BERGEN COUNTY RIGHT TO LIFE
Specter Judiciary update |
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| Story Date | Source | Abstract |
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| 11/23/2004 | various | In reponse to conservative pressure, Specter pledged support for any judge that Bush nominates |
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On 11/18/04, a chastened Sen. Arlen Specter (PA) stood beside other Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and pledged support as their chairman for any judge that Pres. Bush nominates. It was a long road to the chairmanship for Specter, because pro-life advocates around the country conducted a massive grassroots campaign to block him from becoming the Senate Judiciary Chair.
Why the ruckus? There has not been a vacancy on the Court for over 10 years, but it is likely that Pres. Bush will have the opportunity to nominate two or more justices of the U.S. Supreme Court during the next four years. Those nominations will go first to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the chairman will be crucial in shepherding the President`s nominees to successful confirmation votes.
Pro-life activists cited Specter`s November 3rd statement to reporters in which he remarked that he considers Roe v. Wade "inviolate". At that time, he indicated that he believes that nominees who do not express support for that ruling cannot be confirmed. Asked if he would support Bush`s judicial nominees, Specter replied, "That obviously depends upon the president`s judicial nominees." In short, Specter endangered his own succession to the Judiciary chairmanship.
Pro-lifers created several websites (www.StopSpecterNow.com; www.StopSpecter.Net; www.StopSpecter.org) and sent numerous faxes detailing their concerns about the Republican`s record on pro-life issues. After Sen. Frist, the senate majority leader, and Sen. Santorum (PA) received a flurry of e-mails and phone calls asking that the pro-abortion senator be denied Chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Specter issued a statement denying he would block the President`s pro-life judicial nominees and pledging his cooperation as chairman. To achieve the chairmanship that he has coveted for years, Specter had to promise he would seriously dilute the "independence" he brags about.
Pro-abortion advocacy groups are vowing to do everything in their power to block the President`s nominees in the Senate, but at least the chairman of the judiciary Committee has changed his tune and promised to support pro-life nominees to the Court.
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