Stop Specter
I told my wife last night that probably the only dark cloud in this election's silver lining was the re-election of Arlen Specter, Republican senator from Pennsylvania. Specter faced a tough primary challenge from conservative Representative Pat Toomey, and narrowly won the nomination because Senator Rick Santorum and President Bush held their noses and campaigned hard for Specter in the spring. How did Specter repay the president for that support? There were reportedly numerous "Kerry/Specter" signs around Pennsylvania, and Specter, if he campaigned at all for Bush, put in only token appearances.
Dick Cheney, in a rally before the election, had the following exchange:
"The President and I are delighted to be part of a great Republican ticket here in Pennsylvania this year. I want to thank Congressman Tim Murphy for his kind words and the great leadership he provides. (Applause.) And I also want to put in a good word for Senator Arlen Specter, although he couldn't be here today.
"AUDIENCE: Booo!
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: This is a tough crowd. (Laughter and applause.)"
Now, in the immediate aftermath of Bush's victory, in which the president garnered more votes than any other presidential candidate in history and became the first president since 1988 to gain a majority of the popular vote, and in an election where the Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle, was defeated in part because of his efforts to obstruct the president's judicial appointments, Senator Specter, in line to be chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, has essentially told the president not to send any conservative judicial nominees to the Senate. "When you talk about judges who would change the right of a woman to choose, overturn Roe v. Wade, I think that is unlikely," said Specter in an interview regarding judicial nominees.
"'The president is well aware of what happened, when a bunch 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.'"
Also note this story about Specter from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Specter says that Bush has no mandate, that he would oppose judges not supportive of abortion rights, and equates reversing Roe v. Wade -- discussed as the constitutional tissue paper it is here -- with reversing Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark desegregation decision.
The movement to stop Specter from becoming chairman of the judiciary committee has begun (PLEASE click on and read this link). I am lending my meager support to the effort. A senator who owes his seat to the president's help in a primary election should not begin issuing threats to that president the day following the election. Give him an ambassadorship to Ecuador, or Belgium, or France. Give him another chairmanship. Anything keep him from being the chair of the judiciary committee.
The prospects of judicial appointments, especially to the Supreme Court, took on a heightened degree of urgency shortly before the election with the announcement of the chief justice's cancer. To have the incoming chairman threatening the president on this issue is just wrong. Join the movement NOW -- stop Specter.
Majority leader Bill Frist can be contacted by email here, or by telephone at (202) 224-3344.
Kentucky's Republican Senators are Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning. McConnell can be emailed here, or reached by telephone at (202) 224-2541. Bunning can be reached by email here, or by telephone at (202) 224-4343. The Republican Senate caucus must vote on the chairmanships. Encourage these men to stop Arlen Specter from taking the helm in the judiciary committee. And as Kathryn says, remember to congratulate them on the Senate victories.
UPDATE: For those of you reading this who do not live in Kentucky but would like to contact your Republican senator(s), here is the Senate directory.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Kathryn Jean Lopez, the editor on National Review Online and an associate editor of National Review, has done incredible work on this already. She has provided this update for those without Republican senators from their state. Here is the list of Republican Judiciary Committee members:
Hatch (202) 224-5251
Grassley (202)224.3744
Kyl (202) 224-4521
DeWine (202) 224-2315
Sessions (202) 224-4124
Graham (202) 224-5972
Craig 202/224-2752
Chambliss (202) 224-3521
Cornyn 202-224-2934
Thanks, Kathryn, for standing up for life.
Dick Cheney, in a rally before the election, had the following exchange:
"The President and I are delighted to be part of a great Republican ticket here in Pennsylvania this year. I want to thank Congressman Tim Murphy for his kind words and the great leadership he provides. (Applause.) And I also want to put in a good word for Senator Arlen Specter, although he couldn't be here today.
"AUDIENCE: Booo!
"THE VICE PRESIDENT: This is a tough crowd. (Laughter and applause.)"
Now, in the immediate aftermath of Bush's victory, in which the president garnered more votes than any other presidential candidate in history and became the first president since 1988 to gain a majority of the popular vote, and in an election where the Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle, was defeated in part because of his efforts to obstruct the president's judicial appointments, Senator Specter, in line to be chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, has essentially told the president not to send any conservative judicial nominees to the Senate. "When you talk about judges who would change the right of a woman to choose, overturn Roe v. Wade, I think that is unlikely," said Specter in an interview regarding judicial nominees.
"'The president is well aware of what happened, when a bunch 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.'"
Also note this story about Specter from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Specter says that Bush has no mandate, that he would oppose judges not supportive of abortion rights, and equates reversing Roe v. Wade -- discussed as the constitutional tissue paper it is here -- with reversing Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark desegregation decision.
The movement to stop Specter from becoming chairman of the judiciary committee has begun (PLEASE click on and read this link). I am lending my meager support to the effort. A senator who owes his seat to the president's help in a primary election should not begin issuing threats to that president the day following the election. Give him an ambassadorship to Ecuador, or Belgium, or France. Give him another chairmanship. Anything keep him from being the chair of the judiciary committee.
The prospects of judicial appointments, especially to the Supreme Court, took on a heightened degree of urgency shortly before the election with the announcement of the chief justice's cancer. To have the incoming chairman threatening the president on this issue is just wrong. Join the movement NOW -- stop Specter.
Majority leader Bill Frist can be contacted by email here, or by telephone at (202) 224-3344.
Kentucky's Republican Senators are Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning. McConnell can be emailed here, or reached by telephone at (202) 224-2541. Bunning can be reached by email here, or by telephone at (202) 224-4343. The Republican Senate caucus must vote on the chairmanships. Encourage these men to stop Arlen Specter from taking the helm in the judiciary committee. And as Kathryn says, remember to congratulate them on the Senate victories.
UPDATE: For those of you reading this who do not live in Kentucky but would like to contact your Republican senator(s), here is the Senate directory.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Kathryn Jean Lopez, the editor on National Review Online and an associate editor of National Review, has done incredible work on this already. She has provided this update for those without Republican senators from their state. Here is the list of Republican Judiciary Committee members:
Hatch (202) 224-5251
Grassley (202)224.3744
Kyl (202) 224-4521
DeWine (202) 224-2315
Sessions (202) 224-4124
Graham (202) 224-5972
Craig 202/224-2752
Chambliss (202) 224-3521
Cornyn 202-224-2934
Thanks, Kathryn, for standing up for life.
posted by Hal | 1:34 PM
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