Arlen Specter is a reliably cerebral lawmaker who understands how far his party has slipped from his viewpoint. He is now a crazed liberal compared to his peers but he is displaying his allegiance to the GOP when he suggests that S.D. O'Connor stay on the bench through this session:
Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he urged President George W. Bush today to delay nominating a replacement for retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said he talked to Justice O'Connor about staying on the high court. ``She's prepared to do that'' through the court's term ending in June, Specter said. The president ``was noncommittal,'' Specter said. ``The body language was not very positive,'' Specter said.
Specter said the delay would give Congress and the rest of America more time to know John Roberts as chief justice. ``When we know a little more about Judge Roberts it's going to be easier with the next'' nomination, Specter said.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee said he urged Bush to submit a name to the Senate promptly. ``I feel we should proceed with the nomination as anticipated,'' Frist said. If so, the confirmation process could be completed ``around Thanksgiving.''
O'Connor, 75, often a key swing vote on the Supreme Court, announced on July 1 that she is retiring and agreed to stay on until her replacement is confirmed. She has said she wants to help care for her husband, John O'Connor, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Specter and Frist, together with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, spoke with reporters at the White House after meeting with Bush over breakfast.
The meat on Specter's menu is that the Republican party will be severly wounded politically no matter who Bush nominates after Roberts.
Roberts may be an enigma but he is replacing Reinquest in today's calculus which probably makes the court more liberal than it was, if only temporarily. O'Connors replacement will be a distasteful choice regardless of who it is.
If Bush nominates a hardcore Conservative with full Family Values Council decoration the nation will see a Demoratic stonewall go up. It ratified she will no doubt have opportunities to fuck the common man before next Novembers elections. The American public will see that you get the government you deserve. This could backlash repugs for a couple election cycles.
If Bush nominates a more centrist jurist like Gonzalez (lets forget about his Eichman Papers) he will disappoint his farthest right wing , again weakening the Reds chances at holding Congress in 2006.
Under either scenario the public will be one J.P. Stevens heartbeat from a solid conservative majority. "Roe will never be overturned" has been coming out of the mouths of repug apologists for months and most Americans believe it...until SD OConnors replacement puts this court right on the breach.
Specter is whispering sage advice to his parties leader but Bush isn't likely to buy into it. If he does go ahead with a Thanksgiving Day nomination the 2006 elections could be his real Waterloo. Democratic House would mean hearing after hearing that would tear down this foul administration and leave the White House unguarded with the keys in the door for Hillary in 2008.
GWB might just be dumb enough to do it.
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