Posted on 11/19/2004 2:02:09 AM PST by Always Right
Updates:
11-19 Update: By now you are all aware the Specter has the support of the nine current GOP members of the Judiciary Committee which will be more than enough to secure his position as Chairman. I know many of you are disappointed and perhaps angry at the loss, but don't be. This battle was not about Specter being chairman, this battle was about laying the groundwork so that good legislation would get pass and conservative judicial nominees would get confirmed. From that perspective, I think we scored huge and important victories:
1. The Senate is on Notice. Senator Graham noted that he received more calls on this than any issue since Clinton's impeachment. Reports from other Senator offices note the same. We have been heard loud and clear.
2. Specter has been Neutered. With Specter's statements and promises to every GOP Senator and to the public, it will be very difficult and politically impossible for Specter to unilaterally bottle up legislation or shelf judicial nominees. If Specter goes back on his word, there will be enormous outrage and sufficient cause to remove him from the judiciary. Who Chairs each committee and which members serve on each committee is determine by majority party rules, so there are solutions to Specter should he should become a problem.
3. New Judiciary Members will be Conservative. I think I am extremely safe in saying that the one or two additional GOP appointment to the Judiciary Panel will be conservative. If Frist and Santorum mess this up, they deserved to be shot and killed on the spot.
4. 'Nuclear Option' is Viable. My feeling was that the Senate had never really considered this as a viable option, but now I have heard numerous Senators, including Frisk, talk about changing the Senate cloture rules. The so-called 'nuclear option' would limit the use of filibusters to legislation only, so filibusters could not be used against judicial nominations. This is an extremely positive development and will only require 51 votes. The biggest disappointment is that Frist may only resort to this on Supreme Court nominees. We need this option alive for all nominees.
5. We still have 55 GOP Senators. So we have extracted our pound of flesh from Specter and we have focused the Senate on getting judges confirmed, all while keeping our Senate majority firmly in tact. Sure there are 3-4 RINOs and few other unreliables, but we made our point and haven't really lost anything.
I know there are many naysayers out there who believe Republican Senators are a bunch of spineless wimps, which is true to an extent. However, I really think this effort has empowered conservative Senators to act conservative. So before everyone condemns the Senate, don't do so prematurely. Let's judge the real results, the judges and the legislation. I am very optimistic that we may have apparently lost this battle, but are on the way to winning the war. In the end, this may have been the best possible outcome.
So let's remember folks, we control the White House, the House of Representatives, and well, we are working on the Senate. But this is the best position conservatives have ever been in. So let's not get all negative and doom and gloom. Let's get busy.
Allies:
Thomas Sowell, Laura Ingraham, Grassroots.PA, Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, Stop Specter Now!, National Right to Life Committee, NRO - The Corner, The Conservative Voice, Focus on the Family
Confused Conservatives:
Petitions on the Web:
We Want a Strong Leader on the Senate Judiciary Committee - GOPUSA
"New Pro-Abortion Senate Judiciary Chair?" - Voices Heard
Arlen Specter MUST NOT become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. - nospecter
Pull chair out from under RINO Arlen Specter - Conservative Petitions
Petition to Republican Senators Opposing the Election of Senator Arlen Specter - AFA
THE FAIR JUDICIARY OATH - Coalition for Fair Judiciary
On-line Petition - gopwing.com
Latest News Stories:
NEW! Specter Effectively Wins Senate Judiciary Chair - Reuters 11-18-04
NEW! Republicans on Senate Judiciary Panel Endorse Specter as Chair Bloomberg 11-18-04
NEW! Specter secures judiciary chairmanship after issuing statement The Philadelphia Inquirer 11-18-04
Pro-choice Specter faces GOP test Chicago Trib 11-15
Frist withholds Specter support Washington Times, 11-15
NY Times: Frist Sees Hurdles for Specter NYT 11-14
For Specter, a Showdown Over Judiciary Chairmanship Washington Post 11-14
The Specter Campaign National Review 11-11
Focus on the Family ups effort to block Specter Rocky Mountain News 11-11
Embattled Specter upset at HRC snub NY Blade 11-12
As Specter seeks a chairmanship, it's payback time for conservatives Phily Inquirer 11-12
An ominous Specter: Part III Thomas Sowell 11-12
Specter's voting record Washington Times, 11-11
Specter asks to appeal to peers AP via Washington Times 11-11
Specter sees 'a battle for balance in the Republican Party' Philly Inquirer 11-11
An ominous Specter: Part II Thomas Sowell 11-10
Specter Seeks Meeting with Fellow Republicans - Reuters 11-10
An ominous Specter - Thomas Sowell 11-10
Specter Still Not in the Clear - Fox News 11-9
Spat over Specter may be subsiding - Pittsburg Post-Gazette 11-9
Conservatives target Specter - Washington Times 11-9
GOP Senators Struggle with Specter Chairmanship Focus on the Family 11-9
Under Fire, Specter Gets Only Tepid White House Support NY Times 11-9
Why the Specter flap matters - Boston Globe 11-9
The Left's View on Specter - Limbaugh 11-9
Specter Campaign Crumbling - Human Events 11-8
Senate Chairmanship in Question for Specter - NPR 11-8
Specter Opponents Pressing Senate Leaders - AP 11-8
A Specter of Trouble - OpinionEditorials 11-8
Specter: "I not only voted against Bork, I led the charge aGrassroots PAgainst him." - Grassroots.PA 11-7
Specter says he won't slow anti-abortion court nominees - CNN 11-7
Arlen Specter - "Bork" Him - Intellectual Conservative 11-6
Judges Following No Law (why Arlen Specter must go) - ****Robert Bork, 8-12-04
Keep Arlen Specter off chair of Judiciary Committee! - WND 11-6
Who's spinning? Specter or reporter? - WND 11-5
All eyes on Sen. Specter - Washington Times 11-5
Conservative wing raises fuss over Specter's views - New York Times 11-5
Specter faces battle for Judiciary chair - Washington Times 11-5
Sen. Specter Ignites Firestorm of Opposition - NewsMax 11-5
Suffering Specter - Pittsburg Tribune Review 11-5
Specter's Remarks Trigger Protest - Focus on the Family 11-5
Lawmaker wants Grassley on judiciary panel - Des Moines Register 11-5
Specter 'Borked' Himself from Senate Judiciary Committee - Concerned Women for America 11-5
Pro-Life Pray-In Planned to Stop Specter - CNSNEWS 11-5
Will Specter Chair Judiciary? - Human Events 11-5
Thank You, Arlen - National Review 11-3
GOP Sen. Specter Vows to Block Bush's Nominees - NewsMax 10-29
The Northeastern Liberal (Kerry and Specter, two peas in a pod.) - Evan-Novak 3-11-04
Background:
Actual Transcript of News Conference Wherein Specter Threatens Bush's Judicial Nominees
Specter's "Clarification" of his Threats to Pres. Bush's Judicial Nominees
Another Soros Specter Connection (The Bush-Soros Pick)
SPECTER SLAMS CONSERVATIVES IN CAMPAIGN LETTER, ATTACKS PRO-LIFERS, CHRISTIANS
Contact Information:
Bill Frist: E-mail: senator.frist@senate.gov
461 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
PHONE: (202) 224-3344
Web Form (Email his office): http://www.frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=AboutSenatorFrist.ContactForm
Contact Information for all Senators
Sen. Orrin Hatch, UT, current Committee Chair PH: 202-224-5251 FX: 202-224-6331
Sen. Jon Kyl, AZ PH: 202-224-4521 FX: 202-224-2207
Sen. John Cornyn, TX PH: 202-224-2934 FX: 202-228-2856
Sen. Charles Grassley, IA PH: 202-224-3744 FX: 319-363-7179
Sen. Mike DeWine, OH PH: 202-224-2315 FX: 202-224-6519
Sen. Jeff Sessions, AL PH: 202-224-4124 FX: 202-224-3149
Sen. Lindsey Graham, SC PH: 202-224-5972 FX: 202-224-3808
Sen. Larry Craig, ID PH: 202-224-2752 FX: 202-228-1067
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, GA PH: 202-224-3521 FX: 202-224-0103
Homepages of Judiciary Committe Members:
Orrin Hatch Chuck Grassley Jon Kyl Mike DeWine Jeff Sessions Lindsey Graham Larry Craig Saxby Chambliss John Cornyn Arlen Specter
Media Contacts:
Special@foxnews.com; rush@eibnet.com; hannity@foxnews.com; editor@weeklystandard.com; beltwayboys@foxnews.com; tblankley@washingtontimes.com; jmccaslin@washingtontimes.com; gpierce@washingtontimes.com; jseper@washingtontimes.com; Templar119@aol.com; malkin@comcast.net; letters@charleskrauthammer.com; ben@cspc.org; adams_mike@hotmail.com; ballen@t3energy.com; greg@therightbalance.org; VAlpher@aol.com; friends@atr.org; ruddy@spectator.org; editor@spectator.org; rjbacak@sbcglobal.net; online.editors@barrons.com; me@glennbeck.com; carol@carolbernhard.com; jennifer.biddison@heritage.org; kotta@foxnews.com; briankbodine@yahoo.com; jimbohannon@1050wevd.com; JeffBolton@woai.com; wackerma@bowdoin.edu; chrisb@unt.edu; erniebrown@americaatnight.com; bucc@bucknellconservatives.org; calpundit@cox.net; chairman@cyr.org; joshcampbell@mail.utexas.edu; info@capitolhillblue.com; castellanopj@earthlink.net; charles@littlegreenfootballs.com; bobcole@clearchannel.com; cn@isi.org; letters@commentarymagazine.com; lauren.conner@bba02.bus.utexas.edu; dj@flipsideshow.com; copleyd@wharton.upenn.edu; tom@anncoulter.org; info@collegegop.org; cugop@colorado.edu; crider@mail.utexas.edu;
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Previous Threads:
Priority 1: Remove Specter from Judiciary (Thread 1)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judciary (Day 2)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 3)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 4)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 5)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 6)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 7)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 8)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 9)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Days 10-12)
Priority 1: Remove Specter from the Judiciary (Day 13)
You may be right, but I hope you're wrong. I hope that our elected conservative representatives put in enough preventative provisions as to protect our interest while maintaining a balance of diplomacy.
I find the biggest problem amongest some of us is our unwillingness to look at the long term and our willingness to sacrafice everything on a single play. It's just foolish impetousness in my opinion.
We as the party of leadership can not act in a dictorial manner but must further our interest in fair manner that maintains civility yet brings common sense and decency back into our lives.
Your efforts were just the best on this. Thanks so much.
As for Specter and the Chairmanship, it's in God's hands.
I couldn't agree more. Yes, we've put the repub senators on notice - but the idea that this is in anyway a good thing is just spin.
Since Bork the republican senators have given us no reason to believe they will fight - really fight - for the right kind of judges.
I hope I'm wrong but this a bad start.
I live and vote ONLY in GA.... :)
However, if Frist ever runs for anything (like POTUS) that I CAN vote for, I'll vote against him too.
No, thank you for the well-run, relentless pursuit of judicial justice you've undertaken these past two weeks.
We've come as far as we can for now, and I am far from happy with the Kennedy-esque "rally-round-the-family" game the Senate Republicans are once again playing here.
At least now we have the political capital (which we should have anyway as the constituents who elected these spineless bums in the first place) to torch these Senators primary campaigns if they allow 'ole "Scottish Law" Specter to screw it up. If wacky liberal Arlen stands in the President's way when it comes time to appoint a well-qualified PRO-LIFER to the SCOTUS, there will be hell to pay; and not just from Specter alone (though the scare Toomey put in him in '04 will be NOTHING compared to the primary retribution he will receive if he lies to the President).
However, this was hardly a victory and it is unrealistic to call it so.
"Specter has been Neutered."
LOL! Specter neutered??? That'll be the day. He didn't sound the least bit "neutered" when he was interviewed by Sean Hannity and that was before the Judiciary Committee unanimously stood behind him during the press conference (a slap in the face to conservatives everywhere) and said they supported him as Judiciary chair.
"With Specter's statements and promises to every GOP Senator and to the public, it will be very difficult and politically impossible for Specter to unilaterally bottle up legislation or shelf judicial nominees."
Not with the democrats and the press on his side it won't.
"If Specter goes back on his word, there will be enormous outrage and sufficient cause to remove him from the judiciary. Who Chairs each committee and which members serve on each committee is determine by majority party rules, so there are solutions to Specter should he should become a problem."
If they didn't get rid of him now they are not going to get rid of him later, when it will be even harder to do so. Specter will allow the first or second conservative SC nominee to pass. But if and when a conservative nominee who will tilt the SC pro-life is selected, he will bork that nominee as surely as he borked bork (which was for the same reason). He would have behaved this way even if this whole episode had never occurred.
We gained little if anything. This is a realistic appraisal, and is NOT nay saying, sorry to disagree with you.
Anyone who thinks The Specter will do as he says and allow constitutionalist, strict constructionist, pro-life nominees to get confirmed is not living in reality. As soon as The Specter thinks no one is looking, he'll start acting like the liberal Democrat that he is.
Thank you for all your work. Last time with this tagline.
Thank you for your support. I think it was well worth it, eventhough we feel short of what we wanted. But the real important battles lie ahead.
Agreed. Prediction:
Pro-life Rehnquist is the first to retire and MacSpecter "vigorously" DEFENDS the pro-life candidate Bush names to replace him. 20 RATs vote against the nominee but the other 80 senators support this nominee. Assuming Bush picked a sitting justice (Thomas?) to replace Rehnquist, Bush names a second court appointment, which Specter then "happily" works to confirm him as well. At this point, a bunch of conservative Senators say they were wrong to doubt Specter and that he's "on our side"...
One year later, a pro-abort justice (Stevens?) retires. Bush names a nominally pro-life, highly qualified minority justice (Estrada?) to replace him or her. Specter, realizing such a change could affect his previous "constitutional right to choose", BORKS this nominee into oblivion. He says it has nothing to do with abortion ("after all, I voted for Thomas for Chief Justice"), but because his nominee is "insensitive" to "civil rights" or some other such garbage. Specter refuses to relent until Bush nominates some pro-abort RINO, and by that time it's too late to remove Snarlin' Arlen MacSpecter as Chairman, and the damage has been done.
Wait and see.
"If Frist and Santorum mess this up, they deserved to be shot and killed on the spot."
I'm sure you were kidding when you typed this, but this is the type of comment that the loony left likes to take out of context.
Perhaps it was just a poor choice of words. We've all ben guilty of that at one time or another.
OTOH, if you actually do mean this or are hoping that such an event actually happens, you need help.
Exactly how the scenario will unfold. I hope you and I are wrong, but I'm sure we're not.
And when it happens, all the Republibots who are defnding letting Specter have the seat will complain about it.
Well, you could have done something about it. You could hve voted for Jum Clymer, if you live in Pa. Or you could hve worked for his removal from Judiciary. Don't complain now.
And when it happens, all the Republibots who are defnding letting Specter have the seat will complain about it.
Well, you could have done something about it. You could hve voted for Jum Clymer, if you live in Pa. Or you could hve worked for his removal from Judiciary. Don't complain now.
THANKS TONS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND HELPFUL ENCOURAGEMENTS.
I think it's good to count our blessings and encourage one another.
I don't think Specter is going to be near as conforming to the demands as has been made out that he will be.
I think it's still a hideous mess courtesy of the puppet masters.
I think it's going to be ruthless street fighting from here until Jesus Comes back as Lord.
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