Posted on 01/06/2005 10:18:06 PM PST by AJAY
Left-wing Republican Senator Arlen Specter presided at the confirmation hearing of Judge Alberto Gonzales today. He urged Judge Gonzales to share sensitive, confidential information with him and the ranking Democrat Senator Pat Leahy (Leaky Leahy), even if too sensitive to let the other members see it. Specter indicated that both of them could be trusted with the most sensitive information. This is the same Senator Leahy who was forced to resign from the Intelligence Committee for leaking secret information endangering the lives of American agents. This is a sad situation--you'd never know the Republicans won the 2004 elections as you watched the nasty aggressiveness of Democrats Leahy, Kennedy, Biden and Durbin. Most of the Republicans didn't bother to show up. This allowed the liberal hatchet-men free reign to work Gonsales over. Only Sessions and Kennedy made any effort to stand up to the bullies. Hatch, as usual, was ineffective. It's sad to see how timid and weak many of the Republicans are. You'd never know they won the election just two months ago.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R, South Carolina) was in his usual peacock role. He joined the Democrat bullies in working Gonsales over. This reminded me of how he double-crossed Congressman Henry Hyde and the other House Managers by joining the Democrats to oppose perhaps the most effective count of impeachment against the Rapist-In-Chief--if I remember correctly, it was the perjury charge in Clinton's Paula Jones deposition. Graham voted with the Democrats and against all the other Republicans. Self-aggrandizement is the focus of Graham's principles--whatever you do, never get between him and a TV camera. He's just Joe Biden with a Republican label.
I hate to be a spoil sport but these hearings were very discouraging even if we know that Gonzales will be comfirmed in the end. Tom DeLay should be a role model for these sagging Republican senators but, unfortunately, they prefer to be pusillanimous. Why did they ever let Arlen Specter become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee? They should rid themselves of him ASAP.
Who cares about the posturing? What's important is that Gonzales gave up nothing to Specter or Graham.
Calling for scalps over the least little thing does nothing but burn up Jim Robinson's bandwidth.
Ajay has an obviously good point here. More republicans need to show up to the hearing.
If you think that all our work should result in RINO Specter as chairman of the all-important Judiciary Committee, you are too easy to satisfy. The other Republicans seriously were considering an alternative chairman and they should have stuck to their guns. I watched the whole hearing--my guess is you didn't.
I don't think the Republicans were ever considering an alternative chairman, but they drove home that Specter had better get Bush's judicial nominees out of committee and onto the Senate floor for a vote. He got the message.
Gonazales manhandled the committee today, IMO.
Keep your powder dry for another day.
With Specter, you always watch to see what he does rather than what he says. This goes for both when he says things you like and when he says things you don't like. Let's wait for the vote.
I don't know...if you had to sit there and listen to Ted Kennedy ramble for hours on end would you show up? (j/k)
"Gonazales manhandled the committee today, IMO."
That's not what I saw. He did about as well as one could hope. After all, not everyone has the overpowering personality of a Rumsfeld or a DeLay. There never was any doubt of Judge Gonzales' confirmation so that's no victory. Leahy, Kennedy, Durbin, and Biden were extremely rude and nasty to him in a situation where he could not hit back very strongly. I found it particularly painful to see his wife and children sitting behind him.
I admire how patient Gonzales was in the face of such rudeness. I would have asked Kennedy about Chappaquidick, Leahy about being kicked off the Intelligence Committee because of his leaking of secret documents from the Committee, Biden about plagerizing a political speech from Britain's former Labor Party Leader, Neil Kinnock during his own campaign for president, and Durbin about conspiring with pro-abortion groups to time a Bush judgeship hearing, not at the normal time but at a time where they could more effectively attack the nominee and embarrass the President. I guess I wouldn't be a good candidate for a cabinet position, certainly since I'm at an age and economic situation where I wouldn't take shit from pompous fools like Joey Biden without hitting back very hard.
I don't think you correctly recall just how seriously conservative members of Judiciary were discussing denying Specter his chairmanship. He had to humiliate himself in person and on paper before they relented. He's on a very short leash right now and he'd best support President Bush's judgeship nominees and not play his usual games (remember His Scottish "not proven" verdict on Clinton's removal).
Yeah come on, does anyone not think Spector is an as*h*le?
Yeah come on, does anyone not think Spector is an as*h*le?
"Only Sessions and Kennedy made any effort to stand up to the bullies."
MY MISTAKE: Should read "Only Sessions and Cornyn made any effort to stand up to the bullies."
I think Senator Cornyn is great. We need more conservative
senators like him.
-PJ
"With Specter, you always watch to see what he does rather than what he says. This goes for both when he says things you like and when he says things you don't like. Let's wait for the vote."
The vote has been a nearly-sure thing from the announcement of the nomination. I rarely like what Specter says or does. I regret that Bush and Santorum saved his ass against a fine conservative candidate in the PA Republican primary. The conservative would have won too but Carl Rove wasn't taking any chances. But Rove is a man who is hard to fault--at least not now.
"Yeah come on, does anyone not think Spector is an as*h*le?"
I agree with you that there should be no question about that. But there always are people...
"Yesterday, Carl Cameron suggested that, even though Gonzales will be confirmed, the Democrats want to tarnish him enough to keep him off of the Supreme Court."
Yes, Charles Schumer admitted that during the hearing when he repeated two or three times that the criteria for AG were at a much lower threshold than those for a Supreme Court Justice. The "nuclear option" will be required IMHO. As far as I am concerned, the Democrats used their own "nuclear option" when they started filibustering judgeship nominations. That ridded us of Tom Daschle, a blessing to be sure.
I hope Hugh hewitt apologizes for supporting Sprectre
First of all, your link doesn't work.
Secondly, this is a vanity and should be labeled as such and posted in either the Bloggers or Chat Forum.
I agree.
Damn, that Specter is stupid if he thinks old leaky can be trusted ~ remove the dunderhead ~ now!
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