Repubs. to end the stupid faux filibusters of the Dems, I don't think he can do any harm as Chairman of the Committee.
Clearly there are some right-wingers who really care more about spite than about results. We see plenty of their comments on FReep.
But in fairness, I'd just point out that the objections to Specter are based on a long record of social liberalism in the Senate. Judiciary deals with far more than court appointments -- tort reform, just as one example. Specter might actually keep his commitment -- if he really makes one -- to support all of Bush's nominees. But he can still screw us on many other issues. I wonder if his colleagues on the committee were smart enough or courageous enough to press him on these.
I've supported and voted GOP for many years. No, I'm not a single issue voter normally, but I will be on this point: If the Republican Congress and the Republican President do not do everything in their power to save the babies from being slaughtered in this nation, I will no longer support them.This IS a litmus test.
I know that if I'm thinking this, thousands of others are, as well.
GOP: Give us what you promised us.
Don't you think if the "nuclear option," was really an option Clinton would have used it on Republican filibusters and Senator holds?
Did you bother to read what I wrote?
Getting rid of Specter does not exclude getting good judges, on the contrary. Specter has proven himself a lobbiest for the left, in actions and words, and incapable of seeing beyond his own prejudices. He seems to think that being pro-choice is the morally superior litmus and disagreement with that belief something that must be exposed and apparently slandered and impugned (case in point, Bork, Brown, Pickering, et al)...
"When you talk about judges who would change the right of a woman to choose, overturn Roe v. Wade, I think that is unlikely," Specter said. "The president is well aware of what happened when a bunch of his nominees were sent up with the filibuster."
That sounds like a threat to me, and would fit nicely with the revelations found in memogate, given the left-wing lobby has a paid friend in Mr. Specter.
I like the way you think.
Do you honestly believe George W. Bush and Karl Rove don't have enough power to keep Arlen Specter out of that chair is they didn't have his testicles in a drawer at the White House?
I don't understand what is so "drastic" about returning the nomination process to it's original, long-standing policy. What's drastic is what the process has become and that fact that the Republicans allowed it to get to this point.
The thing that puzzles me is that not one word was said about this until Specter opened his mouth; anybody on this forum who had been paying attention knew MONTHS ago that he was the upcoming chairman.
Anybody who would stop supporting the party over Specter has some serious issues.
Spectator was so incompetent as a prosecutor, that the Unicorn Killer fled to France by not having his bail revoked.(Flight Risk) Arlen is an idiot and sad excuse for a reublican senator.
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