Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), a moderate, gay-rights supporting Republican in line for the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, "bluntly warned newly re-elected President Bush today against putting forth Supreme Court nominees who would seek to overturn abortion rights or are otherwise too conservative to win confirmation," reports the AP.
Specter helped defeat President Reagan's nomination of the rabidly anti-gay Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, and of the anti-gay Jeff Sessions to a federal judgeship. Specter called both nominees too extreme on civil rights issues. Sessions later became a Republican senator from Alabama and now sits on the Judiciary Committee with Specter.
The Leviticus Crowd is having a cow. The Concerned Women for America sent out the following alert, urging people to call and email Republican Senators asking them to prevent Specter from being chair of the Judiciary committee. I'm including the alert below, and urge people to call Republican senators and urge them to support Senator Specter to be chair of the Judiciary Committee. The phone numbers are on the alert.
Dear Friends,
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
Today's Washington Post clipping
CWA's letter to Senator Frist
CWA's press release
CWA Commentary by chief counsel Jan LaRue
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
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