Specter's suggestion is pure insanity and cowardice. No other explanation.
The explanation is that Specter is a leftist, has always been a leftist, has trembled as his life's work of seizing power therough the courts has been threatened again and again by the election of Republican presidents, and now is ready to die in the last ditch of keeping "balance" on the Supreme Court.
IOW, he will vote against any constitutionalist nominee, and therefore the Judiciary Committee is tied 9-9 assuming no other Republicans defect (a bad assumption, IMO), and therefore the Senate will reject any such nominee.
How many shots were there in Dallas, anyway, Arlen?