Posted on 11/05/2004 12:56:42 PM PST by St. Johann Tetzel
The Unacceptable Arlen Specter
By Joseph A. D'Agostino
Every Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee would make a fine committee chairman except one. And that one is slated to become chairman in January. This man rescued the unconstitutional and anti-life Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) by stridently opposing the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987, though Bork was a highly qualified jurist appointed by a President from this man's own party. This man has consistently promoted abortion-on-demand and other radically unconstitutional legal theories. He threatened to vote against two of the current President Bush's pro-life Catholic judicial nominees. He consistently criticizes judicial decisions based on law instead of elite liberal opinion on everything from abortion to tuition vouchers for parochial schools. He favors "gay rights." Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania should not be chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It's not that his fellow Senate Republicans want Specter to be their Judiciary chairman. Seniority rules put him next in line after term limits force current chairman Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah) to step down. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R.-Iowa), who actually has seniority over Specter, is already chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. If Grassley won't give up Finance for Judiciary-and indications are that he won't-Senate Republicans can vote to override seniority or waive the term limit on Hatch. Alternatively, they or President Bush could offer Specter a different post where he would do less harm, or even some good. He has a strong record on several issues important to Republicans, but they don't include legal interpretation or life.
Specter didn't waste any time sticking it rhetorically to President Bush and to the pro-lifers who were essential to the President's re-election and to the expansion of the GOP's Senate majority by four. AP reported November 4 that Specter said of future Supreme Court nominees, "'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, referring to the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. 'The President is well aware of what happened, when a number of his nominees were sent up, with the filibuster,' Specter added, referring to Senate Democrats' success over the past four years in blocking the confirmation of many of Bush's conservative judicial picks. '. . .And I would expect the President to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning.'" Perhaps realizing that he's not chairman yet, Specter issued a clarification of his remarks the next day but withdrew nothing.
Specter's stab at Bush and the pro-life movement came despite the tremendous help he received from Bush and his fellow Pennsylvania GOP senator, pro-life champion Rick Santorum, in getting re-elected this year. He barely fended off a primary challenge from pro-life Rep. Pat Toomey (R.-Pa.), relying on crucial endorsements and campaigning from Bush and Santorum. In the general election, Specter didn't seem to care much about helping Bush win the state, refusing to appear with Vice President Cheney at a campaign event a week before the election. And, wrote Tim Carney on NRO this week, "Most striking were the 'Kerry and Specter for Working Families' signs posted around southeastern Pennsylvania. Was the culprit some particularly ambitious freelance ticket-splitter? The signs were created, paid for, and posted by a 527 created by Roger Stone, chairman of Specter's 1996 presidential campaign."
So what do Bush and the Republican establishment owe Specter? Bush likes to say that he favors judges who hold to "strict interpretation of the law." He and anyone else who favors the rule of law rather than steadily increasing judicial tyranny, not to mention party unity in supporting the President, should be opposed to making Specter the Senate's chief judge of Bush's judicial nominees. Specter's judicial philosophy is so activist, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.), one of the most aggressively liberal and pro-abortion opponents of Bush's judges, once recommended Specter for a seat on the Supreme Court. He put Specter at the head of a list he offered Bush in a June 10, 2003 letter: "While there are scores of Democrats whom I would hope you would consider, I am offering only individuals who either are Republicans or have previously been nominated by Republican presidents. The candidates I would advise you to consider are: The Honorable Arlen Specter, Republican senator from Pennsylvania. . . ."
Specter, 74, was just re-elected and will probably never have to face the voters again. He won't need any more help from Bush, Santorum, or the Republican fund-raising machine. He is free to follow his conscience, which he likely will. Republican senators, if they are truly concerned about protecting life and the rule of law, should do the same and keep Specter out of the chairman's chair.
Joseph A. D'Agostino is Vice President for Communications at the Population Research Institute. _________ © 2004 Population Research Institute. Permission to reprint granted. Redistribute widely. Credit required.
As you may well have heard by now, Senator Arlen Specter (RINO-Pennsylvania) celebrated President Bush's victory by announcing that he plans to impose what amounts to a pro-abortion litmus test on judicial nominees to the highest court in the land. On the day after the president's victory - delivered by moral values voters no less! - Specter "bluntly warned newly-re-elected President Bush against putting forth Supreme Court nominees who would seek to overturn abortion rights or are otherwise too conservative to win confirmation." (AP, 11/3/04).
Concerned Women for America (CWA) responded by sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee) saying "Sen. Specter has signaled in advance that he does not intend to conduct the Judiciary Committee in a fair and impartial manner. Therefore, he has disqualified himself from consideration for that position."
Senator Specter is in full "spin mode" trying desperately to say he didn't mean what he said. Which is the public to believe, Senator Specter's flip or his flop? Clearly, he cannot be trusted. As CWA chief counsel Jan LaRue told today's Washington Post, "he's a desperate man trying to pull himself out of a hole he dug himself into."
Take Action
Your help is needed. Please call or email Republican senators - they are the ones who will ultimately vote on who becomes chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. (Contact information is below)
Also, call the Senate Switchboard at 202.224.3121 to leave a message for the newly elected Republican senators.
All you have to say is: "Senator Specter has disqualified himself from the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. Please do all you can to make sure he is not in that influential position."
Every court in the land desperately needs judges who will abide by the Constitution, who will stop making laws. America needs to be governed by the rule of law, not the whim of judges. President Bush is committed to that vision. Clearly, Senator Specter has chosen the opposite vision.
Here are helpful links with more information:
AP with Specter's comments: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/ELN_SPECTER_SUPREME_COURT?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Today's Washington Post clipping: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26471-2004Nov4.html
CWA's letter to Senator Frist: http://www.cwfa.org/images/content/fristspecterletter.pdf
CWA's press release: http://www.cwfa.org/articles/6696/MEDIA/freedom/index.htm
CWA Commentary by chief counsel Jan LaRue: http://www.cwfa.org/articles/6690/LEGAL/scourt/index.htm
Republican Senators List
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) (202) 224-6665 Sen. Ted Stevens (AK) (202) 224-3004 Sen. Jeff Sessions (AL) (202) 224-4124 Sen. Richard Shelby (AL) (202) 224-5744 Sen. Jon Kyl (AZ) (202) 224-4521 Sen. John McCain (AZ) (202) 224-2235 Sen. Wayne Allard (CO) (202) 224-5941 Sen.-Elect Mel Martinez (FL) 202-224-3121 Sen. Saxby Chambliss (GA) (202) 224-3521 Sen.-Elect Johnny Isakson (GA) 202-224-3121 Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA) (202) 224-3744 Sen. Larry Craig (ID) (202) 224-2752 Sen. Michael Crapo (ID) (202) 224-6142 Sen. Richard Lugar (IN) (202) 224-4814 Sen. Sam Brownback (KS) (202) 224-6521 Sen. Pat Roberts (KS) (202) 224-4774 Sen. Jim Bunning (KY) (202) 224-4343 Sen. Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541 Sen.-Elect David Vitter (LA) 202-224-3121 Sen. Susan Collins (ME) (202) 224-2523 Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME) (202) 224-5344 Sen. Norm Coleman (MN) (202) 224-5641 Sen. Christopher Bond (MO) (202) 224-5721 Sen. Jim Talent (MO) (202) 224-6154 Sen. Thad Cochran (MS) (202) 224-5054 Sen Trent Lott (MS) (202) 224-6253 Sen. Conrad Burns (MT) (202) 224-2644 Sen.-Elect Richard Burr (NC) (202) 224-3121 Sen Elizabeth Dole (NC) (202) 224-6342 Sen. Chuck Hagel (NE) (202) 224-4224 Sen. Judd Gregg (NH) (202) 224-3324 Sen. John Sununu (NH) (202) 224-2841 Sen. Pete Domenici (NM) (202) 224-6621 Sen. John Ensign (NV) (202) 224-6244 Sen. Mike DeWine (OH) (202) 224-2315 Sen. George Voinovich (OH) (202) 224-3353 Sen.-Elect Tom Coburn (OK) (202) 224-3121 Sen. James Inhofe (OK) (202) 224-4721 Sen. Gordon Smith (OR) (202) 224-3753 Sen. Rick Santorum (PA) (202) 224-6324 Sen. Arlen Specter (PA) (202) 224-4254 Sen. Lincoln Chafee (RI) (202) 224-2921 Sen.-Elect Jim DeMint (SC) (202) 224-3121 Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) (202) 224-5972 Sen.-Elect John Thune (SD) (202) 224-3121 Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN) (202) 224-4944 Sen. Bill Frist (TN) (202) 224-3344 Sen. John Cornyn (TX) (202) 224-2934 Sen. Kay Hutchison (TX) (202) 224-5922 Sen. Robert Bennett (UT) (202) 224-5444 Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT) (202) 224-5251 Sen. George Allen (VA) (202) 224-4024 Sen. John Warner (VA) (202) 224-2023 Sen. Craig Thomas (WY) (202) 224-6441 Sen. Michael Enzi (WY) (202) 224-3424
Sincerely,
The Legislation Department Concerned Women for America
This thing is not going to die. If enough people keep contacting their GOP Senators, Specter may be out. And Specter can only blame himself for opening his trap.
What is the point of having a 55 seat majority in the Senate if the GOP is not going to take advantage of it? These comments by Specter make him unacceptable for chairmanship of the Judiciary Committe.
He obviously has no loyalty to the President who helped him win a tough primary challenge against a true conservative. This is how he repays him and the party that stood by him!
Of course this points to a bigger problem of how a Presidential power of appointment -- subject to Senate approval -- can be held hostage by a committee made up of less than 20% of the Senate.
All Presidential nominees should have an up or down vote from the full Senate. If that were so then it wouldn't matter if this clown were the committee chairman.
this is a good site..PLEASE email Repub senators, VOTE NO SPECTER.....
http://www.notspecter.com/index.php?p=5
Yep. Heard about it. And I'm going to do all I can to see that Specter is tossed out on his ear. America cannot waste the Bush Mandate on RINOs like that jackass.
Signed it
thanks and GOD bless you
Santorum continues to run infrence for Specter. Today he was quoted as saying there is nothing that should prevent him from being Chairman.
swing the hammer
what does specter have on santorum ?
good question. Wish I knew!
AS much as I detest Specter I don't think he will be the real problem
It will be the MSM who will attack endlessly any conservative Bush tries to appoint
They will go back to his/her kindergarten days for dirt
Bush may stand behind his nominee
BUT HOW MANY POTENTIAL NOMINEES WILL WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS VICIOUS SMEAR CAMPAIGN THAT THE MSM IS SURE TO MOUNT
That will be the real problem
"what does specter have on santorum ?"
Good question! I am shocked at Santorum once again....please, somebody who knows Santorum, can you explain him for us?
lets ALL email Sen Santorum and ask him why in the world as a "pro-life" man he would in ANY way be supportive of the old abortionist specter.
http://santorum.senate.gov/emailrjs.html
Thanks for the link. Just emailed him.
thanks....GOD bless you
Specter rode Ronald Reagan's coattails to get into office and then spent the next eight years distancing himself from the President. The man is a swine.
I'm pointing the finger at myself as well on this one, but the fault *really* lies with the national party. Every stinking time---well, except for David Duke---that the national party comes down against a good candidate for the sake of protecting a crappy incumbent, they do wrong, it seems (e.g., Ron Paul).
President Bush ran forthrightly on a clear agenda for this nations future, and the nation responded by giving him a mandate. Remarks by Vice President Cheney introducing President Bush for his victory speech, Ronald Reagan Building, November 3, 2004. President Bushs margin of victory proves that we have a narrowly divided country, and thats not a traditional mandate the number-one item on my agenda is to try to move the party to the center. Sen. Arlen Specter, November 3, 2004. Senator Arlen Specter's shocking comments the day after President Bush's decisive re-election raise troubling concersn |
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Specter's record over the last 20 years demonstrated a pattern of very troubling conduct on Judiciary Committee issues
The Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee must be someone devoted to the Constitution as written and the rule of law
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