Daily Kos

James Dobson issues fatwa against Arlen Specter

by lordkelvin

Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 08:32:38 AM PDT

On This Week with George Steph.

Dobson: "Senator Specter is a big time problem for us and we are really concerned about him. I campaigned against him, I campaigned on behalf of Toomey in Pennsylvania. I thought that the comment that was made by the Senator was one of the most foolish and ill considered comments that a politician has made in a long time. President Bush came to Pennsylvania 30 plus times to campaign for him and the next day after he wins the mandate, wins this enormous victory he goes on the air and sticks his thumb in his eye. That makes no sense at all. Senator Specter is a problem not only because of the judiciary but because he has been the champion of embryonic stem cell research and many other things. He's remembered most for having sabotaged Robert Bork. He is a problem and must be derailed."

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Dobson: "The Republican Senators know they have a problem. Senator Specter has put himself in opposition to the President, he stands in the roadway with the great mandate that has been given to this President and he is in opposition to it. They know that and they also know that millions of people are upset over it. You couldn't get a phone call into Washington because of these comments and that's not going to go away."

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  •  Good post (none / 0)

    This struggle between Dobson and Spector could be the first front in the GOP civil war so many have predicted.

    Let's hope.

    I think most Dems don't even know who James Dobson is...

    ---
    Tired of violent language from right-wing pundits? Buy my book: Outright Barbarous

    by Jeffrey Feldman on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 08:32:30 AM PDT

  •  asdf (none / 0)

    :) Just sit back and enjoy the show. Maybe the GOP will take of everything for us.

    war is a racket.

    by RINO on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 08:39:15 AM PDT

    •  We cannot sit down (4.00 / 2)

      I have to confess that at this point I don't know if supporting Specter may backfire on us, or putting a little fire wood on the other side would work for us.

      But leaving this case unattended may just end up in the air. It may happened like other attempts to mutiny within the GOP in the last four years, that Rove's machinery have swallowed up the struggle some how.

      I don't trust these issues will work alone to disintegrate the GOP. Look at Pat Robertson. Look at the many insider dissenters. What happened to them? They did not do anything to affect the administration. They, Rove and company, have in place a sophisticated mechanism, better than Nazi Germany had, to absorb dissention effectively.

      So, we need to do something. Let's think about it.

      Let's tell the repug fascists that Jesus talked and did more about poverty than he ever did about sex. http://dennishidalgo.blogspot.com/

      by hidalgo on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 11:26:07 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Dobson needs a Man Date (4.00 / 2)

    Maybe Spector will flip if the GOP goons put enough pressure on him.  Plus, we get the added bonus of other moderate Repubs seeing how they will be treated by the Talibaptists if they dare voice dissent.

    ;]

    by lapin on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 08:42:35 AM PDT

  •  Spector is our hope in this... (none / 0)

    But folks, right now it appears that Spector is our only hope in keeping a true fundamentalist nut off of the Court.  It pains me to write this but doesn't that mean we should support him??

    by bstaihr on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 08:43:55 AM PDT

  •  Rove puts public pressure on Specter (none / 0)

    Rove Says Specter Promised Bush Expedited Handling of Judicial Nominations

    Chief political adviser Karl Rove said Specter, in line to head the Senate Judiciary Committee, has assured the president that he would make certain that every one of Bush's nominees receive a prompt hearing and an up-or-down vote by the full Senate.

    "Senator Specter's a man of his word," Rove told Fox News Sunday. "We'll take him at his word."

    So, Rove has thrown down the gauntlet, even after Specter has come out and explained his comments. Obviously, the Republicans are still worried about Specter.

    "I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats." - Eckhart Tolle

    by catnip on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 09:09:45 AM PDT

    •  That doesn't mean Spector votes for them (none / 0)

      although I doubt he'll be our hero.  The few remaining Mod Repubs might be bothered enough by Dobson's pressure to stiffen their spine.  McCain may weaken his, since he covets the WH is 2008.  But he hates the fundies, so who knows.

      Does George Stephanapolous love America as much as you do?

      by PrometheusSpeaks on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 09:28:10 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Spector versus Dobson (none / 0)

    We ought to keep repeating that the Republicans  owe the Christian Right.  Over and over.  I want Republicans to be synonymous with Christian Right.

    As for what Dobson says...

    President Bush came to Pennsylvania 30 plus times to campaign for him and the next day after he wins the mandate, wins this enormous victory he goes on the air and sticks his thumb in his eye.

    What a revisionist.  Spector won PA, quite handily.  Bush lost PA.  Bush didn't help Spector in the general election, Bush came to PA looking for his own votes.  So - who has the PA mandate?

    I don't have a lot of confidence that Spector won't roll over for Bush relatively quickly, but the longer he does it, the more it will impact the Santorum race in 2006.  If it continues, Santorum will have to declare an allegiance at some point to the Christian Right or to Pennsylvanians that supported Spector.  That moment ought to be pretty interesting.

    PSoTD is more than letters, but not quite yet a word.

    by PSoTD on Sun Nov 07, 2004 at 09:15:33 AM PDT

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