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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Selectric II who wrote (20670)	11/10/2004 10:10:48 AM
From: sandintoes	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

This is Arlen Specters response to criticism? No Litmus Test I've backed pro-life judges before, and I'll do so again. BY ARLEN SPECTER Wednesday, November 10, 2004 12:01 a.m. To resolve any concern that I would block pro-life judicial nominees, take a look at my record. I have consistently opposed any litmus test. I have backed that up by voting to confirm pro-life nominees including Chief Justice William Rehnquist, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice Anthony Kennedy. I led the fight to confirm Justice Clarence Thomas, which almost cost me my Senate seat in 1992. I have voted for all of President Bush's judicial nominees in committee and on the floor. The current controversy was artificially created by incorrect reporting. I never "warned" the president on anything--and especially not that I'd block pro-life nominees. Brian Wilson, a reporter for Fox News, said: "I looked at the tape very closely. . . . Senator Specter was the victim of some spin on the part of some reporters who took some comments and were looking for a kind of a good headline out of it." Similarly, Rush Limbaugh refused to join the critics, saying: "This Specter story . . . may be a story about the media again . . . apparently, just from the looks of this, it may be that some words were put in his mouth that he didn't say." The Rev. Pat Robertson has also seen through the media spin, stating on Nov. 8 that "I am not worried about Arlen Specter, and I think he'll be fine." I merely noted the political facts of life. Pro-life nominees might be filibustered by the Democrats. The Democrats had done so repeatedly in the last Congress. As the only pro-choice Republican on the Judiciary Committee, I come from a different philosophical position on the political spectrum and can be helpful in dealing with the Democrats to get the president's nominees confirmed. I proved that in shepherding through confirmations on two controversial conservative nominees for the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, D. Brooks Smith and Michael Fisher. In 2002 and 2003, when nominees for the circuit courts with the slightest problems (and some without any problem) were being filibustered, these men were approved. Judge Smith was perceived as pro-life. Judge Fisher, who had been the Pennsylvania Republican candidate for governor in 2002, campaigned on his pro-life position. When I urged their confirmations, Democrats withdrew their objections. I am committed, in word and deed, to prompt action by the Judiciary Committee. Last April, I introduced Senate Resolution 327, a protocol to establish prompt action on all judicial nominees. Specifically, my protocol provides that all nominees will have a Judiciary Committee hearing within 30 days of nomination, a Judiciary Committee vote within 30 days of the hearing, and a floor vote 30 days later. I was also among the first to call for a marathon, round-the-clock debate to draw attention to the Democratic obstruction, which we held in November 2003. I made 17 floor statements to protest Democratic filibusters on nominees including Miguel Estrada and Charles Pickering. When Karl Rove, the president's chief political adviser, was asked about my recent statements, he said they were "pretty straightforward and pretty plain" and "Senator Specter is a man of his word and we'll take him at his word." I hope that this review of my record clarifies the misperceptions. opinionjournal.com